According to a Reddit post by SuperBeastJ, “I came to grad school right after undergrad. I did so because I wanted to get all the schooling and moving around done before I tried to settle into an industry position. I didn’t want to try to transition to work then back to school then work again.”
I’m almost done with my first grad school semester (fingers are crossed) and at times, I still question whether I made the right decision or not.
It took me a hot minute to consider going to grad school right after finishing my undergraduate studies. I was so hesitant, scared and worried about whether that decision would make me or break me. I questioned myself a lot and compared myself to friends who got their first jobs, or to the ones who decided to take five months off for a self-care vacation, and those who are still job hunting. I asked myself: where do I fall on the spectrum of success? Particularly for me, I’m pursuing a communications degree and am passionate about working in the communications field, so is it even beneficial? Do I need it? And then I was like, “HANYA STOP!” People are going to start throwing conflicting opinions at you as to whether you should go to grad school directly after undergrad or if you should take a few years off and then go to grad school.
I took some time periodically throughout five months to consider my goals carefully and then work strategically toward deciding how I wanted to achieve them. The answer, for me, was that grad school would play a major role in achieving those goals. For me, it was really challenging because I won’t be a scientist or a mathematician, nor am I positive I may go for a Ph.D. either, so I was like, is it worth it?
Being part of the communication field and graduating with an advertising degree during my undergrad, I was aware that it is a tough job market out there and competitive, so any extra edge could be a resume booster, right?
Any new path we decide to take has its own unique advantages and disadvantages, and our mental, financial and physical state are the determining factors to decide what is good for us. In reality, no one knows YOU better than YOU. That being said, there were many time-sensitive decisions that I had to decide to make sure that I wasn’t doing something I’d regret.
Another factor that played a major role in my decision was that I just graduated after being a “student” during my undergrad. So, going to grad school right after was so helpful as I was still in the “student” mode of studying, going to class, setting up Zoom, Canvas, student portal navigation and all that other good stuff. I know that if I took a long break or gap after my undergraduate studies, there would’ve been a slight chance I wouldn’t go back to pursue my masters. Again, that may differ to everyone’s respective situation and willpower. For me, I know that if I focus on my career and maybe meet my soulmate, my priorities will change and I’ll be super indecisive whether to go for it or not.
Also, I have to say that I was lucky to be part of the School of Communication at Florida State University, as I had mentors guiding me as to whether I was doing the “right thing” or not. Additionally, I highly suggest using ProfessioNole Mentors Program with the FSU Career Center, as I talked to a couple mentors who were able to help me with my decision as well as I was lucky to meet many professionals along the way who gave me some good insight into the direction I’m heading. So, I highly recommend to ask, ask, ask and ask around, and constantly educate yourself about different aspects of such a decision on both your personal and professional life.
As much as there were so many academic and career-oriented motives to go to grad school, I had an underlying desire of going for my master’s to make my grandma (who passed away and meant the whole world to me) proud, since her dream was to see me with that master’s degree graduation gown.
Don’t overwhelm or stress yourself, especially if you are in a field that doesn’t require a grad school degree to start your career. You may need a mental break and a deep breath to relax. Then, come back a few months later and FSU will help you with any of your decisions. You may not (yet) have experiences, time-management and some other skills that may be necessary to succeed and you need more time to work on it, and thats OK! It is a huge financial burden and can be so stressful, so forgoing the opportunity to start saving money as you’re becoming an adult is the universe welcoming you to the “real-world.”
Even if you land a Teaching Assistant position, Graduate Assistant position or even a Fellowship position, and it sounds like a great opportunity, it may cost you other things down the road, so make a wise decision. Take your time and seize the day, you will do amazing things in the world whether you decide to go to grad school or not, seize the moment and enjoy every moment!
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