I'm taking my GMAT next week. My plan has always been to get a M.B.A. and a J.D. but I took a job for a year out in California so I figure I'll start working towards my M.B.A. at night. I applied to a Cal State branch and if I get accepted (which I'm nearly certain I will be since I test very well) I'll start in January.

I'm sort of looking forward to it, plus I'm in state so it's quite cheap. Has anyone had experience going to night school for a masters. I've obviously never done it but I'm just wondering if it's a good idea to juggle a fulltime job (40 hrs/wk) with a masters program. I'm very good at time management so I think I can just looking for some experiences...

9/26/2006 1:46:17 PM

sorry, i don't have experience.

but i can tell you that most teachers who are in their first few years of teaching do just that: they teach during the day, then they get their Master's at night via some local college. or in some cases, the teachers aren't certified to teach in the first place, so they teach during the day and take certification classes at night. it can be done!

just don't take on too much at once. realize that it'll take some time to get where you're going, and take it slow so you don't burn out.

9/26/2006 2:24:15 PM

It's doable, though you'll hate yourself for 2 years or so. It's a LOT easier if family isn't in the picture (truth be told). Make sure you save up some vacation time before you start though. There will be occassions where you will want to use it to catch up on assignments.

9/26/2006 7:29:19 PM

Some of my friends have done this and have not had trouble balancing the two. They said it was difficult at times, but were determined to do well at both. Sounds like you're motivated enough to take on both.

9/26/2006 8:03:32 PM

Bah, I figured I'd get more responses about this. I guess if I had some sort of drama involved it might have been.... or if I was a chick. Oh well... BUMP

^ yeah, I'm a pretty motivated person these days all around so I'm not worried about it too much.. Just trying to get some people w/ this experience to say how they felt about it

9/26/2006 10:45:54 PM

Work somewhere that will give you time off for school.

9/26/2006 10:52:10 PM

would FT job + FT undergrad really be any different than FT job + PT masters? If you consider them the same, then I'll say this ... it takes a lot of energy and self-motivation to keep up with both, but if you do it, when you get to vacation times you'll really appreciate it. I find too it makes me feel less busy when I'm doing just one or the other and I feel more relaxed and get more done that I might if I had never had the gruelling experience of both at once.

9/26/2006 11:37:25 PM

^In no way, shape or form is a PT masters as much work as FT undergrad. You have far, far less class time commitments. Work can easily be less, too.

9/27/2006 12:51:13 AM

i had 3 jobs (worked between 40-60 hrs/week) and was in grad school full-time for 1.5 yrs.

But i worked full-time or close to full-time as an undergrad too so it wasn't an issue.
I thought grad school was easier than undergrad. but i enjoyed my classes more and i'd become an expert at managing my time but then.

I am a teacher now and i plan on taking a few evening classes in the spring semester.
I work part-time on the weekends and my total work hours for the entire week usually add up to around 70-80 hrs/week. (but thats normal for me... i wouldn't know what to do with myself otherwise...)

i'd say as long as you don't take your work home with you (from your day job) you should be fine.
online classes can be convenient too. as long as you're good at working independently.

If it's too much then cut back somewhere.

9/27/2006 9:26:31 AM

i did part time work (32 hours a week) and night school last year (3 nights a week for 3 hours)...it's doable.

I was distracted a lot though b/c I met some handsome young man at the same time and he was trying to swoon me... and my night classes were pretty easy since I'd worked in my field or study already for 2 years while doing undergrad.

9/27/2006 11:23:08 AM

^also too distracted too learn the meaning of the word "swoon." You mean "woo"

9/27/2006 7:41:26 PM

A lot of programs are designed for people to get their master's degree through night classes while working a full time job. I know that a lot of teachers like my grandmother have gotten their Masters Degree this way. My grandmother says that it was a lot of work, but it helped that her husband and children were very supportive and helpful.

I am looking to start working on my Masters at NCSU in the Spring as a Post-Bach student (this was a last minute decision and I don't have all of my paper work together to officially enter the grad program) and then apply to the graduate program. Most of what I have read on the NCSU website says that if you work a full time job you will not want to take more than 2 classes.

9/28/2006 8:38:45 AM

^^hey what can i say, he was really good at swooning/wooing

9/28/2006 8:45:14 AM

one of my best friends is getting his Masters with FSU online
he is the assistant director of IT at Duke and between school and work he has no time
all he does is homework and work

so get ready to have little to no social life / depending on your job of course

[Edited on September 28, 2006 at 9:12 AM. Reason : e]

9/28/2006 9:12:21 AM

take it slow and you'll get by

9/28/2006 9:29:26 AM

Hey, I am actually doing that right now. I am graduating this year (Bachelors) and i work full time 8-5 everyday mon-fri. It is hell. I thought that it wouldnt be that big of a deal, but I seriously have NO life. I go to work and I come home and study till 12:30am and then get up at 6:00am to go to work. THE SCHOOLWORK NEVER ENDS.

I figured i might have to do work everyother day and then catch up on the weekends?? I was so wron.... I have to study for hours every day including the weekends. I probably go out and hang out with my friends once a week cause i have no time.

I assume with getting a masters it will be even more difficult! If you are REALLY dedicated (which i thought i was) then go ahead and try it, but just know that it is goign to be VERY VERY HARD. =( I got burnt out after 3 weeks. I almost dropped all my classes but then just decided that would be stupid....I was hoping for A's, but now im hoping I can pull 3.0 this semester........ if I am lucky.

My advice would be to start out taking classes part time and then work your way up once your body gets adjusted to either being at work or doing school work for about 18hrs a day.....being stressed out all the time, and never getting any sleep. That way.....you wont end up like me with a lower GPA then what you are capable of....simple because you just dont have enough time to do the work.

Hope this helps! =)

9/29/2006 1:46:21 PM

It all depends.

Some graduate programs are more time consuming than others. Even within a program, some classes eat up more time. I have classes where I'm putting in double or triple the hours that other classes require.

Work is a huge variable. Some people put in their 40 hours and can walk out that door and leave it behind them. Some companies expect more than 40 hours from full-time employees. Some jobs are unpredictable -- it may be easy to leave at 5pm this Tuesday, but next Tuesday you're stuck in a meeting with clients that runs late. Some jobs even have on-call responsibilities.

It's a question of priorities. You say you're very good at time management, so that helps.

As a data point, the NC State MBA program has more part-time students than full-timers.

9/30/2006 12:14:25 AM