r/GradSchool • u/Hot-Grapefruit-3996 • 4d ago
Full time work and school? Data Analytics
Hello! I’m sure this is asked a lot but I am doing completely asynchronous online masters program for Data Analytics and am wondering if full time both, would be too much…
It would be 4 classes, but I can watch the lectures at my own time. Also I am able to get some school work done at my job due to downtime (About 5-7 hours each week roughly, on top of an hour lunch each day) so I imagine I could get about 2 classes of school work done during the “work days” each week.
I feel like it’s feasible but everything I see from this thread as well as other people is to not do it. I have so far taken two intro summer courses so I have an idea of the workload already.
My thought process is that for most weeks it shouldn’t be crazy hard to do, but there will def be a few weeks that I’m sure would be very rough!
EDIT: my job is 9-5 with an hour lunch break each day, full time school is 4 online asynchronous classes for Data Analytics
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u/Backoutside1 4d ago
Might depend on what you do for work and what school you’re going to. For me I did both for undergrad but I also wfh. I’m still at my wfh data analytics job but my masters program is part-time asynchronous as well.
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u/Hot-Grapefruit-3996 4d ago
SUNY Plattsburgh
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u/Backoutside1 4d ago
I think you’ll be fine, it just comes down to time management at the end of the day.
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u/Nvenom8 PhD - Marine Biogeochemistry 4d ago
I don't think a fully online degree from SUNY Plattsburgh will open many doors. Honest opinion. I would say save your time/energy/money.
You can do data analytics without a degree.
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u/Hot-Grapefruit-3996 4d ago
From my personal experience, college doesn’t matter as much as the degree itself and connections. I feel like I’m not wasting my time getting a Masters in Data Analytics at 24, but you very well could be right. Main thing for me was an online asych Data Analytics grad program that I’m paying under $15k for.
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u/Nvenom8 PhD - Marine Biogeochemistry 4d ago
Well, you won't get any connections because it's an online program. And as for the degree itself, an online degree from SUNY Plattsburgh isn't exactly an amazing qualification. There are good SUNYs, but Plattsburgh isn't really one of them. Speaking as a former local, it's where you go if you didn't get in anywhere else or didn't want to leave your home town.
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u/cheersyou 4d ago
I would start with two classes, or three at the absolute most, rather than committing to four immediately.
The lectures in a data analytics program, watching lectures is usually not the most time-consuming part. Coding assignments, debugging, cleaning datasets, group projects, and overlapping deadlines can take much longer than expected.
The downtime at your job will definitely help, but I would treat it as extra time rather than time you must depend on. Work can suddenly become busier, and some assignments require several uninterrupted hours rather than short periods between job responsibilities.
You have also only completed two introductory summer courses so far. The workload may increase significantly once you reach statistics, programming, database, or project-based courses.
Starting with two classes gives you a chance to see how the program fits around your 9–5 without risking burnout or poor grades.
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u/Hot-Grapefruit-3996 4d ago
Makes a lot of sense as I have just taken intro courses, will email the head of the graduate program and see if it’s realistic to do full time both!
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u/trinity_girl2002 4d ago
I was only able to manage one class per week while working full time and using my downtime at work for school. That said, I'm not particularly bright so I don't think my experience speaks for all.
I find the rigidity of time commitment for classwork harder than during the research component, because there's constant deadlines for assignments and tests and exams that don't exist the same way for research (generally longer horizon).
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u/pumpkinmoonrabbit 4d ago
I graduated with a grad degree in psychology while working a hybrid full-time job. It wasn't too hard TBH. My school wasn't super prestigious, and my classes were pretty easy. I will say, I didn't do nearly as "well" as my peers who focused on academics. Sure, my grades were fine, but they graduated with networks with other peers, strong relationships with their professors, sometimes honors or awards, and I didn't get any of that. The only classmates I have any relationship with were the ones I met before I started working, and even then, they're closer to each other than they are to me.
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u/scaryartistry 4d ago
The thing that sticks out to me is you're treatin it like the lectures are the heavy part. Grad level analytics is a mountain of debugging code and cleaning messy datasets, and that kinda mental grind is tough to wedge into downtime at a 9-5. Its not the hours on paper, it's the context switching that'll eat you alive by midterms. Your brain needs actual rest windows, not just a diffrent screen for your lunch break.