To preface this post, I want to explain the context behind my thoughts. When I am feeling strongly about something, I like to write poetically. Normally on these posts, I write about my daily work but I decided the best way to sort through my thoughts was by writing, and that I might as well post what I have written instead of yet another daily schedule. Another note, I actually wrote this last week and have taken some more time to compose my thoughts.
I have had some major enlightenments. Honestly, the past 24 hours has been filled with philosophical revelations. Maybe its all the caffeine in this Matcha latte. I also get hyper and my eyes get real big when I’m excited about something. Meriem said she expects me to just start shaking because I seem so hyper.
My *new and improved* thoughts about grad school.
- My original plan (that I invented about 3 weeks ago while here at ISU) was to switch my major to a Software Engineering BS/MS program. At RIT, most bachelors are five year programs except my current major, HCC, which is four years. If I was going to add one more year to my undergrad, I might as well stay for an extra one and get a masters out of it. So that would be six more years there, seven total. Then I would apply to grad school at the VRAC and etc. Get a master in HCI+some interesting concentration I find. Then get a PhD because I love learning.
- I don’t plan on teaching, I just want to do this because I am enjoying my time here at the REU.
Why I wanted 2 masters and PhD
- I want to learn
- I am curious and saw masters programs as a way to satisfy that curiosity
- It wouldn’t be that hard to just do one more year at RIT for masters SE, then go get a masters and PhD somewhere else.
- In my mind, 2 masters sounded impressive
Jack and others have convinced me to not do 3 grad school programs, and here are some things I’ve been thinking about…
- Maybe don’t get two masters? No more 5+1, masters, then PhD.
- 2 PhDs is different than 2 masters.
- Lots more degrees wont get you a better pay rate.
- People can be bad at what they do, even if they have a PhD.
- You can learn some/most content in a Masters program by yourself? Maybe?
- Bachelors is learning how you learn, Masters encourages you to learn how to teach yourself, PhD is to apply to “learning to teach and learn” to do research.
- PhD is very open ended. Get more PhDs instead of masters.
- It is okay and normal to do a Bachelors, then PhD. This is not a bad thing.
- Doing a masters and PhD all in one is a cool thing to do.
That’s mostly all I can think of right now. I will continue to sort through my thoughts.
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I have decided that I will not do two masters programs. On one hand, I love learning (pro for 2 masters) but I don’t want to burn out (con for 2 masters). Once I have my mind set on a new height, it is very hard for me to throw it away. But its better to realize “I probably shouldn’t be doing this” now than in the middle of the plan. And I am normally ok with failure, I just always want to have a reason/explanation, and until a couple days ago, these reasons don’t seem like enough justification to me. When I give up (aka switch to an alternate path), its because there truly no way ahead. In terms of getting 2 masters, the pros outweighed the cons, in my head. I saw the path ahead of me. Everyone else said otherwise.
This line of thinking led me on a whole multiday though tangent: “Where do I draw the line?” . When do I listen to other people who are telling me no? How do I listen to people when I am deadset in my own beliefs? I have gotten myself stuck in the mindset of charging ahead full force to accomplish more and more and not letting doubt get in the way…..when do I accept that those doubts are reality?
Understanding these concepts became clearer when I thought about the experience these mentors have had. They became clearer when I let down my walls a little bit, just enough to earnestly listen and not just hear the noise. They became clearer when I allowed myself to see the straight forward path instead of the twisted one I created.
More thoughts to come soon
Bye for now
–Emma