Exhausted with school but have to decide about M.A. program
April 9, 2015 10:39 AM Subscribe
I got into an M.A. program and I only have 4 more days to decide whether I want to do it.
The thing is, I am already in a graduate diploma program and it is the end of semester and I am swamped with work and exhausted and depressed. So I am not in a good state of mind to make this decision.
This is in the province of Quebec where there is the cheapest tuition in North america (I think) and government bursaries are very generous for independent students in graduate studies. So financially it wouldn't be a terrible decision ( I wouldn't have to take on too much debt).
Emotionally I just don't feel in a good place to make the decision right now because my gut is telling me to get out of academia. I may feel completely different in 2 weeks time, but it will be too late by then.
Any suggestions on how to make this decision?
Is asking to defer going to be perceived as flaky?
The thing is, I am already in a graduate diploma program and it is the end of semester and I am swamped with work and exhausted and depressed. So I am not in a good state of mind to make this decision.
This is in the province of Quebec where there is the cheapest tuition in North america (I think) and government bursaries are very generous for independent students in graduate studies. So financially it wouldn't be a terrible decision ( I wouldn't have to take on too much debt).
Emotionally I just don't feel in a good place to make the decision right now because my gut is telling me to get out of academia. I may feel completely different in 2 weeks time, but it will be too late by then.
Any suggestions on how to make this decision?
Is asking to defer going to be perceived as flaky?
If you say yes now, but you change your mind before the start of the program, what happens then? Would that buy you a few weeks time to make a sound decision?
posted by vunder at 10:43 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by vunder at 10:43 AM on April 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
A little more info might help here. (What's your field? Is it necessary for you to have a Masters to do what you think you might want to?)
But, generally speaking, I think it's good advice to listen to your gut. I took some time off and worked for four years before I went back for an MA and it was an excellent move. I was a lot clearer about what I wanted and a lot less burned out.
Frankly, now that I've done it, I am totally burned out and definitely not going into academia (although I'm in the humanities, which may not apply to you). I'm still figuring out my career path now.
And I was lucky to get my MA fully funded, so I didn't go into debt at all.
I think seeing if you can defer is a fine idea - and again, YMMV, since my circumstances are not yours, of course.
But trusting your gut is never a bad thing.
posted by bookgirl18 at 10:49 AM on April 9, 2015
But, generally speaking, I think it's good advice to listen to your gut. I took some time off and worked for four years before I went back for an MA and it was an excellent move. I was a lot clearer about what I wanted and a lot less burned out.
Frankly, now that I've done it, I am totally burned out and definitely not going into academia (although I'm in the humanities, which may not apply to you). I'm still figuring out my career path now.
And I was lucky to get my MA fully funded, so I didn't go into debt at all.
I think seeing if you can defer is a fine idea - and again, YMMV, since my circumstances are not yours, of course.
But trusting your gut is never a bad thing.
posted by bookgirl18 at 10:49 AM on April 9, 2015
I think taking on graduate work when you're not 100% invested is typically a bad idea, especially if you are taking on debt (and it sounds like you'd be taking on some). More than that, though, you just sound really burned out on school. It sounds like it would be great for you to get a year or two of non-academic experience under your belt before (possibly) deciding to take on more schooling -- and, because you'd have had some time to recharge, you would probably benefit much more from the experience.
So yes, definitely ask about deferring. But also consider that if you got in now, you can always apply again in the future with even more experience and a degree under your belt, so it's not like turning this down is saying "Never again."
posted by rainbowbrite at 10:50 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
So yes, definitely ask about deferring. But also consider that if you got in now, you can always apply again in the future with even more experience and a degree under your belt, so it's not like turning this down is saying "Never again."
posted by rainbowbrite at 10:50 AM on April 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Agree with bookgirl18 that it would be helpful to know your field, OP.
I did an MA in a social sciences discipline and finished in 2009. When I entered, my plan was to get a PhD and teach. By the time I finished, my gut was screaming at me to get out of academia. I did, and I have no doubt it was the right decision. Even though I really enjoyed my program (and was funded and living in NL with low tuition), it did absolutely nothing for me professionally. I am in a completely unrelated field now and making good money. From a purely financial standpoint, I would have been better off walking away with the BA and having another three years of work experience and earnings under my belt.
posted by futureisunwritten at 11:02 AM on April 9, 2015
I did an MA in a social sciences discipline and finished in 2009. When I entered, my plan was to get a PhD and teach. By the time I finished, my gut was screaming at me to get out of academia. I did, and I have no doubt it was the right decision. Even though I really enjoyed my program (and was funded and living in NL with low tuition), it did absolutely nothing for me professionally. I am in a completely unrelated field now and making good money. From a purely financial standpoint, I would have been better off walking away with the BA and having another three years of work experience and earnings under my belt.
posted by futureisunwritten at 11:02 AM on April 9, 2015
Response by poster: My field is media studies. I have 2 years of work experience in junior roles in a media organization. This degree will not necessarily make me more money, but will go a long way in fulfilling my career and artistic goals. In media, having artistic background is a necessity and I think this might be the rare humanities M.A. that is relevant to the workforce. It has a major project option in which you can produce a media text (in my case, documentary film) which gives you access to technical equipment and expertise that you would not have going alone.
posted by winterportage at 11:04 AM on April 9, 2015
posted by winterportage at 11:04 AM on April 9, 2015
Defer if you're not up for it right now - not weird to ask - or apply again later. You won't get anything from this if you're burned out and depressed.
(Does this degree have a studio component, or is it entirely academic [which it sounds like it might be]? The masters' programs that seem to have been most useful to friends in the arts have been practice-based, for the most part - MFAs - and mostly so [they've said] because of the formal space provided for making connections and collaborating with peers. For communications jobs, either just a BA with experience or a qualification in professional communication [PR; journalism, but less so these days] seems to have been most useful.) ah on preview, major project option available, ok, yes, sorry
posted by cotton dress sock at 11:12 AM on April 9, 2015
(Does this degree have a studio component, or is it entirely academic [which it sounds like it might be]? The masters' programs that seem to have been most useful to friends in the arts have been practice-based, for the most part - MFAs - and mostly so [they've said] because of the formal space provided for making connections and collaborating with peers. For communications jobs, either just a BA with experience or a qualification in professional communication [PR; journalism, but less so these days] seems to have been most useful.) ah on preview, major project option available, ok, yes, sorry
posted by cotton dress sock at 11:12 AM on April 9, 2015
Are you excited to start a MA?
Yes = fuckit, lets do this shit!
Maybe = if status quo is ok, keep going, think more about it
Maybe = if status quo is NOT ok, what's the money like? MUCH less = no, little less = maybe
No = no, what the heck are you thinking?
You don't sound like someone who's going to starve and have to dumpster-dive for clothing if any your plans don't work out. You have the freedom, take the risk - if you judge the risk/reward worthwhile.
Don't ask metafilter if you should do anything. Ask metafilter what you should evaluate to make a decision to do a thing.
posted by porpoise at 12:56 AM on April 10, 2015
Yes = fuckit, lets do this shit!
Maybe = if status quo is ok, keep going, think more about it
Maybe = if status quo is NOT ok, what's the money like? MUCH less = no, little less = maybe
No = no, what the heck are you thinking?
You don't sound like someone who's going to starve and have to dumpster-dive for clothing if any your plans don't work out. You have the freedom, take the risk - if you judge the risk/reward worthwhile.
Don't ask metafilter if you should do anything. Ask metafilter what you should evaluate to make a decision to do a thing.
posted by porpoise at 12:56 AM on April 10, 2015
The followup question is; do you understand what it takes/means to start and qualify for a masters degree? ... and what a Master's degree is worth in your field? From the school that you get the degree from.
posted by porpoise at 1:00 AM on April 10, 2015
posted by porpoise at 1:00 AM on April 10, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 10:43 AM on April 9, 2015