Dr Mister Pervert
As readers of this blog may remember I decided to go to university last year and get a "real degree" as my Associate Diploma in Music (Jazz) just wasn't cutting it for me in getting a regular job. At the time I applied I had resigned myself to spending three years, starting from scratch to get a Bachelor's Degree in Music. At the time of my interview I was asked "Why haven't you applied to do a Post-Graduate course?" I had no idea at the time I could be eligible for entry but, after taking the advice of the interviewers, applied and was accepted into a Post-Grad Certificate.
There was a small downside to this: if I'd gone into an undergraduate course I could have deferred payment of fees. As it was, there was no such deferrment plan available in Post-Grad courses however, each level of Post-Grad (Certificate, Diploma and Masters) was only six months long and so I figured I could be out of there with a Masters by Coursework in Music in 18 months, all for the princely sum of $18,000AU, give or take a few dollars.
I finished last year with a Post-Grad Diploma in hand, and a grade point average of 6.5 (out of 7). I had a very supportive music faculty friend who encouraged me to apply for a Masters by Research degree and, to cut a long story short, was accepted into that at the beginning of this year. While I knew this would now take a further two years study, where I could have gotten a Masters by Coursework in six months, there wasn't a fee involved and thus I managed to save myself around six grand.
Anyway, the aforementioned faculty friend (who was also my research supervisor by this time) transferred in July to a kick-ass job as Professor and Chair of Music at another University. He encouraged me to apply to transfer my studies to follow him, which I did, but he also said my work was of a PhD standard and that I should apply for the higher degree. This I also did and lo! if I wasn't accepted.
Now, the rules at this other university say they expect PhD students to complete their research not less than two years and not more than four. As it is, I am already advanced enough in my research to aim to complete in two years but, get this! They also are giving me six months credit for work already done at the Masters level. What this means is I have a good shot at completing my PhD by the end of next year. In short, I started at the beginning of last year with virtually no academic history behind me at all and will have, in three years, gone from scratch to a PhD.
So, yeah! Not bad going, even if I do say so myself.
Oh, and it also now looks very promising that I'll get my academic career started as early as next year. Not that I believe in palm reading, but I had my palms read when I was sixteen or so. I was told all those years ago I'd have two large financial peaks in my life: the first in my early thirties and a second and larger one in the years following my forty-fifth birthday. The first prediction came true and I'll be turning 45 at the end of this year. Maybe there really is something in that palm reading hocus-pocus?
There was a small downside to this: if I'd gone into an undergraduate course I could have deferred payment of fees. As it was, there was no such deferrment plan available in Post-Grad courses however, each level of Post-Grad (Certificate, Diploma and Masters) was only six months long and so I figured I could be out of there with a Masters by Coursework in Music in 18 months, all for the princely sum of $18,000AU, give or take a few dollars.
I finished last year with a Post-Grad Diploma in hand, and a grade point average of 6.5 (out of 7). I had a very supportive music faculty friend who encouraged me to apply for a Masters by Research degree and, to cut a long story short, was accepted into that at the beginning of this year. While I knew this would now take a further two years study, where I could have gotten a Masters by Coursework in six months, there wasn't a fee involved and thus I managed to save myself around six grand.
Anyway, the aforementioned faculty friend (who was also my research supervisor by this time) transferred in July to a kick-ass job as Professor and Chair of Music at another University. He encouraged me to apply to transfer my studies to follow him, which I did, but he also said my work was of a PhD standard and that I should apply for the higher degree. This I also did and lo! if I wasn't accepted.
Now, the rules at this other university say they expect PhD students to complete their research not less than two years and not more than four. As it is, I am already advanced enough in my research to aim to complete in two years but, get this! They also are giving me six months credit for work already done at the Masters level. What this means is I have a good shot at completing my PhD by the end of next year. In short, I started at the beginning of last year with virtually no academic history behind me at all and will have, in three years, gone from scratch to a PhD.
So, yeah! Not bad going, even if I do say so myself.
Oh, and it also now looks very promising that I'll get my academic career started as early as next year. Not that I believe in palm reading, but I had my palms read when I was sixteen or so. I was told all those years ago I'd have two large financial peaks in my life: the first in my early thirties and a second and larger one in the years following my forty-fifth birthday. The first prediction came true and I'll be turning 45 at the end of this year. Maybe there really is something in that palm reading hocus-pocus?
Labels: Personal Stories
posted by Mister Pervert at 11:46 AM
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