What now - MA or travel?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Inspired by Merkwurdigliebe’s thread, I thought I could use some advice as well on what to do now, and figured a new thread would be better than a hijack.

I’m a Scandinavian studying history and politics (a bachelor’s degree) in Oxford, UK, and will be getting my degree this summer at the age of 20. Now I can’t decide if I should go straight on to doing a master’s degree in international studies at Uppsala, Sweden (a one year course), or go somewhere far away to work and relax for a year first. I’m completely fed up with living here, although I don’t know if that’s mainly because of student life or Oxford life in general. I’m still enjoying my studies, but my enthusiasm is running out and I’d quite like to do something different for a while. Moving to Sweden and doing a different course in a different university with different people may be enough. On the other hand, going somewhere like Indonesia, taking in a new culture and language, and having a job just to break even, could be terrific fun. I also think it’s more likely I’ll be able to do this now rather than later, as later I’ll probably be looking more towards getting a lasting job/career rather than working as an excuse to stay somewhere interesting (I want to focus my studies on Eastern Europe, and might end up working there long-term, but I’d also like to see more of Southeast Asia, Australia and Spain).

I’ve mentioned this idea to my parents (they’re paying for all my studies until I get an MA if I want, bless them, with the help of some Danish government funding), and they simply said that I have a few months to think about it and just wanted me to remember that it’ll probably be hard to start studying again after a year off - as my sister found out.

Some background - my father is in the Danish foreign service, so I grew up in Denmark, Norway, Tanzania and Uganda, and I’ve travelled all over the world. I speak Danish, Swedish, English and German fluently, plus decent Spanish, and enjoy learning new languages. I’m not really tied down to any one place (or even any one continent). Also, if I do go and take the year off, I’ll almost certainly be doing it alone; I don’t know anyone I could go with. I also have some money stashed away and I’m cheap anyway, so there’s no danger of me being stuck halfway around the world unable to get home.

So, my questions are these:

  1. What are your suggestions as to what I should do? Get the master’s done first and then start working, or go travelling first?
  2. Is it at all likely that I could get any jobs as a complete foreigner to break even for a year while living in Indonesia/Malaysia/Cambodia/Australia/Spain/Romania/Wherever, and if so, what kinds of jobs and how do I find them? (The people I know who’ve done this did it in countries where they had friends or family who lived there permanently and could help out. While I have friends all over the world, I’ve oddly enough never met anyone from Indonesia.)
  3. Anyone have any experiences to share?

Thanks!

2

Your questions:

  1. Travel. Travel. Travel.

  2. Teach: English, surfing, whatever you did your undergrad in. Or, Wwoof, they hook people up with organic farms around the world, where you can work for room and board. This is how I went to Brazil: I started out on a farm, then got a job teaching English in a nearby town.

  3. I graduated with a Bachelor’s when I was 21 or so. I wanted to go to grad school but didn’t know what to take, so I followed a boyfriend to England, broke up with him, had a helluva time in England, went to Brazil, and then went to grad school.

[Cliche alert]

I learned much more by travelling on my own than any school taught me.

[/CA]

It’s so true ! It was the best thing I ever did.

It sounds like you’ve already seen much more of the world than I have yet so your experience may be a bit different, but I’m still certain you should go ahead and do it ! You may not get the chance to do it after grad school. Do it now !

In case I haven’t made myself clear:

I think you should travel, then go to grad school when you’re good and ready.

3

Thanks for the advice, encouragement and link, cowgirl. How did you get the job teaching English? Did you just advertise yourself or was there a company/school hiring? All the people I know who’ve taught English abroad did so because organisations were recruiting them at their (UK) schools for gap years, so they were just accepting a package deal - and I don’t know where to find out about any of these groups that I might be able to apply to.

By the way, I agree completely with your cliche. Backpacking alone from Spain to Moscow two summers ago was the best thing I’ve done yet.

4

I got my undergrad in the states and my grad-degree at Oxford…I’d say just do the year and get the MA …that way you are that more marketable when you are through…There is a lifetime to play…don’t forget that. And you would hate to decide to play for a year and then not be able to get the MA for one reason or another. What is making you go to Uppsala? I went to school with a chap who went to Uppsala and loved it…The only reason I ask is that I have heard good things about the school and want to know more…

I’ve been living in the states for quite a while now, I’m an archaeologist for a large industrial organization in Boston…My wife and I do a fair bit of traveling throughout the world as well (I am usually on travel for business, as my job dictates that)

You mentioned living in Tanzania…Great country out there ay? Why not go back there and work on preserve? Or South Africa? I was in Johannesburg 6 months ago and it was wonderful!

Good luck! And again, I’d go for the MA and then take a year off for work and play! :slight_smile:

5

-It’s not Oxford
-It’s near Stockholm, which I love, and near Swedish forests, which are even better
-I’m sick and tired of speaking English every day
-I hear it’s a good place to study and the course I’m interested in sounds really great.

Yeah, Tanzania’s OK - it’s a fantastic place to visit, and I recommend it to anyone, but after a few years of living there the everyday problems, annoyances, and difficulties outweighed the good bits, and I ended up living there for eight years. It’s a much nicer place to live in than Uganda, though. As to why not work on a preserve there: I’ve already seen Tanzania! :slight_smile:

As for South Africa, I’ve had plans to visit there for a long time but haven’t got around to it yet - as my plan is to round up some friends (including some South Africans), go to Cape Town, rent/buy an old Landrover, and just drive north until we get bored or hit the Mediterranean. That’s a plan for a holiday, though (maybe even this summer), but not a year off.

Anyway, thanks for the advice! Both you and cowgirl bring up good points. Keep it coming!

6

I got the job teaching English the same way people seem to get jobs anywhere in the world - being in the right place at the right time. The woman who I was staying with on the farm worked at an English school in town, and they needed someone. I did have my CELTA (English teaching certification) but I didn’t really need it - they took my word for it that I had it.

It would probably be harder to plan to just land a job like that, so a course would be a good investment (mine cost $700 quid), and if it’s a good one they will hook you up with many overseas schools. Japan is a big one because their currency is so high, and I have a number of friends who went to Thailand and never came back.

Another suggestion: a French friend of mine has spent a lot of time working in vineyards in France - they hire pretty much anybody at the right time of year. It’s hard work but only for a short period of time, and with all the wine you like ! I imagine the same would be true in other wine regions (Australia, Chile, lovely Canada).