College & Careers

daughter's choosing between a master's abroad and one here, and i don't know what to ask

teal_trail_5940

our daughter's 21, in her final year, and she's been shortlisting master's programmes. two abroad, both one-year courses, and one here that's two years. she lives at home and runs her own schedule, so this would be the first time she's properly on her own. we've done the money part. it's a stretch but it's possible, and i don't want it to be the thing that decides. the part i can't weigh is everything else. how do you compare the support a university says it gives with what a student actually gets in the first few months? and how much should 'she'll learn to manage' count, when she's never really had to? i work in a school, so i'm used to being the one answering parents' questions. it's odd being on this side.

4 comments

  • hazel_spoon_2904

    'Support' is too vague to compare. Ask each university for specifics. How many international students were in that exact course last year, not the whole university. Who she contacts if she's unwell in week two. How accommodation is allotted. If they answer with a line from the brochure, that's your answer.

    • willow_compass_2269

      We asked the course-level question last year and it was worth it. The website talked about thousands of international students. Her actual course had six. Not a reason to say no, but it changed how she thought about the first month. She hasn't fully decided either, so I'm reading this thread with interest.

  • cedar_violin_9214

    My son is 14, so I am some years away from this. One thing I'd want to see, though, is what a normal week looks like on a one-year course: hours of class, hours of independent work, when the dissertation starts. One year sounds efficient on paper, but it may leave very little slack while she is also finding her feet. Has she been able to speak to anyone who finished one of those specific courses recently?

    • coral_wave_5498

      Agree. Ask for a sample timetable, not a brochure. My older girl is 17, and every brochure she has brought home already says the same thing.

  • cedar_quilt_9696

    my son's still in college here and even the monthly money conversations take some work between us. i keep thinking i couldn't do them across a time difference. not advice, just where my head went reading this.

  • cedar_compass_4865

    ask her what she'd do in month three if she hates it. if she has an answer she's ready. if she says she won't hate it have another chat 🤷

    • mellow_drum_6874

      That's a hard test for anyone. Most adults couldn't answer it about their own jobs. I'd rather she knows who to call in a bad month than has a plan for every one.

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