is time a factor? (1 Viewer)

[jlh]

just curious to see if anyone of you in uni have considered time as a factor in your study. like have to allocated a certain amount of years dedicated to finishing your degree(s).

reason why i ask is cuz i'm considering changing my major.. and have been planning a way so that i complete my degrees on time. i first originally had planned 4 years of study, either doing my last year as part time or maybe do honours in a field. but since i've changed my majors so many times, i had to have allocated 4.5 years to study and still finish uni when i'm 22......

what do you think?

 

[D.Larie]

Yeah, I'm planning not to study for more than 4 years at Uni...

 

[doe]

i didnt so much allocate a set number of years (6 and counting ...) but once i finish the courses i am doing now it will be a long time before i go back. ie take however long it takes to get what i want but get it all over and done with in one hit. i used to work fulltime and go to uni part time and having an incomplete degree hanging over your head that you know you have to go back to complete sucks.

 

[Sarah168]

Im not considering it in the composition of my degree but I did consider it when choosing the degree itself. I want to do Grad law, so I opted for a 4yr degree rather than a 5 yr combined degree.

 

[llamalope]

well I think I'm going to have to be at uni for like 7 years...I'm doing science(psychology)/commerce at Usyd which is 5 years, and then I want to do my honours in psychology to become registered...but I ead somewhere that you have to do an additional year in science to be considered for the honours year...but I'm not sure if I read that on the UNSW or USYD site.....So I'm going to be 25 when I finish uni..... but its a good thing that I changed my mind fron doing PSYCHIATRY...because I discovered that that's postgrad....so I'd probably spend about 12-15 years at uni......man, thats a long time

 

[Slidey]

As long as I'm out of uni before I'm 30. Should be able to make it with a Ph.D by 25, or so.

But hey, it might be worth it to get some work and then do postgrad stuff later.

 

[Generator]

It was a consideration, but then my aunty pointed out that I am not going to die for some time (or so we all hope), so there is no real need to worry about 'wasting' my time at uni... Now I will be there for six rather than four years, and I would like to go back one day and take an Economics degree of some sort (if I manage to build up enough of that learning entitlement garbage).

 

[santaslayer]

Probably 6 years minimum...I'm considering laying off the 5 subject/semester thing....its pissing me off...

 

[suz]

same as me santa
five sub's is a huge workload so im lookin at about six years as well

 

[sHin]

5 subjects a semester? Don't most students do 4 subjects? (4 x 6cp)

 

[doe]

it varies from uni to uni

 

[santaslayer]

and from degree to degree...

Most other unis (of the same degree as mine) are doing 5.....same

 

[Ninga]

I think time is a factor. Im in my 4th and final year of my degree. And i'll probably do my masters after it too maybe. I think you come to a stage in your life where you feel like you've learnt enough and that you should apply it (and make money). I was thinking about a phD in my earlier uni days, but now, i don't know if i could apply myself, and be dedicated for another 3 years of uni after i finish my degree. Life's a funny thing sometimes...

 

[iambored]

it's slightly a factor. i want to be out of there by 23, but if not i can stay on a bit, there's nothing really stopping me. i want to do another degree or 2but i don't know if i will ever get around to it, if it's practical or if i should just do it part time. i think i will finish my degree, get a job and decide what to do then.

so i haven't 'allocated' a time but i do have an expected finishing time and i would like to stick to it (i.e. not fail any subjects)

 

[flipsyde]

Im gonna do my accelerated degree in 2 years at college then Im gonna (hopeflly) do masters of education at USyd.. so 4 years in total
I dont wanna study for more than 4 years

 

[Slidey]

I've thought about doing two undergraduate degrees. It seems impractical, though. That'd be 2 Bachelors and a Ph.D (maybe a master aswell). It just seems a bit ludicrous. But I've got many, many, many years left and I'll most likely be in research so...

Has anybody ever received 2 Ph.D's?

 

[doe]

yes, there are plenty of people with 2 phds. for most, it seems they spend their time getting their first phd, then go to work for a few years, then 10 - 20 years down the track go back to do a second.

imo you will regret spending too much time at uni. this is why i think if you are not sure on what you want to do you should choose a generic degree (BSc, BA), take a year off and grow up a bit, then come back wiser with a better idea of what you want to do. i would have liked to have done a phd but thinking about it i would be nearly 30 by the time i have finished. that is basically my entire youth spent studying in an academic position and will leave me nearly 10 years behind all my friends. even now my friends are thinking about buying their first houses and entering management, and though i am not doing too badly, i am nowhere near that stage. if i had not screwed about at uni i would have had more time and been more likely to do a phd that i couldve finished aged 25/26. i am not angry about this or anything, i am more than happy with how things have turned out for me. phds are hard, hard work and you will basically be spending your time living on the poverty line (which imo is about $30k in sydney). you will finish with no savings and probably be only starting your career (ie the bottom of the ladder). it is ok if you want to work in research but there is not a lot of research funding in australia compared to other western countries, mainly due to australias small size. imo a lot of research and researchers are examples of uninspired mediocracy. phds are hard work, which does not imply being smart or creative.

all that said a phd would be a great thing to do, and if you have the chance to do one i would do it. however, i would not do two undergrad degrees, a masters, then a phd. complete your undergrad degree, do honours then do a phd. i would compelete your undergrad degree first. you might be sick of other things by then too, ie uni administration/policies.