posted
Just because I'm thinking about going to grad school again, here's a little survey for all the jatraqueros that did go or are going to grad school...
1. What field are/were you in? 2. What level are/were you going for? (Masters, PhD, etc.) 3. Why? (You wanted job X, you were avoiding having to take job X, God told you to, etc.) 4. If you finished, what job do you have now?
Edit: 5. Also, was it the same area your undergraduate degree was in?
posted
I got an MA in Teaching and Leadership. That was the official title for it, but actually it was an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language. As I was wrapping up my BA, I realized that I had no idea what I was going to do to support myself once I graduated (a Classical Antiquities degree doesn't open up that many doors, I'm afraid). A friend of mine suggested teaching ESL, but recommended that if I did it, I get an MA in it, as it would make me much more marketable.
I'm glad I went into the program, since I met my wife there, but it didn't do me any good either academically (it was a cake walk--I worked much, much harder getting my BA than I did my MA) or career-wise.
After I gave up on ESL I got into computers, and now work as a network administrator. I continued to teach ESL via an outreach program for a few years after I went into computers, because I really enjoy teaching, but other than that I haven't really used the degree much at all.
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I plan on going to grad school just because I like college and don't want a real job. Is that acceptable?
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posted
I don't know whether it's acceptible or not, but it's pretty common. I know I found the idea of another couple of years of school pretty appealing. If I were to win the lottery, or suddenly come into possession of a fortune some other way, I'd almost certainly become a lifelong, part time, non-degree seeking student (part time because I'd also spend a lot of time traveling).
posted
Amen, Noeman. That's exactly what I would do if I were the Microsoft princess. *dreams*
Annie, it's fine. It is most assuredly your life. I would say one thing, though - to be sure that what you are doing (whatever it is: degree, job, traveling) is part of the eventual life that you want, and not a vacation before you start that life. Grad school can be either. Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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2. What level are/were you going for? (Masters, PhD, etc.)
Masters
3. Why? (You wanted job X, you were avoiding having to take job X, God told you to, etc.)
I didn't want to continue down my previous career path, at the time there was a lot of money and lots of options available to EEs
4. If you finished, what job do you have now?
I have a job directly related to my thesis research. I am a signal integrity engineer- basically I deal with RF and digital communications in myriad forms.
5. Also, was it the same area your undergraduate degree was in?
No- My BS was in Biology. My masters required a good bit of background classes before I really got started, but having a masters in a different field than my bachelors has in no way been a handicap and actually probably helps me stand out from other candidates for a job.
2. What level are/were you going for? (Masters, PhD, etc.)
I'm working toward my M.A. in Old Testament and then (at a different school) my M.Div and Ph.D (or D.Th., I haven't decided - it will depend on my eventual concentration).
3. Why?
Two reasons. Reason one is because it's what I've always loved and always wanted to do. I can't see investing that much of myself in anything else. Reason two is long and complex, so I'll skip it. ^_^
4. If you finished, what job do you have now?
Haven't finished yet, but my current job is unrelated. It doesn't even relate to my B.A.
5. Also, was it the same area your undergraduate degree was in?
Originally, yes. I started out a double major, B.A.'s in Bible and in Biblical languages. I changed later to English, so ultimately, no.
posted
1. What field are/were you in? ---Teaching 2. What level are/were you going for? (Masters, PhD, etc.) ---Masters 3. Why? ---I needed/wanted to get certified. I had worked in private schools. 4. If you finished, what job do you have now? ---I am a teacher in an altrenative ed. program in a middle school. I love it. I was an English major, and started teaching right out of college, in private schools. I did not have teacher certification, which is unnecessary in many private schools.(we had mentor teachers) I learned by teaching, and by watching other teachers. I did the official teacher training almost ten years later, and I am so glad I waited. I went into the Masters program and was able to get all the information I needed, because I was already a teacher.
[ September 30, 2003, 03:09 PM: Message edited by: Elizabeth ]
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1. MA Comp Lit/Teaching Certificate -- College Level Compostion
2. I'm stopping here although I've kicked around the idea of an MBA or MPA
3. Because I didn't know if I wanted to fully commit to a doctoral program -- the plan was that if I didn't, I would teach community college courses
4. Online editor (which is a fancy way of saying that I'm a managing editor/production assistant/copy editor all in one for Web and e-mail publications)
5. BA in English with German minor
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2. Level: Got my masters a year and a half ago, and am now working on my Ph.D.
3. Why? Because the idea of teaching music at a college level appealed to me, and in order to be a theorist, you HAVE to have a Ph.D. I was always going to be a musician; it just took the undergrad portion of my schooling to figure out that performance wasn't for me.
4. Haven't finished yet, but I will be a professor of music theory somewhere (preferably a nice small private college on the east coast...).
5. My undergraduate degree was also in theory, but that's fairly rare. In fact, my undergrad degree program doesn't actually exist anymore! I switched in the middle from cello performance to theory when I realized I was doing my theory homework with more gusto than I was practicing.
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1. Chemical/Bio Engineering 2. Got my PhD 3. Went because _____a. getting paid to go to school seemed like the ultimate scam. _____b. The job market was really weak in the mid 80s. _____c. I really want to do research and teach -- a PhD is required for these careers. _____d. I wanted to get into biotech and very little biotech was offered at the undergrad level in the 80s.
4. I'm now a professor at a R1 institution.
5. I got my BS in the same field.
[ October 01, 2003, 11:36 AM: Message edited by: The Rabbit ]
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Architecture / Business Administration (Focus on General Business)
2. What level are/were you going for? (Masters, PhD, etc.)
Masters / Masters
3. Why? (You wanted job X, you were avoiding having to take job X, God told you to, etc.)
I am getting the Masters of Arch because I wish to practice Architecture, and it requires a professional degree (and I felt that after more than five years, I should have something more than a bachelors) / The MBA is being pursued on the assumption that I might like to own my own firm in the future; and that Architect's have a horrible business sense, so I'm trying to aleviate that.
4. If you finished, what job do you have now?
I will finish both degrees in December. I do not currently have a job lined up, but it will be in Architecture.
5. Also, was it the same area your undergraduate degree was in?
Yes, as an undergrad I had also focused only on Architecture and Business Administration.
posted
My post got eaten yesterday . . . lessee if this thing works now!
quote: 1. What field are/were you in?
Literature.
quote:2. What level are/were you going for? (Masters, PhD, etc.)
I originally was going for a Ph.D.
quote:3. Why? (You wanted job X, you were avoiding having to take job X, God told you to, etc.)
I wanted Ph.D. because I knew I wanted to be a teacher, and my parents were university professors who had brought me up to believe that if you're going to be a teacher, being a professor is the way to go. This wasn't so much snobbiness on their part, but rather, a reaction to having been kicked around a lot in their careers. They both began as public high shool teachers, and jumped to the university level when computers started becoming important. They established a computer science programat a university, designing the curriculum and teaching many of the courses. At first, they essentially were the department. (This is around 1979 or so). As the years went by, the university started getting edgy about the fact that they didn't have PhDs in computer science, losing sight of the fact that there was no such thing as a Ph.D. in the field when they began! Eventually, they were forced out of the university level, as younger professors, of the generation that my parents first taught, came along. So they always had the thought that with a Ph.D., they would have been treated better. And, of course, professors make better money than high school teachers.
By the time I had completed my Master's coursework, though, I had figured out that there was no way on Earth I was getting a Ph.D. I decided I didn't want to be a university professor, because all the professors I saw taught maybe two classes a semester, and did research the rest of the time. Research in literature didn't interest me; I wanted to teach. I was also frickin sick of being in school (being a slav--er, a TA, will do that for you!) and I wanted out.
I also figured I would prefer to teach math than literature, because I was tired of having to defend grades, and math seemed less subjective to me. Actually, I would have taken a job doing either, but--suprise!--there were more jobs for math teachers, so that is what I are.
quote:4. If you finished, what job do you have now?
I teach high school math.
quote:5. Also, was it the same area your undergraduate degree was in?
Yes and no. My undergraduate degree was a double major in mathematics and literature, with minors in computer science and theology.
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1. Military 2. Masters 3. To be promotable in my field 4. A high-vis multinational staff job 5. Not quite, but generally related
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I tried really hard to convince myself I would be happy doing something else, but medicine kept pulling me back. Hopefully when all is said and done I will still feel that way. Right now, getting ready for a Pharmacology test on Friday, well, I am not so sure.
Not sure what I want to specialize in. I am trying to keep an open mind going into my rotations that start on the 20th of October (start of with Psych, so it should be interesting/fun).
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1. Civil Engineering - Geotechnical Specialization 2. Master's Degree 3. I didn't really feel like going to work straight out of undergrad, but as it would turn out, I think I just didn't want to admit I really didn't care for the subject matter. 4. I'm working as a civil engineer in the soils section for the US Army Corps of Engineers. 5. Did the same thing as an undergrad.
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Somebody at Hatrack studied experimental psychology but I don't remember who. I'd like to hear from them if they're reading this, as I'm considering graduate school in psychology right now (cognitive or developmental.)
On the other hand, I've also been looking at politics, philosophy, computer science, and teaching too so any advice in those areas would also be neat. Posts: 8120 | Registered: Jul 2000
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I didn't go to grad school and I have no plans to, but Dr.M was in grad school when we started dating and finished after we were married.
1. What field are/were you in?
Philosophy - legal ethics.
2. What level are/were you going for? (Masters, PhD, etc.)
Ph.D. and a J.D.
3. Why? (You wanted job X, you were avoiding having to take job X, God told you to, etc.)
He thought he wanted to be a lawyer, but hated law school. He loves philosophy and is an amazing teacher.
4. If you finished, what job do you have now?
He's a freelance item writer for for a number of standardized tests, including the PSAT, SAT, GMAT, and several state standardized tests. Very, very lucrative. He's also applying for tenure-track positions right now.
Edit: 5. Also, was it the same area your undergraduate degree was in?
Yep - he was a double major in Philosophy and Psych, with a math minor. He started out majoring in engineering.
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I would say one thing, though - to be sure that what you are doing (whatever it is: degree, job, traveling) is part of the eventual life that you want, and not a vacation before you start that life. Grad school can be either. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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