There is something to be said for the fervour and energy to continue with your postgraduate career while you’re in the thick of it. Much of it, for me, can be attributed to the high of a successful run. Finishing off my PGCE on a high note energised me to move directly into a B.Ed Honnours programme in stead of going back to teaching in Taiwan (my original idea). Similarly, discovering that I’m relatively good at academic research, and wrapping up the B.Ed (Hons) with greater success than the PGCE had me flying into an M.Ed (by full dissertation) with great excitement. While that particular journey had its fair share of ups-and-downs, the string of successes leading up to it filled my tank enough to carry me through. Success is addictive.
So why did I take a break from the heady marathon of academic meritocracy? After all, I was doing so well!
The honest answer? I ran out of funds. My academic record was of a sufficient standard to qualify for a PhD scholarship – but I discovered that I was now “too old” to even apply. Having only survived on short-term teaching contracts (at student rates) over the last 4 years, I didn’t exactly have the kind of savings to cover the study-fees at any of my local universities. Student loans were also out of the question, for the same reason. The last nail in the coffin was being told that I was now overqualified for further short-term lecturing contracts, unless I was willing to continue working at student rates (which wouldn’t cover all the associated expenses of continuing with my studies). So that was that.
Not diving directly into a PhD turned out to be a very smart move!
Not only did I manage to find a pretty good job at a Higher Education Institution in the city, but my alma mater offered me a second-semester contract at junior lecturer rates. I was lucky enough to be able to work in different disciplines, whilst earning a modest living, and gaining valuable exposure, learning opportunities and insights along the way. Advancement at the HEI was also not to be sneered at, and I finally secured a full time position as Head of Academics there in 2020!
2020… yeah, that was a year. The global pandemic meant that it was probably the worst year to start as an AH of a full-contact campus, but we didn’t know that in January. What a ride that was! The so-called ‘online pivot’ was more like tipping/rolling a tractor in a muddy field, but we somehow made it work. Until, that is, burnout landed me in a clinic. Yeah, that was a year.
I stepped back and worked online for a different HEI in 2021, which had offered me a one-year contract to help them ‘pivot’. Assisting was a good way to keep my thinking academic, and I managed to save enough to apply for a PhD-programme towards the end of that year. The circle had run its course.
The cost of taking time out, as it were, was unpredictable and no laughing matter (to say the least).
The benefit, however, is a far more realistic and nuanced perspective on the goings-on in Education.
Had I jumped into the PhD directly after my Master’s degree, I would have attempted something way more idillic and naive as a contribution to the world’s knowledge. While that would have been fun, at points, I don’t think it would have been as fruitful as what I have in mind now.
Perspective at the cost of getting it done faster?
Worth it.
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