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Has anyone done one? Was it worthwhile? Did it lead to a career change (despite not being the original intention)?
I'm thinking of doing something in Geology or Earth Sciences, maybe starting off with a Certificate.
I did, didn't sit the exam (psychology) as it was a hell of a lot of work - well that and I couldn't be arsed.
From my hazy memories
[sexist mode]something arty had all the hot girls ;)[/sexist mode]
Uni courses for fun are great. Without the pressure of trying to get a degree or career out of it you often learn hell of a lot more and it's more fun. I say go for it.
9k a year would buy a lot of coke and hookers though....
9k a year would buy a lot of coke and hookers though....
That's why I'm looking at a certificate to start off with, which is only £2K/year, so plenty left for coke and hookers 
My wife did the first year of a Masters degree in Criminal Psychology a few years back and ended up with some sort of post-grad qualification.
She enjoyed it and found it challenging but it was a lot of work getting essay completed and attending seminar weekends etc.
She was doing one weekend day a week plus a few hours a couple of evenings so it's quite a big commitment.
I'm thinking of doing something in Geology or Earth Sciences
I must be missing something. I'm struggling to find the 'fun' element to this. That sounds like bloody hard work! Mind you.... I just coloured stuff in for a few years. Now that was fun! And got me a job/career 😀
I didn't do it for fun (although it was, immensely) there are lots of taught and independent field trips with geology so factor in costs/stress of these. You also need to be pretty handy with maths, physics and chemistry to get the most out of the subject.
I did an MA in History/Archaeology just for fun a few years back. I did it part time over three years so i didn't have to give up any income, and fees weren't that high. And yes, I really enjoyed it but no, it didn't help my career in any way whatsoever.
i would quite like to do some sciency type stuff, but I don't really have the time or money at the moment.
If I won the lottery I'd be quitting the day job and go back to uni 'for fun'.
Fun from further education that is, not frolicking. Just in case you thought the latter. But since I'm still in my 20's there would be a bit of that too 😉
I'm doing an Open University Psychology and Counselling degree. It's great for me as I can study wherever I am in the world. As long as I have a computer and internet access that is.
Yup, BSc undergrad and MSc postgrad degrees both done for fun.
I never did them thinking that it would lead into a job, although I knew that they would be beneficial.
I would love to do a PhD for fun too. I love learning!
I did 2/3 of an OU Math BSc and 1/6 of their MSc as a hobby a long time ago. Was interesting, and helped my career a bit at the time.
I couldn't recommend it enough. Definitely challenging at times, but it wouldn't be rewarding if it wasn't! You'll also meet some great people and there is something about using your brain again that makes you feel really good!
I'm doing a graduate certificate in statistics this September at Sheffield, via distance learning. Just the fact that I've mentioned I'm doing this has been pretty instrumental in me getting interviews with financial companies.
I then intend to do a masters in pure statistics or complexity science somewhere, preferably Imperial or Warwick depending on the marks that I get.
It will certainly lead to a career change, I'm moving away from biology. Geology is a good degree to have.
Mind you.... I just coloured stuff in for a few years.
That's pretty much what geologists do as well.
Thank you for the input everyone.
Got to find the right course now 🙂
I'd like to do it too but the cost even of a OU course is prohibitive.
Before fees went galactic I had fun at uni' after a lad at my summer job after college pointed out that it's the only time you could spend 3 years partying and your parents would think you are doing something worthwhile after college. I did countryside management to justify 4 years of mountains, beaches and nights out. Probably helped me get this job, but I would have ended up doing something much the same anyway, just via a different route.
I did my degree for fun. However not sure I'd return to university - I'm a pretty poor student (read: lazy) and so the idea of having to do all that reading doesn't appeal any more now than it did then.
The only exception would be to follow the path I was too stubborn to take as a teenager and read English at one of the Cambridge colleges.
But, like many others, I have a job and family and have neither the time nor energy to add to my life.
I've looked that those free courses before CS but I'd need something more formal for me to stick with it, regardless of how interesting I find the subject. Plus, I would also like to add to my formal qualifications.
I would love to do a PhD for fun too. I love learning!
Heh, "fun" isn't really the right word. Some of it is, but there's a metric boatload of hard work too, and IME everyone ends up sick of it all at some point or other.
Still like learning though, and fortunate to do a job where I have to learn new things all the time.
My ex-wife did one, she enjoyed it very much. A good friend recently retired is looking into one on International Terrorism. Go for it.
Was made redundant from a job a few years ago and it timed perfectly with wanting to go back into education, decided to do Marine Biology as I was quite interested with it all and it was a very good course..
Learnt to Dive, got a good degree but couldn't stand to be in the industry, insane amount of "competition" and everyone wanted someone with a PhD or willing to work for peanuts, didn't want to take it that far at the time.
Now looking at doing a masters in Business Analytics with my employee putting me through it...quite the difference in subject matters but a better career path IMO
[quote=jambalaya ]My ex-wife did one, she enjoyed it very much. A good friend recently retired is looking into one on International Terrorism. Go for it.
I'd like to be an international terrorist, could you give me any details?
I'd like to be an international terrorist, could you give me any details?
I believe they run training courses in Syria...