Life Before Noon: A Millennial’s Manual

Why am I going to grad school right after undergrad? Because it’s the right decision for me.

I know that grad school is not a get-rich-quick scheme. In fact, that has nothing to do with why I am going.

I believe that the graduate program I am attending will challenge me in ways that undergrad didn’t. I realize that a job would do this as well, but they would do so in different ways.

Graduate school is a personal decision that must be thought through extensively. The program, people and practical experience accompanied with the program are what drew me. While deciding between work and grad school, I thought through many questions. Here are a sample of the questions I asked myself when I applied:

• What and where is the program?
• How long does the program take?
• What are the benefits of the program versus the benefits of working?
• What are the costs? How will I cover them?
• What would be the difference if I went to graduate school now versus after working for a couple years?

I only applied to one grad program. I was fully prepared to enter the working world until the end of the summer before my senior year when I stumbled upon my program online. The summer before my senior year I started networking for potential jobs at my internship, throughout the city and at school. After visiting the school of my program, I fell in love with the program’s one-year intensive class structure, the professors and the students from all over the world. The program combines theory and practical application from marketing, public relations and advertising into a curriculum. It matched everything I wanted to get my hands in.

I see this program as more of an experience than another year of schooling. Just as getting a job or creating a start-up would be an experience, I believe that this graduate program will build different but just as valuable professional skills. And I am fully aware and prepared that this experience comes with a price tag.

After much thought, discussion, and reading (mostly in the blogosphere grad school debate), I realized that each professional decision is a personal decision. Professionals, colleagues, parents and friends may advise you- but you make the right decision for you. For me, it’s moving to a city where I don’t know anyone and giving my best shot at grad school.

-Carla

What are you doing after you graduate?

It seems like this seemingly innocent question is the new “How are you?” to ask college seniors. It’s like when you were in high school and your friends’ parents asked you, “Where are you going to school?” and then once that was settled it became “What are you going to do with that major?”

And now with only 72 (give or take for some) days left, the ultimate questions is “what are you doing next?!” I have perfected my response to this question of the future with a shrug of the shoulders and a smile that is really masking my overwhelming fear and confusion of the unknown.

But, let’s take a minute and be proactive. Instead of mastering the shoulder shrug, we can consider other options and responses like “I’m exploring different graduate schools.” Of course now the questions would come pouring out as to which ones, where, etc. So in order to be ready to answer these questions and some you may have, here are a few key things to keep in mind when considering and researching graduate schools.

• Take the time to decide if graduate school is right for you. This may require lots of soul searching, looking at possible people to invest in this endeavor (mom and dad?), and deciding if you want to spend the next couple of years back in the word of academia. Also consider the timing. Some people jump right into it and others take time off before they take that step.
• Talk to people. Professors are an especially good source of information. Not only do they know your major, but they can also recommend good graduate schools, where they might know professors or the program. Developing a relationship with your professors can also make it easier to ask for a letter of recommendation and more likely that they’ll even do it.
• Take a road trip and visit your potentials. Just because they look good on paper doesn’t mean they’re the same in person. You want to be comfortable with the environment and its people.
• Check out sites.
  • GradSchools
  • Graduate School on The Princeton Review
  • America’s Best Graduate Schools 2008

The most important thing to take away from all of this is to be honest with yourself. If the thought of another year sitting in a classroom makes you want to rip your hair out, it’s okay. And if you’ve stopped thinking about your undergraduate diploma and dreamt of holding your master’s or doctorate, that’s okay too. Remember that in the end it will be you applying to schools, going to classes, doing the studying, so take the time and listen to you and let that be your guide.

-Aida