Community› Wedding Discussion Boards› Students
Students
New Discussion

Any Advice?

buttercup1958buttercup1958
First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper
in Students
Hey I'm not much of a regular and I'm looking for advice from people who have way more experience than me.  I've finished my sophomore year and now I am a junior. I've decided that I may have to go to graduate school. I want to become a museum collections manager or an education/outreach manager. Right now I am getting my undergraduate degree in geology and I volunteer/work for two museums right now. I've tried looking this up, half of the job positions don't require it and the other ones do. So its an understatement to say I'm confused. I've emailed my employers and I'm waiting to hear back.

A lot of my coworkers at my work study job think I am an overachiever but I don't want to wait until I'm a senior and realize that I need to do it and screw myself over.  So I guess my question is should I go to graduate school and where? I'm not even sure what masters degree would help me out the most too. I thought a museum collections master program but would that be too specific?  Thanks guys!
image
Report Reply to Post

Re: Any Advice?

  • JasperandOpalJasperandOpal member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary First Answer First Comment
    edited May 2014
    I think this might be a bit too specific of a question for most of the people here to answer.  I don't know anything about the area you want to work in but I would say that you should look at the financial ramifications of getting a masters and see if it will really help you more than just going into one of the positions that don't require the degree.  A lot of masters programs are expensive and you don't really want to struggle paying back loans if you don't have to.  But obviously, you might discover that it is worth it.

    If you decide right now not to do a graduate degree that doesn't mean you can't change your mind later.  I took two years between my undergrad and graduate degree and worked.  It sounds like there should be at least a few jobs in the field you want to work in that don't require the graduate degree so my suggestion would be to try for those and in a few years decide if you still want to do the graduate degree.  Despite what a lot of people think, its never too late to go back to school.

    Sorry I can't be more helpful.  
    Report Reply
  • buttercup1958buttercup1958
    First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    JasperandOpal It's ok! I received emails from my employers and they said even though the job positions say just having a bachelors is good I wouldn't be competitive at all. So I'm going to grad school. Luckily my parents are paying for my undergrad so if I have to take out loans, I won't be drowning in them. Thanks for replying! 
    image
    Report Reply
  • JasperandOpalJasperandOpal member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary First Answer First Comment
    Glad to see you figured it out. Good luck in the rest of undergrad and in grad school!
    Report Reply
  • buttercup1958buttercup1958
    First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    Thanks! I have structure and sedimentary to look forward too..urg haha
    image
    Report Reply
  • buttercup1958buttercup1958
    First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    just testing out new sig
    image
    Report Reply
  • vulpiepopvulpiepop member
    First Comment 5 Love Its First Anniversary First Answer
    Glad you already figured it out but thought I'd give you a little input too :P

    Most people will work before they go to graduate school and some of the bigger companies/organizations will put out a grad school scholarship for employees that they feel will benefit them (you need to get consistently high grades though). 

    A lot of times companies/organizations that are hiring will put down higher "minimum requirements" on their ads to deter much less qualified people and get more applications from more than qualified people but really their minimum requirements aren't as high as they make it seem. I would wait to go to grad school, but I don't know much about your major. I assume that it'd be the same for you guys though.

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • buttercup1958buttercup1958
    First Comment First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    Thanks for responding! You could get a job with an undergrad of geology but mainly that job is mud logging. In the sciences we have to go to grad school if we don't want to get stuck in a dead end job or at least thats what I've encountered. My professors have told me that I should definitely try and get a TA job when I go to grad school. Those positions pretty much pay for grad school. If I don't get that, I'll try to get a job being a minimal science educator which I'm hoping for or an office job. I don't think museums would pay for my grad school, my employers have told me they usually hire those who already have the degree and some experience.  They said if I do get hired right out of undergrad they will most likely pay me very little compared to if I did have that degree.
    image
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards