Postgrad fairs and changing subject studied

Sgt Slaughter

Hi realise this is probably a bit of an up in the air sort of question but im out of college now 2 years, working and settled in my job but i find myself losing a bit of focus. College though i have to admit i wasnt overly fond of my subject matter gave me great focus. But following on that point im not sure if i want to continue further on with what i was studying. Which brings me to my 2 questions

1) When is the best post grad fairs for people looking to study mainly part time and who are in employment at the moment, as supposed to post grad fairs for those coming straight out of college

2) Can you change codes so to speak or does a post grad course only relate to a primary degree?

JDLK

1) http://www.postgradireland.com/fair/ - dont know if its the "best" or anything might be worth a look though. Failing that alot of grad schools will have their own open days- check their websites they are fairly regular. Ive never understood why anyone would go straight from under to post grad without getting a bit of work exp but it does happen- you should speak to the course director about the typical class profile if you're worried it may be tailored to a pre-experience audience. This is actually a growing concern for alot of grad schools so they'll understand where you're coming from but in general if you're doing a part time masters I would imagine alot of the class would be working (also, and I dont want this to sound condescending but 2 years work exp wouldnt be a huge differentiation to recent undergrads). Some courses may require a minimum work exp level.

2) In my personal opinion post grads are most successful and get the most out of courses when they are not directly related to the persons undergrad (within reason of course). Some post grads may have a requirement that the persons undergrad is Arts or Science but this isnt the norm. I once knew a girl who spent 4 years studying for Psychology- did very well, after 1 years work exp found out it wasnt for her, did a masters in law and has recently qualified as a solicitor- in fact having diverse set of undergrad's is being seen as an asset to both graduate schools and employers. Of course if you wish to stay within the field of your undergrad the transition should be easier- in that case I would suggest you find a specialised course in your field which does not re-do your primary degree subjects. Often a masters is used to help people move into a different career and some of the subjects can be a condensed type introduction for those people. You might ask the course director if the course is designed along "transition" type lines.

Sgt Slaughter

Great advice, absolutely brilliant. Ive pencilled in that date into my diary for next year already. Tell me does anyone know if it is at all possible to do a postgraduate diploma or course of study in history if your primary degree is not in the subject? Or is history something that you would have to go back to square one as in primary degree with?