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I've been wanting to get back into #academia for 3 years. I'm finally in a place to apply for a MScR project that I thought would work alongside my full-time job. I really pushed myself to go through with the application, jumping the hurdles to get my life in order. I have just withdrawn my application due to reasons that feel outside of my control.
A tiny 
rant on why the UK system is busted.
I'm an ideal candidate in a lot of ways: stable home life, great ungrad degree from a well-established uni, v good experience of office jobs giving great project management skills. I wanted to use all this to its max, working my job 4 days a week and dedicating 2 days to the #MScR. Note the MScR here is unpaid, so I was willing to take a minor paycut for it.
I was asked by my potential supervisor to take 2 weekdays for the project, reducing my work hours to 3 weekdays. The supervisor did not recognise the weekend time I was willing to commit as valid work time.
Because of the way my job works, the only way I could do 3 days is if I take a demotion. Essentially this would lead to a 50% decrease in income, to a level that is not sustainable without serious concessions in this current #costofliving crisis.
I feel I have been priced out of doing a #masters and it is the government's fault. Universities should be able to properly employ and pay #postgrad researchers so that candidates like me coming back to academia are adequately supported in making the transition. It essentially means only the rich and people with a partner/work to financially support them can return and cuts most marginalised folks out.