I'm freaking out about grad school!

[Firiel]

DISCLAIMER: This is just a rant. Any advice related to this rant would be greatly appreciated, but there is no "question" or "problem," per se.

 

So, I'm going to be a senior in college this year. I'll be graduating with an English degree, and now the big thing is grad school. I'll be honest. I am freaking out over it. Every time I think about it, I start to want to throw up. There is just so much to do, and I feel I haven't started at all. I was supposed to start studying for the GREs this summer, but of course, I didn't. I always feel like I'm behind the other students in my classes because I feel like I haven't read as much literature as they have. I know part of that is insecurity, but I know not all of it is.

 

Besides that, even thinking about choosing a grad school freaks me out. By the time I graduate, I'll have been in a LDR for two years. I don't want to do that any longer. But he's going to be tied down getting his BA for another two years after I graduate, and the only college near him is a state college not really known for academics. My family keeps telling me that I have to use my expensive private school education to get into a good grad school, but I suspect they are only telling me that to keep me away from my boyfriend, whom they hate. But they do have a point. If I do go to grad school, I want to get the best out of it.

 

There are so many other problems going on in my mind that I'm not even going to bother going into detail over. For instance, why go to school until I'm probably 25 or 26 if I'm just going to have kids and stay at home with them two or three years later? And what the heck would my focus be, anyway?

 

Gosh... I'm just having a really hard time facing the idea. The reason I didn't study for my GREs this summer was because thinking about them just stressed me out too much. But I know that I really can't put it off any longer, and I just don't know how I'm going to do this...

[JonasWaingaro]

Gradual school can be done anytime! It's not uncommon for people to start up a year or two after finishing their undergrad work. Probably more healthy that way. Gives you chance to decompress and figure out what you want, rather then right back into the grind. Luck!

[MeLoveMe]

Seriously, it's English, not biomedical engineering. So relax. I'm sure you'll stress out and all but you will have less of a difficult time than let's say, a medical student.

[Firiel]

Seriously, it's English, not biomedical engineering. So relax. I'm sure you'll stress out and all but you will have less of a difficult time than let's say, a medical student.

 

I do find that a bit condescending, but I'll let it pass, mostly because there is truth to it.

 

But I'm not freaked out about actually getting my Masters. It'll be tough, but I know I can do it. It's the circumstances around it that freak me out-- the application process in particular. I'm unwilling to increase my debt for grad school, so I know if I don't get it completely paid for, I won't be able to go. That certainly doesn't help my stress level!

[cantexplain]

Thanks for the disclaimer. Plus I'm sure you'll be fine no matter what happens.

 

Here's some more ideas to add fuel to your fire.

 

Regardless of whether you use a degree in a career, the education in and of itself is valuable. I once got a degree and realized one day that I actually learned a whole lot. What I learned was a lot more valuable than a piece of paper, thank goodness.

 

And a mom never knows when she may need to be a working mom, sometimes.

 

I agree with Jonas that a year or two off from school is something worth considering. Some grad schools even look for this in their admissions criteria. Experience in the world as a non-student puts all the graduate learning in a more useful context. Seriously, a lot of the stuff you learn will make much more practical sense and you will have real-life experiences to contextualize it with.

 

I also suspect people use grad school to put-off the working world for another few years.

[annie24]

I'm a PhD candidate. my advice to you regarding graduate school is to think about what job you would like to have one day, and then find out what are the requirements to get that job. would masters' be enough? do you need a PhD? or would that over-qualify you for your dream job. i would think long and hard. and i do agree with your parents, i think it's better to choose the best school you can get into for your graduate work. my 2 cents though. but again, depends on what you want to do with your degree.

 

you can take your GREs any time of year. and different schools take them into account to different extents. i really didn't do all that well on the GRE (I rocked the math, did ok on english, and i miserably mangled the biochem subject GRE) but somehow i got into a ton of good schools and certainly had my pick of where to go.

[thejigsup]

I went to a pricey, well-ranked private school and got accepted by every single grad school I applied to. Yes, it does make a difference. Are there really people who major in English? I find that rather interesting. What do you do with an Englsih degree? I mean, I am a teacher, but an English degree would have gotten me nowhere. I was a science, history, and psych major. My Masters will be in Psych. If you want to teach and be marketable, get more than one degree. Be diversified if you can. I'm not putting off the real world by going to grad school. I worked throughout my undergrad years and now work three jobs through my grad school years. Yeah, real world experience is something some schools and many employers look for.

[lavenderdove]

With a Masters in English, your career options are basically to be some kind of teacher... whether that is in public schools or at a university. If it is going to be at university, you need a Ph.D., and you need one from a top school since there are lots of people who major in English and not that many university jobs.

 

So i agree that you should think about what career you want, not just see school as the end path. If you want to be a college professor, then you really need to go to the best school you can find in order to get a job.

 

re: the boyfriend, if you are extremely serious about him, perhaps you could postpone school and get a full time job for the two years he is still in school, while saving money to pay your tuition. Then if you are extremely serious about getting a graduate degree, he could move where you are.

 

The two years you spend with him could also determine how serious you are... whether the relaitonship really would lead to marriage or not.

 

And why do your parents object to him?

[karvala]

Gradual school can be done anytime! It's not uncommon for people to start up a year or two after finishing their undergrad work. Probably more healthy that way. Gives you chance to decompress and figure out what you want, rather then right back into the grind. Luck!

 

As someone who spent years in various grad schools, I completely agree with the above statement. From your description, you have no good reason to enter grad school at this time, and some fairly good reasons not to, so don't do it. It's not a time-limited offer; come back to it when you really want to do it. Live your life a bit in the meantime.

[Wolf_22]

Are there really people who major in English? I find that rather interesting. What do you do with an Englsih degree? I mean, I am a teacher, but an English degree would have gotten me nowhere. I was a science, history, and psych major. My Masters will be in Psych.

 

During all those classes, do you remember which ones taught you how to search the web for information? If not, allow me to assist: link removed.

 

 

With a Masters in English, your career options are basically to be some kind of teacher...

 

That statement is equivalent to thinking that majoring in psychology means you'll be sitting in a chair talking to someone laying on a couch for the next 30 years about their childhood problems. There is way more to psychology than that stuff just like there is with English academia. Also, majoring in English helps people learn how to use things called nouns, adjectives, and all those other unimportant things...

[lavenderdove]

^^ um, I almost completed a Masters in English but switched to something else when it became clear how few career options there are for people majoring in English.

 

That doesn't imply the degree can't be useful, but it is seen by most as an esoteric degree unless you go into teaching, writing, or advertising. Nothing wrong with getting that degree, but you need to do in context of understanding what your career options are when getting out.

 

Too many people get a degree and realize it doesn't always translate into a good career or job, depending on the degree.

[Wolf_22]

^^ um, I almost completed a Masters in English but switched to something else when it became clear how few career options there are for people majoring in English.

 

You're not the majority and I think you missed the link I provided...

[lavenderdove]

Umm... again. That link connects to a list of all possible internships offered at the University... it is NOT a list of careers for English majors (Goldsmith/Jeweler anyone?).

 

Most of those careers listed would require additional training, certification, or another degree... Again, there is nothing wrong with an English degree, but the job market is so swamped, people won't want to hire an english degree to be a City Planner for example, they will hire someone with a degree in Urban Planning.

 

The list of jobs available to english majors IN THE CURRENT MARKET is small other than teaching or jobs related to writing. If the OP wants to do that, then that is fine. There is just too much competition from people with training in specific fields to hire a 'generalist' with good grammar then train them to do something else.

 

And i didn't say i was the majority... just entitled to my opinion.

[Wolf_22]

Umm... again. That link connects to a list of all possible internships offered at the University... it is NOT a list of careers for English majors (Goldsmith/Jeweler anyone?).

 

Every single career it listed is a career path where an English degree can be used. Yeah, I know some may be a bit far off the wagon, but hey, I'd happily be a Goldsmith or jeweler.

 

(Goldsmith/Jeweler anyone?)

 

Cleaning houses, anyone? Temping, anyone? Sales, anyone? Selling crap from home, anyone?

 

 

Most of those careers listed would require additional training, certification, or another degree...

 

I understand where you come from with this idea, however, I've known a good amount of people who led successful lives and happy lives with many of those listed career paths, but who never once required any additional degrees or certifications. Training, yes, but show me a single job out in the real world where no additional training is required (outside of menial labor jobs, of course).

 

Again, there is nothing wrong with an English degree, but the job market is so swamped, people won't want to hire an english degree to be a City Planner for example, they will hire someone with a degree in Urban Planning.

 

It depends. Again, I do see your premise, but there are a lot of determining factors with it all. For example, if you just graduated out of college with a degree in English and apply to the City Planner job with absolutely no internship experience, no reputable references, no publications, no editorial experience, and no networking before applying, then yes, the English degree was useless, but so would be any other degree if someone took that route with their tactics. College can be experiential if you tap into the right resources the right way. To any schmo out there trying to start a business, sure, they will automatically assume that an English degree sucks, but if they do assume this, then two things are likely:

 

A.) You're setting yourself up for that expectation based on improperly mastering your presentable skills, which could have derived from your efforts in school.

 

B.) The employer is someone you might not want to work for because they may be straight up ignorant. I've often experienced this with my IT degree where I would apply for a job I know without a doubt the employer could use my education AND experience, but due to the intelligence and experience of the employer, I would be deemed as being useless and unjustifiable for their payroll. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

 

 

The list of jobs available to english majors IN THE CURRENT MARKET is small other than teaching or jobs related to writing.

 

Ha. I love how you used all-caps there. Look, I'm sorry if I've presented myself as being confrontational about this. Please forgive me for this as it's difficult sometimes for me to convey myself in an objective manner about these things, but with that being said, your going to fight the economic saturation in any career path you find yourself trying to get into--with minor-to-moderate exceptions being that of nursing and insurance paths--and even those (from what I hear of from a friend who was an LPN), it can be very saturated and difficult depending on more specifics, like location, demographics, skill level, specific job, etc.

 

If the OP wants to do that, then that is fine. There is just too much competition from people with training in specific fields to hire a 'generalist' with good grammar then train them to do something else.

 

But again, that's game accross the board...

 

And i didn't say i was the majority... just entitled to my opinion.

 

Again, I apologize if I came off as being on the rag. I didn't mean to. It's just been a long day for me.

[Firiel]

Are there really people who major in English? I find that rather interesting. What do you do with an Englsih degree?

You know, the thing is, for me it's not about the job I would get after. I have learned to love English and love literature during my college education so far, and to love it as more than just simple enjoyment. You can learn so much about people and history and philosophy through literature. I took a class this past year that just got me super interested in critical theory. I love the process of creating and discovering and connecting that comes with academic writing. I love the way it makes me see the world.

 

 

The two years you spend with him could also determine how serious you are... whether the relaitonship really would lead to marriage or not.

 

And why do your parents object to him?

 

It's a long story. I have an old thread about it.

 

you can take your GREs any time of year. and different schools take them into account to different extents. i really didn't do all that well on the GRE (I rocked the math, did ok on english, and i miserably mangled the biochem subject GRE) but somehow i got into a ton of good schools and certainly had my pick of where to go.

I feel so much better knowing that someone did poorly on the subject test and still got into a ton of good schools! That's the main one I'm worried about! I've heard the Literature GRE is just a random sampling of facts that you may or may not have covered at some point in your four year education!

 

 

Too many people get a degree and realize it doesn't always translate into a good career or job, depending on the degree.

 

I know getting a Masters in literature would not in and of itself qualify me for specific jobs, which is why I won't go into more debt to get one. That's one source of stress for me-- that I would need to get a full fellowship from the school in order to go to grad school.

[InBruges]

Nothin to stress over... grad school can be a take it or leave it and you can be just as happy either way. Go if it looks good... don't otherwise. If you're a passionate person with a good work ethic and a positive attitude, you'll always land like a cat.

 

The GRE's... the general test is an aptitude test. I just walked in and took it. I did fine. I wouldn't sweat studying for it unless you're really terrible at math. If that's the case, spend a couple days brushing up on the basics. You don't need weeks of studying because it won't help anyways... since it's an aptitude test.

 

The subject exam you'll want to study for. But some schools don't require it and others don't weigh it with much regard. Grad schools don't care what you know, but rather they care if you can be successful in their program. That's a much more broad measure and the admissions committees are usually not as hung up on scores and numbers as some people may think. Good character recommendations go a long way.

 

Good luck with whatever path you take. But don't stress over it... people were learning long before the invention of degrees. You can always study what you love whether you're in school or not.

[Wolf_22]

I know getting a Masters in literature would not in and of itself qualify me for specific jobs, which is why I won't go into more debt to get one. That's one source of stress for me-- that I would need to get a full fellowship from the school in order to go to grad school.

 

Is a fellowship synonymous to an assistantship? If not, then keep that in mind. I have a graduate student trying to get me into one and if I get it, I'll be eligible for an 80% decrease in tuition costs as well as a 7-10k stipend while doing things that I love doing. How great would that be!?

[InBruges]

Is a fellowship synonymous to an assistantship? If not, then keep that in mind. I have a graduate student trying to get me into one and if I get it, I'll be eligible for an 80% decrease in tuition costs as well as a 7-10k stipend while doing things that I love doing. How great would that be!?

 

It's not that great. Assistantships and fellowships don't provide enough money if anything at all in your life goes wrong while you're in school. Car wreck, medical bills, etc... there's no financial buffer with what you'll get paid. So unless you have a substantial savings or you plan on asking your parents for cash in case of emergencies, then you can find yourself in a real situation.

[Wolf_22]

It's not that great. Assistantships and fellowships don't provide enough money if anything at all in your life goes wrong while you're in school. Car wreck, medical bills, etc... there's no financial buffer with what you'll get paid. So unless you have a substantial savings or you plan on asking your parents for cash in case of emergencies, then you can find yourself in a real situation.

 

Yeah, you're very right. I keep forgetting that not everyone is provided a grandmother who can help them during school.

 

Regardless, though, you have to admit that it's better than nothing.

 

What would the best way be, though? A full scholarship or something? I know this will sound stupid or naive, but do graduate students GET scholarships? Everyone I've ever heard about getting one was always an undergrad.

[karvala]

Yeah, you're very right. I keep forgetting that not everyone is provided a grandmother who can help them during school.

 

Regardless, though, you have to admit that it's better than nothing.

 

What would the best way be, though? A full scholarship or something? I know this will sound stupid or naive, but do graduate students GET scholarships? Everyone I've ever heard about getting one was always an undergrad.

 

Yes, graduate students do get full scholarships; not having a rich family, I went through many years of graduate study entirely on scholarships alone, which included a stipend that was enough to live on, plus all tuition fees entirely waived. They are very competitive, though; you really do need to amongst the very best students to get them. Definitely worth going for, though.

[InBruges]

Yeah, you're very right. I keep forgetting that not everyone is provided a grandmother who can help them during school.

 

Regardless, though, you have to admit that it's better than nothing.

 

What would the best way be, though? A full scholarship or something? I know this will sound stupid or naive, but do graduate students GET scholarships? Everyone I've ever heard about getting one was always an undergrad.

 

The best way to get through graduate school is to become rich first. But, since most people go to graduate school for career goals, that's usually not practical. Assistantships/fellowships are about the only way to go. And they are enough to live on provided you're very frugal and nothing goes wrong.

 

I think most people get away with it because they do have parents/relatives they can pull from in times of emergencies. If you can, go for it. But the stipends are definitely not enough to really give you true financial independence.

 

Think about it... if you're only bringing in $1200 month, what happens when you have an $800 medical bill? Or if you break a timing belt and you need a new engine? There's just no way to pay expenses like that without help.

[annie24]

well, as a grad student, i get paid a stipend, while not very large, is pretty good for the area in which i live. it doesn't make us rich, but it's enough to cover the basics. i also have really good medical insurance through the university for about $12 a month, and it covers most everything. in the unlikely event something horrible happens to you that your insurance won't cover, hopefully you have some family that can help out.

 

when i had $1500 of dental work i needed to have done, my dentist actually has a connection with a local bank, and they offered me a 0% interest loan for 1 year.

 

for sure, you will need to look up TAships/RAships and see what you can get. that may also wind up being a deciding factor when choosing schools.

[ne1mi]

I want to apply for my D.Phil. perhaps in Social Policy. But I do not want to have to attend university in America or anywhere else.

[Wolf_22]

I want to apply for my D.Phil. perhaps in Social Policy. But I do not want to have to attend university in America or anywhere else.

 

Ha. You crack me up. That's the first time I've heard of someone referring to their "Dr. Phil."

 

Hey guys, I have a question about Assistantships / Fellowships... How hard are they (in general) to get given you're accepted and have a decent GPA from undergrad?

[annie24]

that really depends on the program you are accepted into. for some, it can be competitive, and for others, like science, once you are accepted into a lab, they pay you a stipend. the department might pay you while you find a lab. that is a good question to ask the department of the schools you are considering applying to.