Graduate School

vgarlin · November 2012

I have been a full-time student the entire time that my FI and I have been together. I graduate in May with my Bachelor's degree and will get married in October. I always thought that I wanted to get my Master's degree, but the past few days I have thinking about how nice it will be to get a salary and not be in school. Have any of you ever flip-flopped like this? I think that I am going to apply to Grad. school just in case because I keep changing my mind. Also, FI is supportive either way!

KimB603 · November 2012

I kind of did. I knew I wanted to go to grad school, but A. felt burnt out on school B. wanted to make some money before going back to being a poor student and C. needing a little more time to narrow down what program(s) I wanted to apply to. I took 2 years off, worked in research, and am now in a PhD program. In hindsight, best desicion I made! PhD progams are so much work, if I wasn't completley sure it was the right time and fit, I don't think I'd be able to stick it out for 6 years. Also, working gave me a ton of lab skills (I'm in biology) and relevant experience that I think helped me get into a better grad program than I could have straight out of school, and also helped me solidify what my actual long-term interests are.

I hope sharing my experience was helpful and that you'll be able to figure out what works for you :-) Good luck!

Annas2013 · November 2012

I keep doing the same. I'm graduating a year early from undergrad, and I'm so burned out right now. If I do decide to go back to school I'll just go part time for my MBA, since that's the only thing I've really been super interested in so far. Go ahead and apply, since it's easier to decide last minute that you want to go if you've already been accepted.

freebread03 · November 2012

I don't normally post here, but wanted to chime in--I went straight from undergrad to grad school, mostly because I didn't know what I wanted to do yet career-wise, but had a lot of academic interests. I'm glad I went and got it done with, but I typically encourage people to wait unless they are 100% sure of their career choice. Additionally, for professional programs, particularly an MBA, I would definitely recommend getting work experience before moving into that type of program. Most top MBA programs won't even consider candidates without work experience.

Annas2013 · November 2012

I should probably add that my FI is going to be going to graduate school right after undergrad, and right after we get married. He knows that's what he wants. So why not?

And yes for some degrees you will need work experience. Thankfully I'm currently in a management position already in my job, so hopefully that'll lessen the number of years I have to wait before I could get in if I choose to go back.

OP, you need to consider what you want in life, and then decide. If you definitely want to do something where you need to go to school, go to school. If you aren't sure, then still apply and then that gives you a little extra time to decide.

emeejeeayen · November 2012

It's really difficult to get through any grad program without the knowledge that the real world sucks. At least that's my opinion.

vgarlin · November 2012

Thanks everyone for the responses! I am 100% sure that I want to get my Master's in Social Work. Luckily, I've already completed 2 internships at different agencies, plus I have lots of volunteer experience in social work. I'm really leaning towards an online Master's program that is from an acredited school, but I still have to complete internships throughut the program, so it would be difficult to work a "real"/salaried job vs. my current part-time customer service gig (I work at Publix lol).
Ladies, when are you graduating from undergrad? Congraulations on your educational goals and engagement/wedding!

Summer2011Bride · November 2012

I went to work for a year right after undergrad. I needed a break from school and in my field, it's often hard to get hired as a first year teacher if you already have a Masters because they have to pay you more. So I taught for a year and then went back to school part-time while still teaching.

I'm glad I waited a year and loved my Graduate program--so glad I decided to do it.

humrk · November 2012

I'm attending grad school right now, and I wish I would have taken some time off. Especially while planning a wedding. It's hard work - alot harder than undergrad-, and if you're not ready, don't do it. Take some time. My friend took a year to see if he could find a job or not and then based his decision on that.

Annas2013 · November 2012

I graduate from undergrad in May 2013. Our wedding is two weeks later. My FI and I will both graduate on the same day, but then he's probably going straight into a graduate program.

What's your undergraduate degree in vgarlin?

vgarlin · November 2012

My undergrad degree is in Human Services because my school didn't offer social work! I graduate in May, Master's Program starts in August, and I am getting married in October. I'm really leaning more towards working for a year and then going back. I'm tired of school!

boxjelly · November 2012

I took a year off between undergrad and graduate school just so I had time to have the best application I could. I also spent that time traveling and being a 22 year old. I know that once I graduate with my MFA I will be too busy to just up and go somewhere just because. This way I made sure my relationship with my boyfriend was solid enough so we can withstand a cross country move.

vgarlin · November 2012

I am leaning towards finding a full-time job after I graduate in May, and then doing Grad. school later. Unforuantely, I don't have the money to travel because of the wedding and trying to buy a house but that would have been nice!

Asjohn967 · December 2012

I went straight from undergrad to grad school, and I'm so glad I did! I was planning a wedding all through mt senior year of college and then 7months of grad school. It was/is definitely stressful, but it's what I wanted. I wen't to grad school right after undergrad because I knew what I wanted to do. If you're not sure of what you want to do in life, grad school could end up being a lot of wasted time and money. Besides, my career field requires a master's degree, so it was no use taking a year off! I would go ahead and apply, and then make a decision from there!

suzyaggie08 · December 2012

Personally, I am SOOO glad that I worked for a few years before going to grad school from undergraduate. I didn't know if I wanted it or not but a few years in corrupt corporate America pushed me towards a life resigned to academia. Grad school is tough, and there's a statistic out there that only 9% of students who start there PhDs follow throug with it. I use those awful years of working to inspire me in grad school. No matter how tough school might be, business was much, much worse.

That is my own experience at least. You might find that you really like a job. Also, the further you go in grad school, the more specialized you become. From undergrad you're actually qualified for a lot more opportunities than with grad school--the specialization really narrows it.

My wedding date is planned for right before I leave to complete a few years of research in Spain. I will be in school for another 7 years. Fortunately my fiance is cool with leaving his life for a few years to live with me in Europe. At any rate graduate school is a big decision and you should get as much information about it as possible. I recommend talking with other people in the program. Good luck in whatever you choose!

[Deleted User] · January 2013

I am with a lot of the previous posters on this one. I am 25 and in a Masters program right now for Speech-Language Pathology. My fiancé and I will get married in the middle of the program. I took two years off between undergrad and grad school because I was burned out, and I am super glad I did. It allowed me time to focus on what I wanted my career path to be and enjoy a little time being young. When I got my Bachelor's degree, the grad program I originally wanted to go into (physical therapy) didn't quite fit right, so I looked around for something that did. The two years I took to recharge my batteries have helped me really buckle down and study when I need to instead of procrastinating. I could not have planned a wedding and gone to grad school without them.

To answer your original question, flip-flopping is normal, especially if you have not yet developed an idea of or a passion for what you want to do. It takes many people five years to complete their Bachelor's Degree because they change their majors at least once.

HTR10 · February 2013

I graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor's, 2010 with a Master's and am currently in my PhD program. I wish I would have gone straight from Bachelor's to PhD program (I didn't because I wasn't sure if I wanted a PhD) but if I did I never would have met my FI.

Think about what you really want...I too applied to my Master's program as a back up and ended up getting in and then ulitmately pursuing my PhD...

Some universities have accelerated Master's programs, particularly in SW. I have a BSW and could have gotten my Master's in a year if I decided to still be a SW but I decided to go in a different direction.

Good luck

Graduate School

Re: Graduate School

Choose Another Board

Search Boards