End of College coming up, what to do next?
November 12, 2005 3:58 PM Subscribe
EndofCollegeLifeFilter: I will be graduating from college in the spring of next year. I am putting off graduate school for a year or two. Summer 2006 will be spent interning in Washington D.C. but what do I do after that? More below.
I have considered doing Ameri-Corp or the Peace Corp not only to give back something, but as well as to help pay down my school debt. Are there any other similiar programs that I don't know about?
I have considered doing Ameri-Corp or the Peace Corp not only to give back something, but as well as to help pay down my school debt. Are there any other similiar programs that I don't know about?
Response by poster: Good question Aknaton, in grad school I'll be pursuing a masters in history with an emphasis on early byzantine empire.
posted by nosophoros at 4:23 PM on November 12, 2005
posted by nosophoros at 4:23 PM on November 12, 2005
You could apply for a Fulbright Scholarship to go study/teach english in Turkey or some other country that touches on what you want to do in grad school.
posted by nyterrant at 4:51 PM on November 12, 2005
posted by nyterrant at 4:51 PM on November 12, 2005
I'd second nyterrant's advice to take the chance and *get out there* doing something in the working world related to what you want to do.
Getting your nose down in academia too early is a good way to miss out on a lot of potential connections.
posted by anthill at 5:38 PM on November 12, 2005
Getting your nose down in academia too early is a good way to miss out on a lot of potential connections.
posted by anthill at 5:38 PM on November 12, 2005
I personally think I got a lot more out of grad school having worked for a little bit beforehand. I had better perspective, better appreciation for the whole academia thing and had much better direction post-grad school compared to my friends who didn't have some sort of experience in the working world.
If you can't find any work in the field you're interested in, have you considered some sort of regular volunteer gig? (although it doesn't sound like your financial situation would allow that)
What about being a substitute teacher? That would fufill your whole giving back while earning $$ requirment.
posted by awegz at 5:45 PM on November 12, 2005
If you can't find any work in the field you're interested in, have you considered some sort of regular volunteer gig? (although it doesn't sound like your financial situation would allow that)
What about being a substitute teacher? That would fufill your whole giving back while earning $$ requirment.
posted by awegz at 5:45 PM on November 12, 2005
p.s. and who knows -- some really cool opportunity may pop up as a result of your summer internship.
posted by awegz at 5:54 PM on November 12, 2005
posted by awegz at 5:54 PM on November 12, 2005
Study languages. Unless you already have all the myriad languages you would require for Byzantine history (Modern German and French as well as the historic languages, or at least that is what all of my medievalist friends are expected to know). In which case, I would still go somewhere I could practice them. There is no time in graduate school to learn or practice languages.
posted by jb at 5:58 PM on November 12, 2005
posted by jb at 5:58 PM on November 12, 2005
All right, maybe I lied. Maybe my advice doesn't actually differ.
My advice is to apply to grad schools now, without volunteering that you want to do something else for a while, then pull a bait and switch.
The opportunity cost, if you e.g. decide in a few months that you do want to go directly into a grad program and not leave for a couple of years, hugely outweighs the cost of application.
If you stick to your current plan, then after you're accepted you can say "Is it okay if I take a year off first?" If they say no, well, forget them and you've only lost the application fee.
Mainly I emphasize this because in my field (math) there is a huge, well-earned, bias against people who have been out a couple of years rather than going straight to math grad school. Unlike business school or something, there is essentially no value to being in the working world for a while before going to math grad school; rather it's a very good sign that if allowed to enter a grad program, you won't be sufficiently motivated to finish.
Anyway, mainly, think in terms of the opportunity costs measured in years of your life, and take what steps you can to put off making big decisions until you have to.
posted by Aknaton at 8:08 PM on November 12, 2005
My advice is to apply to grad schools now, without volunteering that you want to do something else for a while, then pull a bait and switch.
The opportunity cost, if you e.g. decide in a few months that you do want to go directly into a grad program and not leave for a couple of years, hugely outweighs the cost of application.
If you stick to your current plan, then after you're accepted you can say "Is it okay if I take a year off first?" If they say no, well, forget them and you've only lost the application fee.
Mainly I emphasize this because in my field (math) there is a huge, well-earned, bias against people who have been out a couple of years rather than going straight to math grad school. Unlike business school or something, there is essentially no value to being in the working world for a while before going to math grad school; rather it's a very good sign that if allowed to enter a grad program, you won't be sufficiently motivated to finish.
Anyway, mainly, think in terms of the opportunity costs measured in years of your life, and take what steps you can to put off making big decisions until you have to.
posted by Aknaton at 8:08 PM on November 12, 2005
JB nails it--go to Turkey and learn some languages. In your spare time, read promiscuously, especially literature, this will come in handy later on in academia. History grad school is very unlike math, apparently, taking a few years off before grad school is expected and preferred.
posted by LarryC at 8:25 PM on November 12, 2005
posted by LarryC at 8:25 PM on November 12, 2005
in grad school I'll be pursuing a masters in history with an emphasis on early byzantine empire.
You probably know this, but just in case: for academic areas (like history, as opposed to professional areas, like business), (most?) good schools don't offer a masters degree option, just a PhD. A masters degree from such schools is an interim or early exit degree.
It's not clear WHY you want a masters degree in an area that isn't likely to help you find a job. If you aren't interested in a PhD (which, by the way, is no guarantee at all of a tenure position; there are far more social science PhDs than available faculty position), then why not do history as an avocation?
posted by WestCoaster at 10:24 PM on November 12, 2005
You probably know this, but just in case: for academic areas (like history, as opposed to professional areas, like business), (most?) good schools don't offer a masters degree option, just a PhD. A masters degree from such schools is an interim or early exit degree.
It's not clear WHY you want a masters degree in an area that isn't likely to help you find a job. If you aren't interested in a PhD (which, by the way, is no guarantee at all of a tenure position; there are far more social science PhDs than available faculty position), then why not do history as an avocation?
posted by WestCoaster at 10:24 PM on November 12, 2005
Response by poster: I can't apply for a fulbright scholarship they are only available to scholars, those with Phds. The idea of going to turkey though is a good one.
I'm torn between my two great desires really. Scholarly work and Journalism. I can't think of a good way to combine the two, yet. Thanks for the ideas so far. If you can keep more coming, that would be fantastic!
posted by nosophoros at 12:25 AM on November 13, 2005
I'm torn between my two great desires really. Scholarly work and Journalism. I can't think of a good way to combine the two, yet. Thanks for the ideas so far. If you can keep more coming, that would be fantastic!
posted by nosophoros at 12:25 AM on November 13, 2005
I'm torn between my two great desires really. Scholarly work and Journalism.
That was exactly me 15 years ago. Journalism pays even less than academics, but takes less preparation and has more employment opportunities. Give it a try first.
posted by LarryC at 10:49 PM on November 14, 2005
That was exactly me 15 years ago. Journalism pays even less than academics, but takes less preparation and has more employment opportunities. Give it a try first.
posted by LarryC at 10:49 PM on November 14, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
I ask because my advice will differ drastically by program.
posted by Aknaton at 4:13 PM on November 12, 2005