By
Helen Wyatt
Edinburgh
I'm looking to raise approximately £4000 to cover the remainder of my Masters fees – if I can reach this goal, then this will greatly reduce the financial worry on me and my family, and improve my chances of excelling during my period of study. You can help me with this!
I'm 35, and a full time working mum and wife. I work in Local Government dealing with feedback, and have been in the role for cough 9 years cough, juggling life, work and various other commitments. I've been presented with a fantastic opportunity that I would be a fool to turn down so I'm turning my attentions to trying to make the most of it and getting the most help that I can.
OK,
so what is this Masters? It's in Dispute Resolution, it's run by the
Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, and is specifically designed
for working professionals and is mainly completed through distance
learning. It can be completed anywhere between 2.5 and 7 years. I'm
hoping for somewhere in the middle. I've already been offered an
unconditional place, which I have accepted.
You
can read more about the course here -
http://www.qmu.ac.uk/be/docs/MSc%20Dispute%20Resolution%20online.pdf
In a
nutshell, the course is designed to look at and improve the
interactions between big institutions such as local authorities,
banks, Ombudsmen etc, and you - Joe Public. Have you ever complained
to the Council and not had a good experience? That's what I'll be
studying, and I'll be looking to improve practice as a result. This
will benefit those who deal with the local authority I work for, but
ultimately I will be seeking to share my learning wider, with
colleagues in other local authorities, NHS bodies, and similar moving
forwards. We all have a voice with large public bodies, but those
public bodies need to know how to hear that voice and learn from it.
I hope I will be able to affect change in this area on completion of
my Masters.
I
did my undergraduate degree in Psychology and whilst I did OK, and it
was interesting, it was actually more an exercise in working out how
to be an adult, and how to live away from home for the first time. It
was fun, and I got a bit of official paper at the end, but I
certainly didn't do my best. I didn't reach my potential and I regret
that.
Now
is different. Now I've grown up (I think!) and I have a job, a
family, a life. Now is when I get to make serious choices about my
future and this is one of them. How else would I get the opportunity
to study a Masters? I honestly don't think I would without this
chance. I'm not undertaking this Masters lightly. I've given it a
huge amount of thought and decided I simply cannot turn it down. I'm
very excited about this new phase in my life and I'm hoping others
will get on board with that excitement – not a lot of people are
thrilled about complaints, but they are the reason I have a job!
If I
can raise the rest of the funds I need to at least cover the fees
then I will be supremely happy. Anything more is a bonus and will be
carefully planned for, if people are generous to take me over my
target amount.
Firstly I am pleased to say that my employer has already sponsored me for just over 50% of the fees, so I'm already a chunk up.
If I receive the remaining £3000 I'm hoping for then this will go directly on the remainder of the Uni fees.
The
Masters is made up of 8 modules, plus a dissertation. Each module
costs £650, and the dissertation costs £1300. My employer has
sponsored me for around £4000 already.
If I am lucky enough to receive anything more than the £3000, then I will purchase items like a new PC/laptop, a decent printer, stationary etc that will help me with my studies.
There are possible additional costs, and these are things like flights to campus, if I need to attend for any reason (approx £200 return), staying at a hotel whilst there (premier inn for the week module that is likely based in Edinburgh at the campus would cost in the region of £400, food whilst I'm there (let's say I'll be conservative on costs here!) at maybe £80 for the week.
I
will aim to update the campaign once a month wherever possible, with
information about the modules I am completing.
I'm offering something for everyone who helps me out. It won't be big, but you'll get something from me plus my undying gratitude. Check out the rewards on offer!
OK, you'll want to know how I'm doing, right? I'll be working full time, and studying, and managing a family, but I'll do my very best to update my blog monthly with info about each of the modules I'm studying, the groups I'll be taking part in, any debates, thoughts, and information that will give an insight into how things are going.
You'll find updates here - Helenisstudying.blogspot.com
Please think about donating something, anything at all however small, towards my fees.
If you can't, that's cool, honestly! I'd just ask you to consider sharing my project with your friends, family, network so I can reach as many people as possible.
Perhaps you could share it on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, by email, telephone, in a chat with a mate, at work, or on your blog.
Please consider sponsoring me somehow/some way so I can make this fantastic opportunity happen.
Select this reward if you just want to donate to the project without receiving a reward.
3 claimed
If you donate £5 I will give you a shout out on my blog and on Facebook (I will of course check with you first if you're ok with this!)
1 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 October 2016
If you donate £25 you'll get the shout outs, plus a postcard with a personal note of thanks!
1 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 October 2016
If you donate £100 you'll get the shout outs, the thank you card, and a personalised drawing from one of my kids :)
0 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 November 2016
If you donate £200 or more, you will get the shout outs, the thank you note, the personalised drawing from one of my kids, plus I will acknowledge your help in my dissertation.
1 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 June 2017
If you donate £500 or more then you will get the shout outs, the thank you note, the personalised drawing from one of my kids, recognition in, and a professionally bound copy of, my dissertation.
0 claimed
Estimated delivery: 1 December 2017