Erik Hansen is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Public Policy and the “When I Was a Mustang…” columnist.
Having milked the teat that is your parent’s college savings almost completely dry after four (ha, yeah right!), five or six years, you will finally graduate this fall, winter or spring. And while our abundant and plentiful job market awaits you, the idea of remaining in the cozy cocoon of academia a couple years longer sounds tempting.
That’s right, graduate school. You keep getting older and they stay the same age. But wait a minute, much like a Tokyo Sandblaster, it’s time for a wakeup call. Having spent your time at Cal Poly with the mottos of “D means done” and “C means celebrate,” you’re screwed … or so you think.
In all seriousness (then we’ll go right back to the satire), the application deadlines for most graduate programs are looming. There are a multitude of reasons to continue your studies in a graduate program (and a multitude not to), and it’s going to be a tough road ahead — especially with programs cutting enrollment and everyone and their mother applying to get in.
Putting your academic achievements thus far on display can be nerve-wracking. You are not the same person you were three or four years ago, and some may look at themselves five years from now and laugh. As you continue to grow academically, professionally and (most importantly) personally, the path to graduate school can become clearer, though some paths may be longer than others.
If your current academic standing puts you on the fence at the most prestigious university (lowly state school), here are a few ideas to consider.
Easier said than done, right? I just knocked the job market, then said get a job. Even though you may be finishing in the bottom 10 percent of your graduating class, you will still have a degree from Cal Poly (SLO, not Pomona … psh). That little piece of paper has some incredible name recognition behind it and proves you have the tenacity to fight (for classes, for tuition, with your academic counselor) for what you want, unlike your friends who went to Santa Clara, Westmont or Occidental. You know, the friends who had parents pay their tuition and walked away four years later with a 3.85 grade point average without regularly attending class. That name recognition and tenacity is going to eventually land you a job, if you want it enough.
If you are considering putting off graduate school for a couple of years to work, here are some of the benefits to consider:
— Real world experience. Graduate programs want bright students, but they also want students who can bring experience from the field and benefit the program as assets. In addition, proving yourself successful outside of the classroom can help your case in terms of proving to a selection committee how successful you will be inside the classroom.
— References. While it is crucial to receive academic letters of recommendation, professional references are also important. Busting your ass for a couple of years in the workplace will build you a network of people who would be happy to write on your behalf.
— Maturity. Two thoughts: One — you may think you know exactly what you want to continue your studies in upon graduation. However, it won’t be a great feeling after you drop a year’s worth of tuition toward your master’s in conservation biology, after realizing public administration would have been a much better fit. There is no better place to explore what exactly it is you want out of a graduate program than in the field you want to spend the rest of your life in … or think you want to spend the rest of your life in. Two – again, you are not the same person you were three or four years ago, and some may look at themselves five years from now and laugh. Growing personally, and having something to show for it professionally, can help your case in terms of proving to a selection committee how successful you will be inside the classroom.
Unfortunately, the gravy train runs out for many students after they complete their undergraduate degree. You have now slowly driven your parents into debt, having mortgaged their house twice to pay for the last six years you spent playing Call of Duty and occasionally doing homework. Debt is the tool of the devil, so putting off graduate school a couple of years (to work) will provide you with an opportunity to save and gain piece of mind … even if it means living with your parents again (ok, maybe that’s a little far-fetched — or is it?).
Unless you’re banking on a full scholarship, a grant or working full-time through graduate school, getting a job and putting money into a 529 plan (just like you’ll be doing with your new 401K) is a great opportunity to save for graduate school and keep the government out of your pockets later on. You can have the money taken out of your paycheck, pre-tax, without ever getting the chance to see and spend it. You can also choose from a different state’s plan — Montana and Kansas’ plans are performing great right now, despite the economy.
Cal Poly is going to force you to graduate “on time.” Having awoken from your academic slumber, induced by Old English 800 and Schlitz Malt Liquor, there will be no putting off graduation to make up for your less than stellar freshman through senior years (your first senior year, or “senior year number one”). However, all of our fine public institutions of higher learning here in California offer 300, 400 and 500 level courses, open to anyone, provided there is room in the class and you pay the course fee. The CSUs and UCs offer courses through their Open University and Extension programs that are basically just like the ones you are taking now, except populated (mostly) by professionals, and held (mostly) during evening hours. These courses will be more “high speed,” but that’s what you want, right? To prove you have what it takes to hang.
Taking courses after graduation or pre-graduate school can have the following benefits:
— Maturity. This seems to be a running theme. However, with your amazing grades attained during “senior year number two,” and those immaculate grades you got while taking one or two 400 and 500 level courses a semester in UCLA’s extension program (all the while working for the City of Santa Monica), you’ll go far in showing a trend of maturity and intellectual curiosity that graduate programs are looking for.
— Get ahead — transfer credits. Taking 400 and 500 level courses and doing well prior to enrollment in a graduate program not only demonstrates your maturity and intellectual curiosity, but also provides an opportunity to take care of a couple elective courses you’re going to need to complete anyways (provided they’re in the same realm you plan to complete your graduate studies in). Whether or not they’ll accept the units will be up to the graduate program you’re planning on attending. Receiving those units from an accredited, public university bodes well in your argument on why they should transfer over.
— Get references. All of those professors who gave you a ‘C’, who you then took revenge on through ratemyprofessor.com, are probably not going to write you the best letter of recommendation. While you probably have one or two professors who were cool — who you shared drinks with after you saw them sitting alone at the Gaslight Lounge on a random Wednesday night — and will write you a glowing letter, receiving as many positive, well written academic letters of recommendation as possible is crucial. Continuing to take courses after graduation/pre-graduate school provides you with an opportunity to grow your network of people who would be happy to write on your behalf.
Bah, trigonometry and synonyms. That’s all the (Graduate Record Examination) GRE is. And antonyms. And reading long, boring essays. And writing a couple of long, boring essays of your own. Some schools require it, some don’t — though they won’t discourage you from submitting your scores if you feel so inclined. Take a GRE “class” if you want, which is basically going to teach you test-taking skills. Those test-taking skills could prove useful in the “big picture” I guess, as you try to BS your way through life. A good resource is also Cal Poly’s own library, where you can check out a GRE study guide, or have one sent to you via the interlibrary exchange system. Try to find a study guide that includes sample exams on a CD.
Remember, you can take the GRE more than once, but all of your previous scores will be sent to any university you apply to, if you choose to send your scores. Oh, and if you score a 900 and the university you are applying to does not require a GRE score, it would probably be in your best interest to keep the score to yourself. Maybe shelve it and break it out during a drunken game of poker amongst close friends … when you’re 40, married with kids and have pretty much given up on life.
Even if you are in the position to be choosy, graduate students are chosen by a selection committee, and though they are a significant portion of your package, having a spectacular GPA and GRE aren’t going to guarantee you anything. A multitude of factors are weighed, and the entire person is judged. Such factors include your work experience or resume, letters of reference, personal statement and personal experience.
Do you make a convincing argument of why you would be a positive asset to the program? Maybe one program sees you as such and another doesn’t. If it were easy to see exactly where you stand in the eyes of the program and amongst those you are competing with for a spot in that program, then choosing which program to apply to and get in would be easy. However, because it’s not that easy, and there are no guarantees in life, it would behoove you to find and apply to as many as programs that fit your academic needs as possible.
This can be especially nerve-wracking, particularly because you know it will be your first impression on the professors you will soon be applying to … and they will be sitting there, silently judging you. However, grow a pair and let those professors know exactly who you are and where you stand. They can highlight areas where you need to compensate, areas you should highlight and things that will require some explainin’. Don’t be afraid of laying it all out there, the good, the bad and the ugly — they are going to see it all soon anyway, and their bullshit detectors are pretty well calibrated. Remember, they are there to help. That’s why they gave up those lavish salaries outside academia … right?
In all seriousness (one last time), and not to sound like Dr. Phil, nothing is out of reach. Don’t let anyone tell you no, and don’t be afraid to knock down any door (or break any window) to get what you’re after. Obstacles are only there to see how much you really want it, and you’ll only have yourself to blame for quitting once the going gets tough.