Peter Brand
I did an MSc in Petroleum Engineering in 1985 after I had been working for 6 years. My employer sponsored me to do the degree, but due to a sharp downturn in the industry did not immediately offer me a job at the end of the course. The contacts I made during the course led me to join BP about 18 months later. I judge it worth the effort to enable me to change my technical area to one I was more fascinated with - Reservoir Engineering - that I did not know existed until I had been working for a year. Getting a distinction was very satisfying. As a mature student starting a family I didn’t take much part in university social life, so I can’t judge that.