Break before Grad school?

britt.b · December 2010

Though we have not set an official date, we know we will be getting married in 2012. The problem is initially i had planned on entering grad school fall 2011, but due to senior year and personal life stress i think it would be a better idea that i work for a year and get my life together before continuing my education. My concern is that I either wont be able to find a job and therefore not be able to help my parents with wedding finances, or ultimately wont go back to school once i am married.

Background info:
I am a senior History major set to graduate spring 2011. My fiance will not be graduating till fall 2011 and then will join the army as an officer. (another concern is that he'll get stationed in our home town which idk if that'll make me more likely to stay at home and not go to grad school after my year of working)

HELP ! (message me if you need more info)

meeko84 · December 2010

I agree to go directly into grad school. I have been going non stop from my undegrad to now my PhD. A lot of people get comfortable and never return to school. I know there are a few people in my program who are struggling because they have been out of school so long. For me it was a smoother transition because I know that if I had taken some time off I might not have went back.

TriSaratops10 · December 2010

I agree with LauraT --that it really can work either way. As an M.D. who went straight through, I am a little jealous of my colleagues that did "something else" (even if only slightly) prior to med school, but that may be because being a physician and all the training it entails radically changes your life and how you live it more so than other graduate degrees.

Do you have a professor/mentor to talk to that's in your field?? That may be your best bet since they can tell you about job prospects, their experiences (personal or second-hand), etc

Good luck!

kalizoomba · December 2010

I'm getting graduating from undergrad May 2011, moving 6 hours away from my venue in June, starting grad school August 2011, and getting married in October 2011. Busy time, but I knew I wouldn't go back to school if I took a semester off for college. All the classes I'm taking Fall 2011 are online classes, so I'm hoping to be able to take a week off work, come back home, help with the wedding, get married, then go back. We're waiting until the following summer for our honeymoon.

Smendes312 · December 2010

I have a BA in history as well

. I graduated earlier then normal, and took a semester off before going to graduate school. I have just finished my first semester of graduate school and I went as a full time student. This upcoming semester, I will only go part time and I will be applying to jobs. I am a writer on a freelance basis, and I need to write more as well. It worked out for me, but it is different for everyone. I will be getting married in Nov. 2011 and I will still be in graduate school: that is okay with me. I know what I want and my fiancée supports me so it works out great!

bethy04 · December 2010

We did both! My FI and I both knew we wanted to attend graduate school (we met in undergrad and are the same age), but knew for financial reasons after graduating undergrad only one of us should be enrolled in school at a time. That was a choice that worked fairly well for us. I am a nurse and supported him while he finished his masters and now, two years later, I am in a full time doctoral program. Other than the financial stability working a professional job for two years afforded, I made a lot of other career decisions. By gaining experience in my field I have a much better idea about what I really want to do in the future, and it is not exactly what I expected. I'm glad I didn't commit to a graduate program before I had the chance to try something different out- it has worked for me. My husband-to-be, on the other hand, attended school all at once and is happy with that decision because he feels as though at this point in his life (now that he is older, getting married) he wants to be free from worrying about educational commitments. Finishing school was an important milestone for him; he did not feel like a "grown-up" until he was done.

kalizoomba · December 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_students_break-before-grad-school?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:684Discussion:f2b9255c-60e5-4358-a635-03c9ebce2eebPost:d7ea5c45-8e56-49eb-9441-39b94b05b996">Re: Break before Grad school?</a>:
[QUOTE]but knew for financial reasons after graduating undergrad only one of us should be enrolled in school at a time.
Posted by bethy04[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>
</div><div>We thought about that. - but I'm not sure what he's decided yet. He'll need a few more classes after this semester - so he's taking summer classes, but I'm not sure if he's going to start again in Fall or take a break.

</div>

DramaGeek · January 2011

I think it really depends on the person. I went straight through, and I doubt that I would have gone back had I not done that, but like TriSaraTops, I'm sometimes envoius of those who've had other careers. Then again, my degree on it's own probably wouldn't get me a career, it would have just been a job. In order to get a career, I really needed my grad degree, so there's that.

I'd recommend speaking with an advisor or trusted professor in your field and see what they think. What would you be going to grad school for? If it's education, I'll tell you that, at least in my state, it's highly competitive right now and a year or two working in a school as an educational assistant would give you a huge leg up when it comes time to get a job.

Break before Grad school?

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