College dilemma - advice

GeneralC

Hi

I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands at the moment, and would appreciate the advice of people on here.

Background: I am 28, very little work experience due to health reasons and currently hold a BSc (Hons)

I was accepted onto a Masters in Business last year, started it, got sick, and deferred. Now I am looking at doing something totally different, something I am more interested in, Physiotherapy. However, if I wanted to pursue this it would mean I lose 6,200 euro I paid for to do the Masters in Business, money I don't have.

If I return to do the Masters in Business, I feel it is energy waste in an area I am not looking to build a career in, and it's pretty intense, so if I get sick again, I won't be able to manage the pressure.

I was consider doing a Fetac Level 5/6 for this coming Sept in an area related to Physiotherapy. Then building some hours shadowing a Physio and also study for the GAMSAT, and hopefully get into a Masters in Physiotherapy in Sept. 2016, and hopefully by then, I will well enough again to take on such a challenging Masters.

Am I crazy for leaving a Masters that I already have nearly paid for to do Fetac course in an area I have think I have more passion for?

Should you just suck it up and do the Masters in Business? it is only one year after all!

I just feel if I return to do the Business option it is time and energy spent in area I have little interest in now. It is very intense and I deferred for mental health reasons, so not sure if I was the stress. However, it's nearly paid for.

Thoughts, advice?

Diziet

Can you get any sort of refund from your Masters? Have you asked?

GeneralC

Diziet wrote: »

Can you get any sort of refund from your Masters? Have you asked?

I'll probably get 1,000e back

Est28

Why don't you just do whatever course you WANT to do? Where is the real problem here?

If the one you want to do now then you'll qualify and do it for life, so if you can AFFORD it, where's the problem?
What it sounds like though is you have no idea. Like if you start this new course, will you end up here again in a year wanting to drop out and do something else? Is this REALLY your passion or do you just drop things all the time?

I don't want to be overly harsh since I don't know what the health issues were but at 28, you have NO real work experience? Ok, I mean, if it's a life or death thing thats had you debilitated since leaving college, then that would be aweful and I'm sorry. But it sounds like you're right enough now... like, could you in now way under any circumstances POSSIBLY have worked during ANY of that time or is there any way this all comes back to you want sticking to anything or really having the grit or determination to want to do something, work and stay at something?

Sorry if that's harsh, but that's how it comes across. I feel for anyone with serious medical issues who can not possibly do anything. But since we have no idea here yet what your story is... could this be a case where you are one of these people with "a bad back" or something like that who would rather pick up a cheque than just work at something which you COULD do to get by like the rest of us?

Or..... is this all about the money? You don't mention if it's about the cost. If you can afford the new course and it's what you want, where's the problem? If it's about the money and how all this is "unfair".... sorry bud, we all have the same problems. Nobodies going to pay your way but you.

GeneralC

Est28 wrote: »

Why don't you just do whatever course you WANT to do? Where is the real problem here?

If the one you want to do now then you'll qualify and do it for life, so if you can AFFORD it, where's the problem?
What it sounds like though is you have no idea. Like if you start this new course, will you end up here again in a year wanting to drop out and do something else? Is this REALLY your passion or do you just drop things all the time?

I don't want to be overly harsh since I don't know what the health issues were but at 28, you have NO real work experience? Ok, I mean, if it's a life or death thing thats had you debilitated since leaving college, then that would be aweful and I'm sorry. But it sounds like you're right enough now... like, could you in now way under any circumstances POSSIBLY have worked during ANY of that time or is there any way this all comes back to you want sticking to anything or really having the grit or determination to want to do something, work and stay at something?

Sorry if that's harsh, but that's how it comes across. I feel for anyone with serious medical issues who can not possibly do anything. But since we have no idea here yet what your story is... could this be a case where you are one of these people with "a bad back" or something like that who would rather pick up a cheque than just work at something which you COULD do to get by like the rest of us?

Or..... is this all about the money? You don't mention if it's about the cost. If you can afford the new course and it's what you want, where's the problem? If it's about the money and how all this is "unfair".... sorry bud, we all have the same problems. Nobodies going to pay your way but you.

I have 4+ years of retail experience and BSc (Hons) from a well established university. I have had 2 open heart surgeries and debilitating ongoing mental health problems, I would hardly call that someone with a "bad back" story?

Anyway, the Masters I was doing was in an area I have very little interest in, I did it because I didn't really know what to do at the time. I was sick and couldn't finish it off due to the nature of the illness. I was taken from the Uni in an ambulance at one point, and didn't return. I want to return to education this Sept, but not at such an intense level, and in an area I actually want to build a career in. I have been accepted onto a Level 6 course in Health Science, which will stand to me when I apply for a Masters in Physiotherapy next Sept, and hopefully by then I am able to manage an intense course. I am also contacting local practices to obtain some work experience in this area, so I know it is 100% for me!

The level 6 course is a few 100euro, in comparison to the 6k I paid for the Masters, and no, I can't afford to just lose 6k, but at the same time, I have to put my health first. It hurts paying over 6k and getting nothing in return for it, apart from a 2/3months education with no paper to show.

GeneralC

anyone else got advice?

FurBabyMomma

I'm just wondering if your heart problems would affect you in your chosen choice of career? Physiotherapy is very physically demanding.

GeneralC

FurBabyMomma wrote: »

I'm just wondering if your heart problems would affect you in your chosen choice of career? Physiotherapy is very physically demanding.

I was thinking that the other day, going to see my cardiologist in 4 weeks to see what he thinks. If it's a no-go, I will be devastated and probably end up going back to the paid Masters in Sept then.

Good point though FurBabyMomma

FurBabyMomma

GeneralC wrote: »

I was thinking that the other day, going to see my cardiologist in 4 weeks to see what he thinks. If it's a no-go, I will be devastated and probably end up going back to the paid Masters in Sept then.

Good point though FurBabyMomma

Good luck and please do listen. I can speak from experience as I'm in a similar boat in that I'm a massage therapist and I developed a pregnancy related condition that saw my arms in braces. I haven't massaged in 8 months as I've still not fully recovered. So I'd be wary if you've already got a health condition that might mean your efforts would be for nothing. I'm hoping this isn't the case though, so good luck!

ordinary_girl

GeneralC wrote: »

anyone else got advice?

Honestly? I've read through your posts, and obviously there is no one in the world who'd be okay with losing 6k, but everything you're describing about wanting to do physiotherapy and even being willing to go the longer route through doing a FETAC to get into the masters suggests to me that this is very clearly where your passion lies and that you're in it for the long haul. When you describe doing the business course it sounds more like you see it as being a chore.

I can see your dilemma, and believe me, I can understand it, but what immediately springs to mind for me is this: do a course that you've paid 6k for, that due to disinterest you stand a chance of potentially dropping out of (in which case you'll lose the 6k anyway), or take a sizeable financial hit but pursue something that you clearly have a passion for and are likely to succeed in and enjoy. Which will you miss more - the 6k or delaying pursuing something you have a passion for?

I hope my post has been somewhat helpful. I'm currently on the cusp of making some important career/life decisions too, so I hope I've helped to unjumble your thoughts a little!