I guess I am also talking about the importance of work experience as a rule, not just "to get into grad school", although it is a bonus IMO. I think as a rule it would be difficult to get a job in "sociology" without the degree as you mentioned. There are lots of related jobs, but not too many that specific. I know you are disappointed too about not getting in straight out of undergrad but that doesn't mean you won't get in, and sometimes it is a good thing to take the time off and not focus on school. Besides, I was the youngest for the most part in all of my classes and I started grad school when I was 25, graduated at 28. The average age of the entering grad student I have read is between 27-32. Since I took classes for the most part with people who worked and used their job as their placement, most students were more like 40 and 50 years-old in my classes. I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason and I think that if I went into grad school directly out of undergrad, which was my initial plan, I wouldn't be where I am today, or as successful in my field as I feel I am at this point in time. I also recently had dinner with my first year field instructor and she told me she actually prefers and has requested "older" students with work experience to supervise because they are easier to work with for the most part in her opinion due to their experiences outside of undergrad. Take some time to yourself over the next few months and enjoy your last year of school. It goes by way too quickly and you will wish you spent more time focused on that then on grad school.
