No Career Path --> Grad. School?! [Help a Transfer]

Graduate School
1

<p><em>Note: This will be long. Only those with patience are advised to read</em></p>

<p>It’s normally preferable for one to independently research the topics of “careers” or “post-colligate life” given the broad scope of educational options, economic factors, ROI, etc., but due to my immense lack of knowledge on these topics, I’ll have to defer to a CC posting as I seriously need help. </p>

<p>My first two years of college were comprised of taking inconsequential classes due to a poor registration day and budget reductions (which resulted in courses such as The Chicano Child, The Psychology of the Deaf, et al). It became obvious during the second semester of my freshman year that transferring to a more rigorous university was in order. This should have been a relatively straight forward process aside from the fact that I had attended *four *different high schools and had selected my current university due to its proximity. My family was in the military and although education was stressed the transition from schools took primacy over researching universities for the future. Fast forward to college and I began the infamous college search not unlike a high school junior. I basically knew nothing of college (What is this PSAT thing? What is an International Baccalaureate? LAC? Large university? Is this a "reach school"? What is a career center? Wait, was my high school a competitive or a sandbox school? Alumni…why does that matter?).</p>

<p>After overcoming my initial ignorance I took the SAT for the first time at 20 (scoring 2150: 780 Reading, 780 Essay + 590 Math), received glowing references and earned a 3.93 cumulative GPA. Finally, after two long years in a third-tier university, I transferred. However, unlike other students who spent the first two years of college discovering career paths and gathering contacts for internships, I researched like a high school student and had no time to allocate to typical post-college planning. </p>

<p>Basically, I’ve moved into to a new highly ranked university as a History major; obviously I am not painting myself as a pragmatic individual since I am a humanities major. The basic transfer process took up all my time and now as a junior in college I have no idea of what I want to do with my life. In truth, the decision to major in History was a default because it was a relatively non-impacted major. I have no intention of becoming a professor, nor receiving a PhD in it. I cannot change my major at this time.</p>

<p>Which brings me to the actual point of this essay: What steps would you recommend that I take in order to decide on a career path, graduate school, etc.? I purchased other books which consistently present a predetermined timeline running from frosh. to senior year in what each colligate should do to maximize his or her marketability and ultimately determine a career choice. There seems to be a noticeable gap for those who have not had a “dream career” since high school or do not comply with the archetypal student. I’ve already set up a meeting with the career counselor at my new university, though I am hesitant to announce “Hey, you accepted my to your university but I have no idea what to do with my life!” </p>

<p>I’m not writing this as a plea for attention as I am hoping to determine some information from alumni, students, or those in administration. I have looked at some grad schools that sound excellent, such as Cornell’s ILR which almost seems like a business oriented liberal arts degree. However, does one select a career path and then grad school? Or grad school first? And how does one discover what they want to do at all!? All I can say is that I’ll be as academically masochistic as is possible while attempting to get a 3.7+… but beyond that I would love any advice.</p>

2

<p>You select a general career path first, then attend graduate school. Graduate school is advanced, specialized and focused learning in a particular field, ultimately involving the creation of original knowledge within the discipline.</p>

<p>If you go to graduate school for history, you’re not going to become a chemist.</p>

3

<p>I dont know if your college has a career counseling office, but if the do you should go check it out. I worked in mine sophomore year and they were really good at helping people. We would have 15 or 20 students a day come in that had no idea what they wanted to do with their lives. Many found the answer. I personally found 2 or 3 new jobs every week that sounded awesome, if you can get a job in the office it might help you like it did me.</p>

4

<p>You may be surprised by how many students don’t know what they want to do when they graduate. Get your degree in history. Get a job. Often career paths crystallize with time or opportunity. </p>

<p>BowTieFratty has an excellent suggestion to find out what kind of employment is available to someone with your skills and temperament. Especially at top universities, the career services office can be a deciding factor; they give workshops, host recruiters, help with resume writing and interviewing, keep lists of job opportunities, etc. You may not like your first job, but even that will be helpful in the long run because you’ll be able to know what to avoid with the next.</p>

<p>As Polarscribe said, graduate school is for when you know what you want to do. That can come later.</p>

5

<p>Are you able to pick up a minor? It doesn’t have to be 100% related to history, but you should see if you can pick up a “marketable” (ie: job-grabbing) minor.</p>

<p>Some ideas, given that you seem humanities-based:
Journalism
Digital Media
(Digital/online) Marketing/Advertising
Economics
An “in demand” foreign language (government jobs!)
Business/Entrepreneurship
Population studies
Social work</p>

<p>I don’t know what school you go to, but if you tell us, I can look at a list of the majors offered and maybe give you some better ideas!</p>