The student experience
Five years after graduating in Law, Marianne Pagett has just started a part-time Masters in Human Resource Management at Sheffield Hallam, which is being funded by her employers.
After finishing university in 2001 I went travelling to Canada with a friend where I worked in a law firm in Vancouver in an administration role for eight months then travelled the rest of the country before returning a year later. On my return to England, I was a year behind in my job search, which was long, painful and, at times, depressing.
Not wanting to train as a solicitor, my lengthy graduate job search resulted in a job as a recruitment consultant, a job in which I felt I sold my soul on a daily basis. But I earned enough money to buy a house and, just over a year ago, secured my current role as recruitment officer, which was a strategic move away from sales into HR.
The postgrad route
I decided to take up a postgraduate course so I could specialise in my career. I am lucky that my employers have agreed to fund the course, which is an obvious advantage to me, but in return they will reap the rewards of my acquired skills and knowledge, resulting ultimately in a more qualified and experienced employee.
I will continue in my full-time role as recruitment officer whilst studying. I currently work 40 hours a week Monday to Friday which also involves an hour’s commute. My employers allow me one day off a week to attend lectures but I have to make my hours up where possible.
First impressions
I was very excited at the thought of returning to university, as I believe it is a secret thought of anyone who had a great time the first time round that they always wish they could go back.
I was worried about the course content, my abilities and whether my commitment would be enough to see me through though. I was also nervous about the other students and, just like a first day at school, whether I would make any friends!
Of course, I was not naive enough to think that it would be anything like as much fun as the first time. Take the partying and living in halls of residence/shared house out of the equation and some may question what is left of the university experience apart from the actual studying.
On a more practical level, I love not having to get up and go through the same ground-hog routine for just one day of the working week. Rather than sitting in a traffic jam on the M1 as part of my hour’s commute to work, I can get up and walk into the library, maybe meet my fellow course mates before lessons start. I genuinely look forward to my day at university and just being on campus makes me feel alive and part of the learning culture again.
Making steady progress
I have about eight hours of lectures a week but the reading required around the subject, both before and after each week, is vast. Add to this revision and coursework and it is easy to see that the commitment needed in terms of time and energy goes far beyond the official study hours. I was worried about the amount of work that would be involved but hope that my enthusiasm will see me through.
I have made friends on the course already, some of which I hope to stay in touch with for a long time to come. It was very easy as everyone is really friendly and encouraging as we are all balancing work with our studies, so appreciate the strains we are all enduring. Equally we all revel in our shared motivations and future aspirations.
For me, the university experience goes far beyond the studying. It is about being around like-minded people with a desire to learn more. People are open-minded and want to listen, reflect and learn from others, without the personal agenda that office politics can breed. Refreshing!
Name: Marianne Pagett
