Roisin Carey
Roisin is studying MSc Real Estate Development part-time whilst also working at a property organisation in Manchester. Here she shares her experience of balancing work and study.
On choosing my master’s at Manchester
I completed my undergraduate degree in Economics, and I took a study break to travel around Australia. I was always interested in pursuing a postgraduate real estate course. While researching various real estate courses throughout the UK and Ireland, I came across the Real Estate Development MSc at the University of Manchester. I choose this course as it appeared impressive and had an array of different modules for me to choose from.
On balancing work and study
As I am a part-time student – I spend about 5-7 hours in classes/workshops a week. I spend more time in private study, but the balance and flexibility allows me to work in a part-time role for extra professional experience alongside my studies. I work with a property and facilities management company in the Manchester region.
At first, I felt overwhelmed, but I found organising my own timetable in advance particularly useful for staying on top of assignments.
On the highlights of my course
The highlight of this course has been the strong involvement and support offered by the staff and my supervisors. I always feel up to date and never overwhelmed. I was fortunate enough to attend a field trip to London with my classmates in my first year of study. We did a real inspection of an office building which was a great way to put knowledge into practice. It was also an excellent opportunity to make friends with the other students.
On how the course has prepared me for my future career
I was able to enhance my work experience by undertaking a professional placement module which tied my postgraduate course with my professional skills. Alongside this, the University organises and provides career fairs and interview/cv workshops. These skills have helped me securing a work position after graduation. I have secured a graduate placement in an excellent company, JLL in Ireland, where I will train as a commercial surveyor. I am confident that the new skills learned throughout my postgraduate course will help shape my future career.
On living in Manchester
My student experience has been both pleasurable and supportive. The city itself is lively and friendly. The main train station Piccadilly made it very accessible to take trips away to places like Edinburgh. There is always something to do in Manchester!
As I wanted to settle in Manchester over the two years, I choose private rented accommodation instead of living on campus. The city has a variety of affordable rental accommodation in different locations. I decided to live slightly out of the city and with the quick tram line it made commuting to the University easy.
I joined the Yoga Society which I would recommend as it allowed me to access free yoga classes and workshops. The University has many different societies available and it is a great way of making friends. I’d also recommend, on lecture breaks, to go see some beautiful buildings on campus around Oxford Road. Time spent studying goes fast, just try to enjoy it as much as you can.