Graduate school is what you go to after you complete your bachelor’s at your four-year university. Now, the idea of doing more school after you already did 4 years seems a little crazy, but it has its benefits. At grad school, you can get your master’s or even sometimes get your doctorate. This is what most people should use graduate school for, but that’s not always the case. During my junior year, I really wanted to do my research on which graduate program would be the best for me, and I came to a conclusion on why I decided not to go to grad school.
In the beginning, I was focused on getting my master’s in communication or some form of degree along that pathway. I was looking into schools like OU, Mizzou, or possibly an HBCU program that offered to pay for your graduate school as long as you were an HBCU graduate. All of these were possibilities for me, but then I took time to think for a second and ponder. Do I really want to spend another two years in school after I’ve been so drained from four years?
In this moment, I came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to go to graduate school for the degree, but I wanted to go because I was afraid of going into the real world. Living on my own, paying rent, bills, having to find a stable job, and surviving. All these thoughts filled my head, and I was afraid of having to deal with reality, and I wanted a scapegoat to avoid the real world for two more years. That was the real reason why I wanted to go to grad school.
So now here I am, figuring out that I don’t want to go to graduate school for the correct reason, so what do I do? Well, I did 4 key things to help me be mentally prepared for when I graduate and go into the real world.
The first thing I did was talk with God. I am a very religious Christian, and at times when I don’t know where to go with life, I talk to God for advice and guidance to help me, and in that moment, when I asked him for help, he reminded me of who I am. I’ve already made so many connections and accomplished so many things in college without having a master’s or doctorate degree.
The second thing I did was talk to my parents about where my head was at and what I was deciding between. My parents gave me great advice by stating that I can always come back and do graduate school and that some jobs that you work at after your you graduate are willing to pay for your graduate school while you are still working with them. They helped me realize that I don’t need to feel pressure to get my masters now when I can always come back and get it later.
The third thing I did was talk with my advisor, Mr. Thompson. He helped me figure out my reason for going to graduate school. When we sat down and talked, he just asked me why I wanted to go to graduate school and what my plans were if I got there, and I realized that after he asked me the questions and I couldn’t give a valid answer to them, that made me realize that I was going to graduate school to escape from the real world.
The fourth and final thing I realized was that I had to self-reflect. Self-reflect over my college career so far up until this point, and I realized: when I first wanted to come to college, I didn’t come to be popular. I didn’t come to escape my environment. I didn’t come to get a master’s. I came to college to graduate with my bachelor’s, make my family proud, and start making my impact in the sports world. When I realized this, the answer to my questions became clear and obvious.
Now, this story is not to discourage anyone from attending graduate school. I’m just sharing my personal testimony and the mental battle I went through with myself to come to my decision. One last thing I want to leave you with is never forget the reason you came to college, and never forget your passion in life. If you can make an impact in this world with your bachelor’s, go for it. The world needs you a lot more than you think, and the impact you can make with a bachelor’s is way more than you’re probably thinking.
Joseph Dickson
Joseph Dickson is a senior broadcast journalism major.
