Taking Time off Before Graduate School?

[Xylochick216]

It really depends on what's typical for your program. My masters program admitted two students who went straight through and fourteen of us with experience. You could easily tell who had "real-world experience" and who could add to discussions. They were also the last two to find jobs upon graduation. They, like the poster above, received two degrees in two years (gotta love the one-year Masters) but they had no job experience to speak of in interviews aside from their assistantship.

[ProBlack]

Originally Posted by Xylochick216

It really depends on what's typical for your program. My masters program admitted two students who went straight through and fourteen of us with experience. You could easily tell who had "real-world experience" and who could add to discussions. They were also the last two to find jobs upon graduation. They, like the poster above, received two degrees in two years (gotta love the one-year Masters) but they had no job experience to speak of in interviews aside from their assistantship.

thats the thing im worried about...my prof has been pushing me to apply for a phd program (im about to get my ba) instead of a masters bc they are more likely to pay for you to go to school and give a stipend if you are getting your phd...but that means i wont get the "real world" work exp.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by ProBlack

thats the thing im worried about...my prof has been pushing me to apply for a phd program (im about to get my ba) instead of a masters bc they are more likely to pay for you to go to school and give a stipend if you are getting your phd...but that means i wont get the "real world" work exp.

Is this a combined Masters/Doctorate kind of thing?

[ProBlack]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

You can go from a BA to a Ph. D. program?

Is this a combined Masters/Doctorate kind of thing?

yea...ive seen a number of programs that are like this at least in the history and sociology fields...

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by ProBlack

only one year?? how many credit are you taking per semester??

She probably is doing a BS/MS program or something similar.

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

You can go from a BA to a Ph. D. program?

Is this a combined Masters/Doctorate kind of thing?

From what I hear, it's actually not that uncommon. Quite a few holders of masters degrees actually got them in the process of doing a doctorate.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

From what I hear, it's actually not that uncommon. Quite a few holders of masters degrees actually got them in the process of doing a doctorate.

I know this is typical for Clinical Psychology. When I started my first Master's program, I hadn't done my research well and found out afterward that my school didn't have a PhD program and any of the PhD programs in the area were going to make me essentially re-do my whole Masters if I went for the PhD. My daughter came along unexpectedly so it all became a moot point, but I was NOT happy initially when I found out I couldn't just go do a PhD later at some point.

[socalGPhiB]

Originally Posted by LttleMsPrEp

Is there really a difference between taking a year off to pay off debt, travel, write a great American novel, etc and deciding to go straight to graduate school.

I think taking time off between undergrad and grad school is a personal choice and really depends on what you want to do and how you feel. If you're burnt out, not quite sure what program you want to go to, or aren't in a financial situation to start grad school, taking time off may be the best bet. However, if you plan to go to grad school, remember that most take into account what you did during the time you were away (it's not a huge factor, but I believe it carries some weight when they look at your application). I personally took time off after school since I didn't know what I wanted to do, and now I'm working for a start up and I love it.

Also, just to give you some motivation, my friend from high school graduated with a Poli. Sci. degree and decided to take two years off. In that time, she worked in the justice system, got experience, and took her LSATs. She applied last year, and is now a law student at Univ. of Washington (her first choice school). She's also a SK

Originally Posted by ProBlack

thats the thing im worried about...my prof has been pushing me to apply for a phd program (im about to get my ba) instead of a masters bc they are more likely to pay for you to go to school and give a stipend if you are getting your phd...but that means i wont get the "real world" work exp.

I think you also need to consider what type of graduate education you want to pursue. From what I learned, PhD programs are geared towards research, theoretical learning, and higher education positions such as being a professor. Masters programs are geared towards real-world experience, and prepare you for positions in for-profit (and non-profit) companies (rather than universities). You shouldn't go for a PhD just because of the money... also, grad. student stipends can include teaching or research assistant positions during your education that are required.

[Munchkin03]

I was one of those people who went straight through to graduate school after undergrad. I wish I had taken some time off.

Why did I go straight through? For one, I thought the economy was pretty bad my senior year in college, and knew that I might have a hard time finding a job period, let alone in my field. Secondly, I listened to my father, who insisted that going straight through would be the best option. Third, I knew a Master's would be the only way I could be taken seriously in my field.

My graduate program is essentially a cash cow with a high acceptance rate and I didn't see it as being especially challenging. In some ways, I found my HS curriculum to be more intellectually rigorous! My classmates were, for the most part, nowhere near as prepared for graduate work as I had expected. Even though I had taken similar classes and had a lot of work experience, they wouldn't let us place out of any of the classes. As a result, for most of the first year, I ended up being bored out of my gourd. I was pretty burnt out after four years of college, and twelve years of hard work in order to get into college. So, I was not nearly engaged as I thought I would have been, but if I had actually worked in the field for a year or two, I would have been even more disenchanted with the experience.

Luckily, I had worked during summers and semesters in my field, so although I ended up going straight through, I had more experience than most of my classmates, even those a few years older than I am. I was one of the first people to have a job; I also had no problem getting an internship (which was required during the summer). Finding subsequent jobs hasn't proved to be a problem, either.

So, the decision to take time off, or go straight through, is a really personal decision. I would recommend, though, that you find out how necessary a Master's is in your field before charging right through. In some fields, experience is more valuable.

[starang21]

i went straight through.

kicked it hard in undergrad and in grad school. grad school was my way of avoiding the real world and continuing to act like a jackass. and boy did i ever.

LOL.

i think it's better to go straight through. i wouldn't have been able to give up that constant paycheck as a professional.