6 Ladies On Their Experiences With Post-Grad Education

 

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen last week’s announcement that I am starting a Master’s in Sustainability through the Harvard Extension School! At this point, I have only had two classes (and one homework assignment), so I am definitely still getting into the swing of things but I am so thrilled to be embarking on this new endeavor. As it is a significant time and financial investment, I thought long and hard about the program, before I ultimately decided to take the plunge.

There is a lot of confusion surrounding post-grad education, and I know that I wanted to hear as many stories as possible about other women who had undertaken the challenge and whether they thought it was worth the money and effort. So, I asked six fabulous ladies who are either currently in grad school or recently graduated to share their stories and insights:

(This is a long post, so grab your cup of tea and get comfortable. It is worth it, I PROMISE!) 

 

 

+ Introduce yourself and your program/grad school and length of the program & explain briefly what your program entails.

Hi, my name is Adriana. I’m originally from the Cleveland area, but I spent the last ten years in New York City, where I studied business as an undergraduate and then worked as a business consultant in the technology sector. While I loved working with new technology, I began to ask some deeper questions about the work I was doing, and I became very interested the role and impact of technology in our daily lives and social structures—particularly how it affected dynamics of race, gender, health/ability, and social status. 

After working for five years, I ultimately chose to leave my career and return to graduate school. I’m at Harvard University studying ethics, specifically in the context of technology. Most of my classes are in the Harvard Divinity School (where we dive deep into moral and philosophical questions and take critical looks at care, equality, and justice), but my other classes are at the Law and Business Schools. I am also working as a research fellow, conducting independent ethics research about technologies such as voice assistants and wearables. My program lasts two years, and I’m midway through my first year. 

+ Did you go right after undergrad? Why/why not? Why did you decide that higher education was right for you? 

I didn’t go to graduate school right after my undergraduate program. I studied business, interned, and incubated my own small business ideas during undergrad—let’s just say I was ready to hit it full-time ground running. Working right after college was incredibly valuable for me. It helped me build my savings, apply and refine my skills in a real-world environment, and tested my assumptions about my professional ambitions and aspirations. Further, full-time work at an office provided me with important ritual grounding and introduced me to corporate mentors who helped me navigate a slew of new professional and personal responsibilities (renting and furnishing an apartment, purchasing various forms of insurance, negotiating salaries and promotions). 

From a professional context, working in between my undergraduate and graduate experiences was also valuable because it helped me to understand what I would need to go back to school for, as opposed to what I could learn on the job or through self-directed learning. For my particular career path, I did not need to get an MBA, as my field was very hands-on with training and continued learning. However, I realized that there were topics I wanted to explore in an academic environment, which motivated me to apply to a humanities-based graduate program to supplement my learning journey. Having this personal awareness helped to direct my future decisions involving when to leave my job, what programs to apply for, and how to financially prepare for my journey.

+ How long did you consider the program before you decided to take the leap? How did you prepare for the program (did you have to take the GRE/other tests)?

I actually applied to my program twice. The first time I applied, I did so almost on a New Year’s whim (the application was due in mid-January). When I received the notification of acceptance, I was shocked (and honored), but not necessarily excited. If anything, I was honestly terrified. After a few weeks of reflection, I realized that I had applied more to see if I could get in and to see if attending graduate school was indeed a possibility. Once that had been achieved, I realized that I wasn’t in the right financial or professional position to really enjoy the graduate experience. While I couldn’t defer my admission (however, many programs can! It never hurts to ask!), I ultimately chose to turn down the application for that year. 

Two years passed between my applications, and during that time, I grew my career professionally and built up my savings. I also took a hard look at what was vs. wasn’t satisfying in my career, and what I truly wanted to study. When I chose to explore applying again, my approach was more systematic. I started almost a year in advance by setting up coffees, shadowing visits, and even volunteer sessions with professionals I admired in the ethics space; because of these experiences, I slightly changed my program focus. I would recommend this to anyone considering graduate school. Speaking directly with individuals doing the work you aspire to do and asking for their perspective (grad school vs. self-directed learning, whether university status is important in their field, if they’ve experienced a return-on-investment for their graduate time, what they would have done differently) can expose critical biases or knowledge gaps that each of us tends to bring into the application experience.

I also studied program offerings and weighed them by priorities in my life: rigor of program (and how much it interested me), networking opportunities, city culture, access to nature, and proximity to friends and loved ones in NYC, Cleveland, and Chicago. During this process, I realized that I was making a drastic change not only to my professional roadmap but also to my day-to-day personal life—and that pushed me to consider quality-of-life factors beyond just the program.

My program did not require the GRE but recommended it; I studied by checking old GRE prep books out of the library and working through their practice problems. I also downloaded a GRE vocabulary app and passed dead time (during my commute, waiting in lines) learning new words. The GRE is notorious for repeating questions, prompts, and vocabulary, so reviewing practice problems and tests (which are often old versions of the GRE) turned out to be very helpful. 

+ How do you balance work/school/personal life? Tips for other women who are considering/starting a grad school program?

For me at least, work/school/life balance tends to be tough. Our classes are mentally taxing and require loads of reading. I support myself financially by working an on-campus job and taking on a few freelance writing projects. I’m also in a long-distance relationship (my partner’s in Chicago), which is vital for me to prioritize too. 

Some of the best tips wonderful peers have told me, or I learned the hard way (in no particular order): 

• It’s essential to determine when your brain turns works best…and when it doesn’t work at all. I can’t do good work after 10 PM, and so I’ve learned that later study nights don’t work for me. I’ll go to bed and then wake up early to finish a project instead. 
• It’s always ok to ask for extensions; in my experience, everyone in grad school does it. Just ask well ahead of time, and be prepared that you might not get the full amount of time you’ve requested. 
• Communication (with professors, project teammates, advisors, mentors) is key. If you’re running late, feeling overwhelmed, or not going to be able to hand something in, let them know as early as you can. Everyone is managing their own struggles and responsibilities and understands that we are all human. Signaling for help (with enough time in advance) is actually seen as very responsible (in my experience). 
• Grad school is absolutely the worst place to compare yourself to others. Everyone has a different path that brought them to grad school (e.g., some of my classmates are 22, while others are retired) and has different goals. I think it’s natural, especially in competitive academic environments, to compare oneself to others, but I keep reminding myself it’s futile. This also applies to comparing yourself to friends who aren’t in grad school. The (professional) grass often looks greener. 
• Health and basic needs (financial security, family, relationships) are more important than assignments.
• This might not apply to individuals who are in graduate programs directly tied to their career advancement, but in certain classes, I’ve learned that it’s ok not to do an assignment or “fall behind” a bit if you need to prioritize your time elsewhere. For example, at the end of last semester, I de-prioritized two classes so that I could focus my energy on going above-and-beyond for the final projects that genuinely excited me. From what I’ve seen, even professors understand that students will focus their attention and time on certain classes more than others. This applies to de-prioritizing schoolwork to spend time on yourself/with loved ones sometimes too.

+ What has been the most challenging/most rewarding part of the experience?

My journey’s a bit different, but graduate school was the first true investment I made in myself—following my interests and ambitions. I’m lucky to have the resources and be in the life stage where I can make an all-encompassing investment in myself. I feel immensely grateful to be able to make this investment, which also drives me to commit to it (e.g., saying no to things, budgeting more than I would want to, or pursuing an opportunity that intimidates me). Knowing that I’m sticking with this investment has brought me a real sense of fulfillment. 

+ How did you justify the cost? Was it worth it? 

I was fortunate to have been offered a substantial scholarship for my program; in fact, it was the deciding factor between my top two school choices. About one year before I entered my program, I took a hard look at my finances and savings. I calculated how many months I could live comfortably, based on my available savings (while still maintaining an emergency fund, as well as some of my longer-term accounts, such as IRAs). I then understood how much I needed to receive in scholarships and supplement with on-campus jobs or freelance writing to enjoy my time at school and pursue opportunities that interested me,

Because I had chosen to partake in a graduate program for my own fulfillment (a huge privilege in itself), I understood that I needed to achieve a certain level of financial security to enjoy the experience and make the investment of my time and energy worthwhile. 

+ Any other tips or tricks?

• If you’re planning to live on campus (and this interests you), see if your university has positions for resident assistants or resident tutors. Many offer free or substantially discounted housing + meals in exchange for serving as a mentor and support resource for undergraduates. My friends who’ve chosen to be R.A.s say it helps them to get involved with campus activities, and they find it personally rewarding. 
•  If you’re not living on campus (or taking several online classes), it’s helpful to try and build IRL relationships with classmates, or even over video chat or social media. I also don’t think there’s any harm in being the first one to suggest this to classmates (many of them might be wishing for some more community and just haven’t said anything yet).

 

For more from Adriana, follow her on Twitter!

 

 

 

+ Introduce yourself and your program/grad school and length of the program!
I’m Lauren, a 31-year-old female in North Carolina. I completed medical school training resulting in a medical doctorate (M.D.) in 2018 from East Carolina University. Medical school is a four-year graduate school program where students receive a generalized medical education before starting medical residency training in their chosen specialty. I have chosen Psychiatry as my specialty, and I am currently in my second year of a four-year residency program, where I act as a resident physician under the supervision of an attending physician.

+ Explain briefly what your program entails.

Medical school is a four-year graduate program. Traditionally, this is composed of two pre-clinical years during the first two years, where students attend lectures and labs all day, with many independent studying hours needed at night. Years three and four are typically the clinical years, where medical students join a team of physicians and resident physicians in the hospital and outpatient clinics, helping care for patients with supervision to continue to build clinical skills. As a 3rd or 4th year medical student, your schedule will closely resemble the time commitment of a resident physician, where you will be working mostly six days per week up to 80 hours per week, and additionally studying for tests in your free time. There are many exams along the way, notably with several national board exams called USMLE Step exams that you take throughout the four years.

After medical school, graduates will enter into a residency program that at a minimum is three years of training, but ranges to include surgical programs at longer lengths such as six years. After residency, you can further specialize by electing to enter into a Fellowship for more training.

+ Did you go right after undergrad? Why/why not?

I did not go right after undergrad. I knew I wanted to apply to medical school when I graduated. Still, I also recognized that it would be costly both to apply to medical school and to be a medical student, so I wanted to work for some years to save money. I ended up taking three years off in between. Medical school admission is very competitive, so I also used this time to gain more shadowing experience to be a more competitive candidate, and to use the time to study for the entrance exam called the MCAT.

+ How long did you consider the program before you decided to take the leap?

I have wanted to be a doctor since I was in high school. I considered various other careers during college before the time I would need to finalize my decision. I considered: a Ph.D. in clinical psychiatry, PsyD, Ph.D. in neuroscience, BSN, and then NP, MPH, LCSW. I completed a lot of shadowing during my undergrad and gap years and continued to feel that medicine was the best fit for me personally. I don’t think that it is possible to shadow too much when making this significant decision, and I’m happy I took at least one gap year off to continue to consider this decision.

+ Why did you decide that higher education was right for you? 

I have always loved learning and knew when entering college that I would very likely pursue graduate school, especially with my lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. I also have a B.S. in Neuroscience and found it challenging to get a job in an industry that I was interested in without a graduate degree, especially a job working directly with people/patients.

+ How did you prepare for the program (did you have to take the GRE/other tests)?

First of all, I made sure to take the required college pre-requisites that many medical schools require, such as chemistry, biology, and physics, and to do well in those as GPA matters a great deal for admissions. I took the MCAT, which is the entrance exam for medical school. I completed many hours of shadowing. During my gap years, I took a job in clinical research. Having research experience was helpful, I feel, but certainly not as essential as the previous items.

+ What has been the most challenging/most rewarding part of the experience?

The most challenging aspects have been, at times, the feeling of isolation and the personal sacrifices made. There are many hours of independent studying and independent work required for a medical student, and as an extrovert, I often found that my interpersonal needs were not met. I often felt very lonely, isolated from my peers, and separate from my friends and family. The time required to be a medical student (where time at work can be up to 80 hours/week, not including the time you are studying at home) meant I often struggled to meet my own basic needs of sleep, exercise, healthy meals, and socialization. I was also not able to spend as much time as I would ideally like to with my spouse, friends, family, or my hobbies. I am so thankful to my wonderful spouse and the friends and family who have been understanding and supportive of me during medical school.

The most rewarding part of the experience is the great privilege it is to be in this role, to have a patient’s trust, and to be able to make an impact, at times such a tremendous impact that you can save someone’s life. I remember the first time, as a medical student, where my actions directly led to a life being saved, and to this date, I cannot identify a greater feeling in the world. I also found it extremely rewarding to be challenged academically to an extreme, to be challenged to my fullest potential for the first time, to accomplish the seemingly impossible feat of mastering the academic material, and to have people believe that I am capable of doing so. Every day is different, interesting, challenging, and very innately satisfying.

+ How do you balance work/school/personal life? 

I think it is very normal to struggle with this in graduate school, especially in the beginning, as you are adjusting to this new experience. I always strive for “lopsided balance” – with the knowledge that sometimes, I will not be able to achieve balance during a specific time, but that my intent to seek balance is always present. I am gentle with myself when I am, and when I am not able to achieve “balance.” It is a dynamic target. With the time I do have, I try to prioritize the most important things, and I fiercely protect that time. I have found that prioritizing sleep and exercise (specifically yoga, which also does wonders for my mind) are the most important things. I am always conscious of being present with my spouse, who has signed up to be right there with me during graduate school. For my hobbies, I continue to prioritize travel when I have some time off. I was able to go to Iceland, France, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco during my four years of medical school.

+ How did you justify the cost? Was it worth it? 
I went to the most affordable medical school in the country, and still have over 200k in student loan debt from medical school. This is a substantial financial decision, equivalent in size to signing up for a mortgage on a house, so it isn’t a decision I made lightly. I am a person who is very much interested in working for a non-profit one day, so not having significant debt was very important to me. I did not apply to any private, more expensive institutions for that reason, but I also had the luxury of having many great public schools available to me. The compensation when you have completed all training is very fair for this initial investment, but there are many years in between school and the end of training where you are very, very poor. I think this has affected some of my peers, who would like to be where non-MD peers are financially, purchasing houses, for example. I did not enter this profession to be wealthy, so I do not mind and find my current income to be adequate and comfortable.

+ Tips for other women who are considering/starting a grad school program. 

Research as much as you can, shadow, talk to peers, learn as much as possible about what you are signing up for. Make sure it is the right fit for you personally, that it fits your career aspirations, your personality, but also matches what you want the minutia of your day to day to look like. It’s essential to do a risk/benefit ratio analysis and to make sure that it is worth your time, money, and effort. It is possible to be a badass female leader in a variety of ways, not all of which require graduate school, but it is also an excellent option for many.

 

For more from Lauren, follow her on Instagram!

 

 

+ Introduce yourself and your program/grad school and length of the program. 

Hi! My name is Isabelle King. I graduated in 2019 from New York University with my Master’s in Social Work. The program that I completed was a full-time 2-year program.

+ Explain briefly what your program entails.

Social work as a disciple is super broad; however, NYU focuses on Clinical Social Work, which I can sum up succinctly as psychology through a social-justice lens. My coursework focused on direct social work practice, social welfare policies, human development and behavior, and the complexities of racism and oppression. Since the field of clinical social work is so hands-on, the coursework is in conjunction with fieldwork/internships for both years of the program. On top of coursework, I was required to intern 21 hours a week in relevant positions.

+ Did you go right after undergrad? Why/why not?

No! I took off two years before I decided to go back to school. It was mainly because I was still figuring out precisely the right career path. Before deciding on social work, I dabbled in global/public health and non-profit work.

+ How long did you consider the program before you decided to take the leap?

Once I concluded that social work school was the right path, the hardest decision was which graduate program to enroll in. Luckily, I was based in New York City, where there are several amazing social work programs. When deciding between the various programs, I took into consideration cost, location, courses offered, and, most importantly, feedback from graduates of the programs.

+ Why did you decide that higher education was right for you? 

I’ve always been super intellectually curious, and immersing myself in a field/topic that I am passionate about excited me. I knew since the time I graduated college that it wouldn’t be the end of my education trajectory… it was always just a question of what area of study I would choose.

+ How did you prepare for the program (did you have to take the GRE/other tests)?

Before I decided on social work, I was contemplating global health, so I did take the GRE (however, I didn’t need it for admission to the social work programs). Studying for the GRE was not fun, but if it’s a requirement for your application, make sure you do your research in terms of choosing the right study materials. ALSO, I suggest taking it far enough in advance from the deadline of your applications so that if you need to retake it, you’ll have enough time to prepare.

For the social work programs, I prepared by doing a lot of research on the different schools and outreach to prior graduates. The applications required three letters of recommendation and rather lengthy essays, so those were what took up my time in terms of preparation.

+ What has been the most challenging/most rewarding part of the experience?

The most challenging part was definitely the mental health repercussions. Graduate school, in general, is grueling, but what made my social work program especially tough was the subject matter. A lot of my coursework and classes surrounded discussions of trauma, poverty, social inequality, racism, abuse… the list could go on. That was on top of my internships, which has me working with real people who were experiencing all of those factors. This often resulted in feeling so emotionally depleted that I would have to become a hermit for the weekend to recharge.

The most rewarding part was building genuine and authentic relationships with the people I worked with at my internships. My first internship was at an elementary school, where I did a lot of individual and group counseling. I formed such strong bonds with my kids, and it transformed the way I see myself and others. The picture I included is one of those kids and me!

Also, it felt really special to be a part of something again, which was a great aspect of being back in school! In graduate school, you will have a community of like-minded and passionate people who will serve as your lifelines during those years.

+ How did you balance work/school/personal life? 

Not gracefully, that’s for sure. My graduate school experience encompassed some of the highest points of my life, as well as the lowest. Knowing your limits is essential, meaning saying no to things that you know you can’t take on. You’ll also rely a lot on the people you meet in graduate school for emotional support since no one but them can truly understand or empathize with what it’s like.

+ How did you justify the cost? Was it worth it? 

I am so blessed and privileged that I only took out loans for about 1/3 of the program cost, thanks to my family, who has always prioritized sending me to graduate school. I also did a year of service through AmeriCorps before enrolling in my program, which helped with the costs since they award you with an educational grant upon completion that NYU matched (meaning I got double the amount of the grant applied to my tuition!)

+ Tips for other women who are considering/starting a grad school program. 

• TALK TO GRADUATES FROM THE PROGRAMS!! These days, there are a lot of master’s programs that cost a lotttt of money and don’t always broaden your career prospects. Make sure you’re investing in a program that will give you a set of skills/knowledge that makes you employable. Going to graduate school is an investment in yourself and your future, don’t take the decision lightly!
• Be ok with getting a side hustle and living frugally. I lived on a tiny budget for the two years I was in school, which I subsidized by babysitting a LOT… sometimes three times a week and often at 8 am on Saturdays/Sunday (it was rough). While it was a lot on top of school and my internship, it allowed me a little more flexibility in paying for things that I knew were important to me, such as weekend getaways.
• Take full advantage of all the FREE things your school has to offer!! Often, when you are enrolled in any school, you will get all the perks that you had as an undergrad, such as a campus gym and printing access. I also went to a ton of lectures at the different NYU schools and got discounts to shows/events/museums with my student idea. Check out Unidays.com and StudentUniverse.com for deals on various websites and flights/hotels for students.
• My last tip… be grateful, humble, and always curious. You have a fantastic privilege by going to graduate school!

 

 

+ Introduce yourself and your program/grad school and length of the program. 

My name is Kaitlyn, and I am in the UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Evening and Weekend MBA (EWMBA) Class of 2022. The EWMBA is a part-time Master of Business Administration program. Instead of a traditional full-time MBA, which is typically earned in two years, the EWMBA will take three years to complete. My classes meet twice a week during the evenings, but other options include taking classes all day on Saturdays.

+ Explain briefly what your program entails.

The first year of the program is taken up by a “core” curriculum – where students learn the fundamentals of business administration and take classes like macro and microeconomics, accounting, finance, and marketing. Students can choose electives in their second and third years – I especially look forward to taking financial modeling classes and classes within the Law and Public Policy schools as they relate to my career in real estate.

There are also countless opportunities for extracurricular involvement at Haas – either by volunteering for one of the many case competitions (some of my classmates will present their business solutions to Patagonia’s headquarters this year) or getting involved in one of the many clubs. I’ve learned a lot by attending the weekly speaker series put on by the Berkeley Real Estate Club.

Last but not least, there are a ton of informal networking opportunities from Tahoe houses being rented out to wine tastings chartered by classmates’ Google buses. Classes are separated into “cohorts” of approximately 70 students based on what time you meet for class, and there’s always something going on in our Slack channels for those who want to get together over a shared interest.

+ Did you go right after undergrad? Why/why not?

No, I had about five years of work experience after undergrad before beginning my program. Typically for MBA programs, a few years of work experience is recommended and encouraged – we rely on the professional expertise of our classmates to help bring rich, real-world, and personal examples to classroom discussions. The unique problems or challenging management situations that my classmates have gone through, on top of their knowledge of trends in their industries, is what helps make the educational experience that much more enriching. 

+ How long did you consider the program before you decided to take the leap?

I started thinking about attending graduate school seriously in 2017 after one of my mentors was accepted into his dream program. I thought about how school could fit into my professional and personal goals and began the process of applying in 2018.

+ Why did you decide that higher education was right for you? 

I think many of us feel stagnant at one point or another in our careers or lives – and graduate school offers a break from the monotony of a job while providing an opportunity to challenge and prove ourselves. I’ve always loved school and my career but was ready for a new challenge. The part-time MBA made sense for me to stretch my leadership capabilities in a classroom environment.

+ How did you prepare for the program (did you have to take the GRE/other tests)?

I did a lot of research to prepare for the program by reaching out to people in my network who were at schools I was interested in applying to and attending local networking events put on by schools themselves to get a sense of each school’s culture. I was surprised at how willing current students were to have coffee chats or phone calls with me and help answer the questions I had about each program.

I took the GMAT and used a private tutor (I attended one of the free Manhattan Prep courses and was not impressed) who helped me improve my score immensely. On my first try, I got around the average score of the applicants to a majority of the schools I applied to, so luckily, I only had to take it once.

+ What has been the most challenging/most rewarding part of the experience?

The friendships I have made in the program so far have been the most rewarding part of the experience. I’ve met some truly wonderful individuals! The most challenging part of the experience has been balancing work, school, and personal life!

+ How do you balance work/school/personal life?

This is a tough one! I will say I am still learning how to master the balance. Some days I still feel completely overwhelmed – like I am juggling five balls at once and just waiting for one to drop.  Some things that have helped me:

• I work from home about 90% of the time, so I leverage time saved with no commute to fit in workouts or additional study sessions.
• Trusting my classmates by leaning on my study group members when needed to address work demands and, in turn, picking up the slack for group members when their families or work lives need extra attention.
• Learning how to orchestrate changing priorities is vital. I like to mentally organize these different priorities as “blocks” that slot in front of or behind one another, and my prioritized to-do list will reflect these. Some weeks, work will need to be a priority. Other weeks, cramming for the midterm or finishing a final project needs to take the front seat. Other weeks still, it might be a priority to make time for girls’ dinners or a date night with your partner.

One key thing I am working on (not quite perfect at it yet) is focusing on one thing at a time so that I can give whatever I am working on my undivided attention. Setting mindful notifications helps – I log out of school email during the workday and set Slack notifications to only alert me if I’m mentioned by name; and religiously use Do Not Disturb mode when trying to get sleep. I do all this, so when I do have time to relax, I’m able to unplug and focus only on my friends or partner.

+ How did you justify the cost? Was it worth it? 

Pursuing a part-time MBA allowed me to keep my full-time salary while earning my master’s degree. While the degree itself is costly, not having the additional opportunity cost of lost income while in a traditional full-time MBA program helped me make my decision. Full-time MBAs are typically best for people wanting to switch careers – I was happy in my industry and just wanted an extra credential and educational boost.

+ Tips for other women who are considering/starting a grad school program. 

Be honest with yourself and your reasons for pursuing a graduate program. It’s a big investment time wise and money wise!

Be open to new experiences and people and the mindset of being a student.

While there might be countless opportunities you want to get involved with, work on letting go of the guilt associated with saying “no” – focus on priorities that are important to you.

Always remember to show gratitude for your support system!

 

For more from Kaitlyn, follow her on Instagram!

 

 

+ Introduce yourself and your program/grad school and length of the program.

Hey there! I’m Melissa, and I’m currently in my 4th year of a 6-year Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at CWRU in Cleveland, OH.

+ Explain briefly what your program entails.

I’m specifically studying child clinical psychology, and even more specifically, pediatric psychology. So, in a nutshell, we study psychopathology and treatments. The “pediatric” part in my specialization means that I study these things as they relate to children with medical conditions. The program is a combination of coursework, clinical work, research, and teaching (you design your own course covering a topic of your choice, and then, you teach it to undergrads!). You spend the first few years doing your coursework and getting started with your research. As the program goes on, the coursework tapers off, and you become more focused on clinical work and research. You get your Master’s degree along the way, which allows you to teach. By the time the 5th year rolls around, you’re working on defending your dissertation, getting clinical hours, and applying to an internship, which is your 6th year. The internship is a year of intensive clinical work. Your internship doesn’t have to be in the same city, depending on where you apply and match! It’s a chance to venture out for a year before applying to jobs.

+ Did you go right after undergrad? Why/why not?

I graduated from college in 3 years (+ a summer) because I had a ton of credits from high school. During what would have been my fourth year of college, I volunteered with City Year, an education-focused non-profit. During that year, I tutored 9th graders in algebra in San Antonio, TX (my home state!). This isn’t the typical route for people who go into Ph.D. programs in clinical psychology – most people work full time in a research position for one, if not several, years. While not the typical route, I’m thankful for the practical experience that my time at City Year gave me. I felt like it actually gave me a leg up in my grad school application and interviews because it was different and unique. So, don’t be discouraged if you don’t do the “typical route.”

As an aside, I was the youngest person in my program for three straight years. This is to say – I think most people pursuing higher education take some time off! Don’t be afraid that you might be “too old” or that you waited too long to go back to school.

+ How long did you consider the program before you decided to take the leap?

I knew in high school that I wanted to study psychology in college, but I never necessarily saw myself as a psychologist/therapist. In college, I worked at a summer camp for kids with medical conditions, and that solidified for me that I wanted to help these kids with their mental health. Finally, I worked in a research lab during my final year of undergrad, and that research advisor and the graduate students encouraged me to go into clinical psychology. By the end of that academic year, I had mostly decided that was what I was going to do. This didn’t mean I was 100% committed, though, because I procrastinated on my applications and was finishing them in my car in a Starbucks parking lot at 11:59 pm because they were due at midnight, but the Starbucks closed at 11 pm. It was a big leap, and I’m not sure I was fully prepared, mentally, or emotionally. Honestly, I do wish I had done a little more research and spent a little more time considering what my leap would mean for the next six years of my life.

+ Why did you decide that higher education was right for you? 

In my best effort to avoid sounding cliche, I love learning. I’ve always been academically minded, and I liked the challenge that higher education would bring. Practically, I knew that I would need to pursue some higher education if I wanted to practice psychology in some capacity.

+ How did you prepare for the program (did you have to take the GRE/other tests)?

I had to take the GRE. At City Year, I was lucky enough to be among a large community of other young people, many of whom were also pursuing higher education, including my roommate, so we spent many nights studying together at coffee shops. I took it early enough to where I could retake it if I needed to, but I ended up being satisfied with my scores, so I only took it once. My program publishes the average scores of the students admitted each year, so I was able to compare my scores to the averages. My program does require that you take the specific psychology exam, but only if you didn’t major or minor in psychology. So definitely make sure you know if your program requires any specialty exams and what you should shoot for as far as scores (that being said, scores aren’t everything!).

I also got help from previous professors. I spoke on the phone with one of my speech professors before my first grad school interview and emailed back and forth with one of my psychology professors throughout the process. They love to help!

+ What has been the most challenging/most rewarding part of the experience?

The most rewarding part has been the many different hats I get to wear. I don’t know of many other chances you get to be a teacher, researcher, clinician, and student all at once. This is also one of the challenges, though, as you can imagine. I also find being a teacher and a clinical insanely rewarding. It may be challenging and tiring work, but when I’ve left my clinical placement at the end of the day, I usually feel like I’ve done something good for the world.

The most challenging part has been staying motivated. Sometimes it’s hard to see that end goal and reward when you’re in the trenches. Or, you might be uncertain of your end goal, other than your degree, making that even harder. I keep pictures up of my time at camp and the kids as a reminder that they are the ones who started it all, and they’re the ones for whom I’m doing this.

+ How do you balance work/school/personal life? 

It’s not easy. I can easily be consumed by my work and get sidetracked from working out, self-care, and staying social. I’ve found that sticking to a routine and blocking out time works best. This means also blocking out time for things you enjoy doing. During my second year, I was obsessed with Riverdale (solely because I have had a life-long mega-crush on Cole Sprouse). My roommates and I had cable at the time, so I blocked off every Wednesday night to watch the new episode of Riverdale. It was only an hour, but I looked forward to it every week, and it motivated me to get my work done. I also started dating my current partner during my third year, so my weekends became much busier. This sometimes stressed me out (and still does), but what I’ve learned is this: the work always gets done. I promise. So do the weekend thing and don’t feel guilty.

To help avoid tunnel vision, I like to listen to podcasts that cover topics that don’t relate to my field while I’m driving, showering, or during other times when studying isn’t possible. It helps me feel like I’m still keeping my other interests alive, while not using up a ton of sacred time! I also joined the CLE Ladies Book Club, which has forced me (in the best way possible) to read nonacademic books 🙂

But, if you do feel overly guilty, overly stressed, or are finding yourself burnt out, never be afraid to seek out professional help. Look into any student health and counseling options that your program or school offers – it’s likely free or significantly reduced. I see a therapist, and even when I’m busiest, I still schedule doctors’ appointments, dentist appointments, therapy appointments, hair/nail/facial appointments (when the budget allows!), and I never apologize. Health matters way more than any assignment or deadline.

+ How did you justify the cost? Was it worth it? 

So, I always hesitate to say this because it feels unfair sometimes, but tuition is waived in my program – it is in many Ph.D. programs. You pay it back through the research you do (which also means you’re indebted to your program, but I try not to think about that part). Nonetheless, it’s a huge motivator to keep going and allows me to think about what I WANT to do after grad school, not what I NEED to do to pay off huge loans. Don’t get me wrong, I still live on a tiny stipend, and my program doesn’t allow you to work outside of school, so money is often very tight. But again, the fact that I don’t pay tuition has been a game-changer. Definitely look into what financial benefits the programs you’re applying to offer!

+ Tips for other women who are considering/starting a grad school program. 

I’d start by thinking realistically – How long is the program? How old will you be when you finish? What kinds of jobs to people with that degree have? What types of degrees do the people with your dream job (or similar) have? What kind of time commitment is expected (full-time, part-time)? Will you get breaks? What are the financial benefits (do they offer healthcare reimbursement?)? And be honest with yourself – Why do you want the degree? What are you hoping to learn? Is there another route you can take? Do you really, really care about this specific field? What do you plan to do with it? You might think you’re second-guessing, but really, you’re just testing your commitment. This will help you avoid, or at least reduce, the dreaded mid-grad-school-crisis (a very real thing). Thinking ahead is critical to success in grad school, whether you’re applying, just starting, or even getting close to the end.

Practically – block your time, schedule in breaks for self-care, hobbies, and socializing, get a planner you love to use (or find an app you love), don’t study in bed, go to the doctor, or therapist, seek community with other women.

Most importantly, reward yourself for all your hard work, give your self grace and compassion when you need a break, and remember that you are a badass woman with a badass brain doing a badass thing for yourself and the world!

 

For more from Melissa, follow her on Instagram!

 

 

+ Introduce yourself and your program/grad school and length of the program. 

Hello! Call me, M! I am a teacher and a graduate student at the University of Akron; I am pursuing the Assessment, Evaluation, and Data Literacy Program. This program should take roughly two to three years, but hopefully, no longer as the program has been discontinued!

+ Explain briefly what your program entails.

This program facilitates understanding in how to utilize data, how to interpret data, how to develop and apply formative and summative assessments for instruction, how to translate data into meaningful results for stakeholders, etc. Essentially, this is an extensive study of how to create, analyze, and interpret a myriad of data related to student performance or achievement, etc., and how to improve instruction and student learning based on that data.

+ Did you go right after undergrad? Why/why not?

I did not enter my graduate program immediately after graduation, as I needed to find a full-time job to pay for the loans I’d accumulated during undergrad. I took about a year or so off from school to focus on finding my career and paying off loans. I thought it to be more critical to put my undergraduate degree to use and pay down the loans I already had. It turns out that worked for me; I got my dream job, and I’m debt-free!

+ How long did you consider the program before you decided to take the leap?

I did not take any more than a day to commit to the program; I knew that I needed a master’s degree as a teacher in the state of Ohio (to progress to the next license), and I knew that the program after which I sought lined up with the values and goals of the school for which I work.

+ Why did you decide that higher education was right for you? 

Well, aside from the fact that I have to pursue higher education as a teacher, I always knew it was right for me; I’m an “academic,” or so my friends call me. I have always had a passion for continuing my education and feeding my knowledge/understanding of the world in any way. It has always been a goal of mine to obtain my doctorate before 30! Let’s see if that can happen (fingers crossed!). I also wanted to pursue higher education because, to my knowledge, no other female in my family has obtained a Master’s degree, let alone a four-year degree. I want to make a way for myself and seize the opportunities presented to me.

+ How did you prepare for the program (did you have to take the GRE/other tests)?

I did not have to prep for this program. I just signed up for courses and crossed my fingers (lol). So far, the classes have gone by without an issue.

+ What has been the most challenging/most rewarding part of the experience?
I think the most challenging part of this experience is finding a balance between work life, school life, and personal life. What is most rewarding is seeing how this program is actively and positively helping me become a better teacher. I love that this program supports me in understanding my field of work better, in understanding my students better, and in allowing me to grow and build up my skills as an educator.

+ How do you balance work/school/personal life? 

 

 

Thank you so much, ladies, for sharing your stories and insights with us!

You are so inspiring, and I love seeing the impact you are making in the world!

Are you considering post-grad education?