Attorney by day, Masters Student by night: Why I chose the Employee- Student life
My name is Thabang Mokgatle, a Legal Consultant and LLM(Dissertation) student. I work for a company called the Thekvest Group (Pty) Ltd, as part of their Legal Advisory team. It has been a year and 4 months being an admitted attorney, and it has been quite the journey. About a year ago now, I made the bold decision to pursue a research Masters in the field of Business and Human Rights , through the University of the Witwatersrand School of Law. I say “bold decision” because I knew it would take some work, but I never pictured it the way it currently looks – a juggling act between work, school and sleep. I had known since graduating from my alma mater, Rhodes University, that I wanted to pursue a Masters Degree someday. So when the Wits June 2018 registrations opened, I signed up and was pretty excited at the prospects of studying further. Masters by research was the most suitable avenue to do my Masters, because I was employed full time by day, with a demanding work schedule. So once I was registered , I sat down with my Supervisor, and we prepared a detailed schedule of deadlines leading up to the submission date for my Research Proposal. Additional to that, my employers were full speed behind me on my journey and having told them of my aspirations quite early on helped in preparing them (and me) for the process. Research work in itself is demanding and requires commitment and focus. I learnt very quickly, in the weeks leading up to the deadline for the Research Proposal, that if I wanted to see my 2 year programme through, I needed to be better organised and resolute with my time management. That meant planning in advance; asking for help where required (whether at work or with my Supervisor); managing expectations even from friends and family in order to meet the submission deadline. This also meant taking my laptop with me on holiday, even doing some last minute adjustments before New Years. In a nutshell, I am saying that the work life balance is as good as you make it. This includes making time for yourself and some rest where you need it. You wont necessarily get it perfect all the time, and that is to be expected. But begin the process by clearly communicating expectations on the process from the beginning, with yourself; your employer and your Supervisor and/or Lecturers. Be thorough in your planning, but make room for adjustments where needed. Lastly, discipline, discipline, discipline – this degree won’t happen without you fully behind the wheel!
