Grad School, Maybe

Graduate School
1

<p>So here's the deal. I'm almost 30, I make no money, and I'm kind of miserable at my job. I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life when I graduated high school, I had no idea when I graduated college, and I still have no idea. I'm thinking Grad School - probably a terrible idea, right?</p>

<p>I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Psychology from a not very highly ranked liberal arts college (higher than 50, lower than 100). I picked Psychology because I needed a major and I liked the classes, but I decided quickly that I didn't want to be a therapist. I was told that it didn't really matter what I majored in, as long as I had a degree. I was dumb enough to believe it.</p>

<p>So, I graduated jobless, directionless, and penniless, so I went back to a summer job as a teller so that I could pay my student loans. Over 7 years (and 4 low level positions) later, I am still in at the bank, now as a pseudo administrative assistant (who is bored out her mind most days). </p>

<p>I'm not one of those people who has to make a ton of money to feel successful, but I want to be able to live my life without fear of being able to pay my rent. I'm single, so I have to support myself for the immediate future. I want to be able to travel.</p>

<p>So after all that, what is my question? Well, I'll take any advice that anyone can offer. I still don't know what I want to do with life, but I'm starting to think that I will never figure it out. I cannot really afford to do a ton of undergraduate prereqs unless I get a better job. I'm willing to go into some debt for grad school, but not so much that I will be paying it off for decades. </p>

<p>So, is there any place in grad school for the undecided? Obviously, I wouldn't tell the school about my serious lack of direction - I would pick a field and go for it whole-heartedly</p>

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<p>No, there isn’t.</p>

<p>You’re not going to even be admitted to any worthwhile graduate program unless you can articulate why you are pursuing post-baccalaureate studies. That’s the point of the Statement of Purpose, a required element of effectively every graduate admissions process.</p>

<p>In graduate school, you don’t “pick a field” - you <em>apply</em> to a specific field. Your application is specifically directed to one particular program and is reviewed by faculty within that program. There’s no “undecided” option.</p>

<p>Sounds like you should seek out career counseling - perhaps the LAC you graduated from offers such services to its alumni. Check it out.</p>

3

<p>@ polarscribe - Believe me, if there were an option to go to Grad School undecided, I would have done it a long time ago. I guess that my (terrible) plan is to pick a field, spend some time becoming passionate about it and then just going for it.</p>

<p>I’m just kind of grasping at straws here. I’m unhappy in my career (which was an accident) and I have no idea how to get myself out. I don’t actually feel qualified for any job I might want, so going back to school seems like the logical option.</p>

<p>As for career counseling - you are right, but I’ve done it several times before and had no luck. I appreciate you taking the time to respond, though (and for the reality check)</p>

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<p>I was in a very similar situation a few years ago. If you’re not sure what you’re interested in I recommend taking the Strong Interest Inventory. I was surprised at the results because it was science heavy and I had never really been interested in science before. It turns out I just wasn’t paying enough attention. I took one chemistry class at community college, got hooked, quit my job, and went back to school full time to get another B.S. It may not work for everybody but it absolutely worked for me. I just wish I had taken the test sooner so I wasn’t 36 and taking classes with 20 year olds.</p>