Jenny enjoyed her English Literature BA so much that three years just wasn’t enough. Here she tells us why taking her literature studies to MA level was the right decision…

Name: Jenny Tooze
Institution: Loughborough University
Course: MA Modern and Contemporary Writing

One of the major factors in many students’ decision to undertake postgraduate study is the question of funding. For undergraduates, this is often solved easily by applying for a student loan, but for postgraduate students, funding is far more complicated. If you’re sure postgraduate study is for you, however, take the time to research what’s available. 

‘After I completed my BA in English Literature there were still many aspects of my chosen subject that remained unexplored and I wanted to see what I could learn if I focused for another intensive year. I think I thought somewhat about the benefits of a postgraduate qualification in terms of future employment prospects, but it was really more for love of the subject than for vocational reasons that I chose further study. I also loved my time at university and, for me, the three-year BA was not long enough!

I knew I wanted to do a master’s by the first semester of my third year at university, but I didn’t finally apply until almost the end of the academic year, as I didn’t know how I was going to fund the full cost of the course plus living expenses and so on. At the time, I wasn’t aware of the breadth of funding there is available for students in my situation, and I hadn’t heard about the assistance that’s obtainable from Research Councils. Luckily for me, my department offered a bursary for help with course fees for the master’s I was interested in. This, along with the fact that I knew and trusted the tutors and had heard good things from former students who had taken the course, meant that I was more than happy to continue my studies where I was.

Of course the desire to continue at the same institution where they were an undergraduate is often the case with many students – having built up a familiarity with a department and university, and surrounded by friends made over the course of their degree, it can be very tempting to stay put. If this is your situation, then make sure that you are embarking on postgraduate study for the right reasons – it is an expensive and  time-consuming investment if all you really want is another year with your mates.

Research your chosen course carefully, and take time to compare it with other similar courses at alternate institutions so you can weigh up content and teaching methods as well as the all-important fees. As I found, you may often discover that having built up a relationship with your lecturers, they will be more flexible with funding than if you moved to a new university.

If you have researched your course, taking into account the financial implications, and are still set on a postgraduate degree – it could be the best decision you ever make. Whether you think the further qualification will help you in attaining that dream job or, like me, you simply feel you still have more to discover about your chosen subject, postgraduate study can be very rewarding and worth every penny.’
 

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