posted about 5 years ago
I'm an OU graduate with a BSc in Physics (2:1, disappointingly) and have been accepted onto a year long full-time quantum-related masters degree. Since applying, my (& my husband's) financial circumstances have changed, so the nearly £6k price tag and the fact that I'd be unable to work while studying due to time constraints(study hours + it's a 50 mile trip each way to uni) means it seems unwise to take up the offer.
I've looked at scholarships and they all either don't apply as I'm not a grad of the uni I'm applying to/don't fulfill other criteria (some of which are truly bizarre!).
I could work for a year, and *hope* to have enough money to afford it, but can't count on getting a well enough paid job to save. (Also, I'm 32, so time is of the essence here).
We could perhaps take out a loan, but am not sure we'd manage the repayments, so would be risking being financially up the creek.
Have applied for 6 PhDs (various unis), had 3 interviews, been turned down for all three. The other three I don't know, but considering the closing date was March for two of them and I've heard nothing, have to assume those were a 'no'.
There are other PhDs I could go for, but I'm short on time, and often end up wasting time contacting people, only to find the placement has been filled/won't go ahead anymore, despite it being open for online applications on the university website!
So what do I do? The masters starts in the 3rd week of September.
Of course, it would be very easy to just give up and say I should've done all this ten years ago, and try to get a job with what I've got. But I don't want to do that. I do love the field I'm trying to get into. And that's why we're all here, right?