Quiz: Which postgraduate route will be the best for you?

Quiz: Which postgraduate route will be the best for you?
Mortar board drop. Source: Honey Yanibel Minaya Cruz on Unsplash

It’s a question every working professional have asked: Should I go back to university?

Phew, what a loaded question that is!

With an undergraduate degree done and dusted with, and a little (or a lot) of work experience under your belt, the dreaded question pops up: What next?

You want a Master’s, you think. After all, didn’t Sheila from Marketing got promoted because of that? Didn’t she get a pay raise (that she may, or may not, have deserved)?

But there are so many other things to consider as well: Money, family, location. Plus, there seems to be an infinite number of options to choose from these days.

Now weighing all these factors isn’t as easy as drawing up a mental or physical list of pros and cons then jetting off to a whole new chapter of your life.

The quest for a few extra letters or qualifications after your name is not an easy one. Let our little quiz make your decision-making process much, much easier:

1. Are you working right now?

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2. How committed are you to your work?

3. How much are you able and willing to spend on your postgraduate study?

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4. Are you willing to commit to the time and pressure that comes with having to write a thesis?

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5. Taking up a postgraduate course is a big decision. How much have you thought this through (& willing to live with the consequences of a bad decision)?

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6. Are you willing to give up the comfortable perks of a well-paid adult?

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7. Are you willing to travel?

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Which postgraduate route should you take to make your life better?
Master's Degree
You want a proper edge in your CV and you're willing to go the long mile for it. You're willing to fork our the money and time - painful dissertation and all - for it. To you, it's an investment, and rightly so!
Postgraduate Certificates (PGCerts) or Postgraduate Diplomas (PGDips)
You're aware of your limitations - time, funds and commitment. Nonetheless, you still want a challenge and one day, build your PGCerts and PGDips up to a full Master's at your own pace. It's the snack version of postgraduate study - short, satisfying and does the job.
Distance Learning
For you, location is key. You may have the time and commitment, but you are locked at where you are now, due to job or family, which would not let you travel several thousand kilometres away. Online learning lets you have the best of both world - get your postgraduate qualification without letting location get into the way.
Part-time Master's
To you, there's no need to sacrifice your job for several years to further your studies and boost your CV. You're willing to sacrifice some leisure time off-work for this qualification and would love it if you can structure your course schedule around your job and family.
Work!
To you, there's no better way to improve your career and knowledge than to build your years right where you are, right in the industry itself! The cons of another university qualification (time, money, commitment) definitely outweighs the pros of it (knowledge, boost CV) for you.
Postgraduate Summer School
Why decide without trying it out first? A summer school will be perfect as a teaser and real-life insight into what life would be like as a postgraduate student in this particular university or country. Plus, it can be added to my CV too!

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