<p>Friend's daughter is graduating in Dec. doesn't know what she wants to do. Mom thinks she should go to grad school to decide. I asked what would she study in grad school if she doesn't know what she wants to do.I've suggested the college career office.</p>
<p>any other suggestions?</p>
<p>Ask to visit/shadow/interview professionals in areas of interest to get a sense of what their work lives are like? Join the Peace Corps/other volunteer organization? Do temp work?</p>
<p>Career office might help with personality/aptitude tests, interest surveys, etc. There are also private career counselors who offer similar services.</p>
<p>“Mom thinks she should go to grad school to decide”</p>
<p>Can you explain to her that grad school is not like undergrad school. One needs to be specific when going through the grad school application process. She can’t simply write a Statement of Purpose expressing that she wants to attend a specific grad school program to find herself.
The Statement of Purpose needs to be concise and should include a specific area of interest regarding research and future employment. </p>
<p>Here’s an idea: If the daughter has not graduated yet, why not have her consider dropping one required class now so she won’t be forced to graduate in December. Let her stay for the Spring semester and use that semester to explore different courses.</p>
<p>She should also sit down with her academic advisor and talk about her lack of direction. Maybe the advisor has a few ideas on different directions she can take regarding employment. She should also sit down with one or two of her “favorite” professors and talk about ideas for her future.</p>
<p>I don’t think people should go to grad school to find their selves. Grad school is not the place to go to figure out what you want to do. Grad school is (or should be) a highly focused deep dive into a specific area. It’s where you go when you’ve figured out what you want to do and you’re ready to make a serious commitment to pursuing it. </p>
<p>Going to an undergraduate school to expose yourself to different fields, explore your interests and explore options before you’ve committed yourself to one direction or another–that can be a very useful and rewarding endeavor. Going to graduate school to find yourself–HUGE mistake, I think.</p>
<p>Take the Briggs/Meyer. Consider what grad school makes sense. PM me if you’d like and i can send you a helpful site on the “Holland Code”. Also read What color is your parachute?</p>
<p>but grad school? decide first!</p>
<p>There is no way you can get accepted into grad school without knowing what you want to do.</p>
<p>thanks. that has pretty much been my “tough love” approach - the daughter should have graudated this May so I think putting it off until next May is not a good idea. Isn’t the Peace Corp competitive?. I mentioned that but also mentioned that I didn’t think most Peace Corp volunteers could call home daily. or e-mail. </p>
<p>mom mentioned a program her d heard about where you volunteer for a month, work two months aborad. called gap year. I said to check into it for the quality of the program - and to ask at the university. </p>
<p>I will also mention the aptiture testing. </p>
<p>thank you.</p>
<p>I third the idea of working with career center for interest/aptitude careers.</p>
<p>Possible idea is to arrange a job on campus, possibly in a research lab or with admissions. It would really help if she has some idea of her interests.</p>
<p>What is her undergrad major?</p>
<p>She should make herself useful until she figures it out. Peace Corps, City Year, etc., are good options. She’ll contribute important things, learn important things, and just maybe discover her passion and purpose.</p>
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<p>Nope…grad school is for students who KNOW what they want to study. The kiddos have to pick their major before they apply. Grad students apply to specific programs of study. </p>
<p>If a kiddo doesn’t have any idea what they want to do, in my opinion, they should NOT go to grad school. They should work or something (Peace Corps, or something like that works too) and get a better idea of how they want to spend their money on grad school.</p>
<p>What did this friend’s daughter do in undergrad school? Did she find a major she liked or any things of special interest to her?</p>
<p>the daughter had 3 minors in college, no major and is taking 4.5 years to graduate. after mom & I talked this morning. dad & mom emailed the d a big to-do list d panicked.
mom & I talked again and I had to mollify that it is hard for all kids right now etc etc </p>
<p>Peace corps is not an option - no cell phone no hair dryer won’t work (my own dd may well do peace corps - doesn’t need to blow dry hair, doesn’t need to call mom. has already learned how to go days without showering in study abroad.)</p>
<p>the d had taken an aptitude test a while back at school - said they said she’d be good at everything from dishwasher to senator…I mentioned the Holland Code to mom but suggested she google it as I wsn’t familiar with it. I think the parents are realizing that grad school isn’t really an option…and the d needs to find something between dishwasher and senator!</p>
<p>thanks to all who responded.</p>
<p>Does your friend realize that unless DD gets in a fully funded PhD program (and she would have to have a plan to get accepted in to one), on the off chance she did go to grad school, either they would be footing another bill or she would have massive debt? </p>
<p>If she is looking at a masters program most FA is in the form of loans. This is a very expensive undertaking for one to find themselves. Has she considered Vista, Americorps or TFA?</p>
<p>Anything but grad school, seriously.</p>
<p>How can this D graduate without a major? </p>
<p>If she’s one of those high-maintenance kids, she won’t do well in those service programs as they’re designed only to give bare basics, no luxuries and no extra spending money. Although one can have regular access to an electrical outlet in the US…</p>
<p>Stick her in the jungle with no electronics and one change of clothes for a year. She’ll become lower-maintenance all right.</p>
<p>The law schools of this country are full of people who went there because they had no idea what they really wanted to do. But grad school? No.</p>
<p>How can she graduate without a major? I didn’t think that was possible. Some colleges do allow you to create your own interdisciplinary major, I suppose.</p>
<p>Graduate school doesn’t make a lot of sense if she doesn’t know what she wants to do. Why not just try to find a job? The college career center should be able to help with that. Returning to graduate school in the future would always be an option. MBA programs, for example, prefer some work experience before you start.</p>
<p>The world doesn’t need any more professional students. She will get a masters, then still not know what to do. Then she’ll try law school, finish that and realize she doesn’t want to be a lawyer. 10 years of higher education and hundreds of thousands spent, and still no clue what she wants out of life. Hopefully by then she will have met a future husband who will be successful enough to take care of her. I see this all the time.</p>
<p>Maybe to find a Husband is her major task right now. I know a friend who went to a finishing school in England and returned home to marry a MD and they live happily ever after…lol</p>
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<p>First…are they sure she is going to graduate. I’ve never heard of a school that didn’t require a MAJOR to graduate, even if it’s “general studies”. In fact, I know of a couple of students who could NOT graduate until they fulfilled the requirements for a major…at a state university. Perhaps the parents should check this.</p>
<p>Also, if this kid is a super senior, why is the parent sending her a “to do list”? This kid should be making her OWN to do lists…or learning the hard knocks way what she needs to get done…or not.</p>
<p>And I do not agree that it is “hard for all kids right now”. I have a recent college grad. She doesn’t have a job yet but she has kept mighty busy…but then we didn’t coddle her through high school or college. We left her alone to mature and develop some responsibility. We talked to her once a week…briefly…not every day. Sorry…I can’t see how this kid’s life is so hard.</p>
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<p>I would NOT suggest the Peace Corps. The first step is an interview with a Peace Corps recruiter. These are very sharp individuals. I seriously doubt that this girl would get past the interview. AND yes…it is competitive. One of the first questions they asked my daughter was what her college MAJOR was.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, but this kid needs to grow up…and her parents need to let her do this. As this thread continues, it sounds more like the parents want her in grad school because she has NO IDEA what she is doing. To be honest, grad school is a waste of money. It shouldn’t be used as a “holding tank” for a student who hasn’t got a clue…and also sounds a bit indulged (what no cell phone or hair dryer??? Perish the thought).</p>
<p>I would suggest that the parents tell this gal, first to complete an undergrad major (grad school applications in the future may be a challenge without one. Then I would suggest that after she graduate, she get a job and a dose of the real working world without support from her parents.</p>