Which path to take?

[Scarlett]

I am in a dilemma. I have been teaching for more years than I planned and never wanted to do it in the first place. My plan was to move away, do an MA and concentrate on writing comedy- which is what I really want to do, or at least try to do. By moving away and being a student, I will have less outgoings (live in a rented room etc) and therefore won't have to work all the hours to pay my mortgage and bills etc.

Thing is, in the past two years I have joined a band and things have escalated so that I am now in 3 bands, and really enjoy it. It is a great distraction from my mundane day job, and I have made myself indispensible to the band leader. He has great plans for us.

Whilst I love the music and performing, it is still not MY stuff. I am also still having to do the teaching which I hate. Should I just leave and do the MA and abandon the band, or stay and hope that the band will become the amazing career I need??! Help!!

[joko]

i think you have to already have a degree in your chosen field to do an ma. I may be wrong but... why not do another type of course - nightschool, part time, local college, correspondence etc. I don't know how far along you are with your comedy writing education but it could be worth trying one of these first just to see how you get on. if you have already got a good background in it you could still probably find a local course that suits your level of skill - at least until you are 100% certain of your next move

[Scarlett]

Joko- have already got a 1st class degree! Unfortunately no qualifications guarantee a job!!

[joko]

as I said, I don't know how far your education goes, as you didn't say, so I can only go on the limited info you gave. My advice was for either scenario anyway.

do some other type of course to get back into it if you've been out of it for a few years, (or is that what you teach?) and that way you can stay with the band and take some time to figure out exactly what you want to do.

whatever you decide, you can't start the MA course until next september anyway - at least you can't with most courses - so you have 9 months to just practice.

[damajowi]

...and nobody is indispensable.

[Miss Zippy]

From other posts I�ve seen of yours, it seems like your teaching job is really getting you down and is the focus of feelings of being unfulfilled. I think I remember reading too that this job was only part-time so is it not possible for you to leave this job and find alternative employment? If you leave your teaching job for something less stressful you�ll no doubt be more inclined to actually sit down and start writing perhaps? If the band you are in does turn out to be going places, then you can pursue a career in comedy writing on the back of this as you�ll already have some recognition as an artist and will be able to meet the right people to get you where you want to be. Basically, don�t burn all your bridges simply because there is only one small area of life making you unhappy (i.e. your teaching job). If, on the other hand, you�re yearning to move away and do your MA, then go for it but unless there is a critical reason why you have to do an MA now (masters degrees are rarely essential for any career, except in academia) then that is something you can do at any time in your life, whereas being in a promising band is not something you can guarantee will come your way again.