Returning to graduate school after several years in the workforce can seem scary for many people simply because any change comes with a myriad of unknowns. This was certainly the case for me, and that is why I wanted to write about my experience and offer a few tips for anyone facing a similar situation. Here are five things to consider as you navigate your personal education path:
1. Know Your Why
Are you pursuing a graduate degree to change professional directions, advance in your field or fulfill a lifelong personal aspiration? Defining the reason behind your desire to earn a graduate degree encourages you to continue pursuing your path even when barriers present themselves. After many years in the workforce, I found myself working in corporate America in a job that required long hours, and the workload kept building. The more success I had, the more business I had to manage and my target continued to increase year over year. While I found the work I did to be meaningful, and I truly enjoyed the relationships I built with my clients, I often had to sacrifice personal events and did not have a healthy work-life balance. Eventually, I realized that the pace of the job was unsustainable long-term, and I began to think about changing directions to bring my values in alignment with my profession. Now, in my final semester of graduate school, I could not be more thrilled with my decision.
2. Establish Your Priorities
While everyone’s situation is unique to them, beginning graduate school often requires other priorities to shift. No one can do everything at the same time. Even if you continue working while taking classes, be realistic about the time commitment you will need to devote to each area of your life. Create a calendar that clearly defines your work, class, study and personal time, and stick to it. I heard an analogy recently that meant a lot to me. It states that we are all juggling multiple balls, and on any given day most of the balls are rubber, meaning you could drop one and it would bounce. These balls are the things that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. But as we are juggling these plastic balls, we also have a few glass balls in the mix. The glass balls represent things that are of most importance to you and your future happiness. For me, the glass balls represent first, my family relationships and next, any hard deadlines that if missed would have negative long-term consequences to my success. The trick to being successful in this stage of life is knowing which balls are rubber and which balls are glass.
3. Create a Financial Plan
As you plan for graduate school, create a financial plan that will sustain you. Will you continue to work full-time and do grad school part-time? Will you reduce your workload and go to school full-time? If you reduce your working hours, how will you pay for school and the additional expenses? While everyone’s situation is unique, there is always a path forward to accomplish your goals. Over the last 2 ½ years, I have used a combination of personal savings, part-time work and student loans to complete my program.
4. Expand Your Network
Just as you have created a professional network, students are more successful and satisfied when they work to create a network at school. This includes developing good relationships with professors and making an effort to connect with colleagues you admire and enjoy. I have found friends by working on group projects with colleagues and identifying which students share my professional values and work ethic. Not only has this increased the quality of my experience in the program, it has allowed me to create friendships that now extend off-campus to both my social and professional networks. As I am currently applying for counseling licensure through North Carolina, I am thankful for the efforts I have put in to create solid relationships with my professors who are now providing references for me. Relationships are at the heart of any business, and investing in quality relationships only expands your resources.
5. Utilize Your Existing Skills
Before I started graduate school, I had doubts about how long I had been out of school and if I could compete with the younger students. But as I have moved forward in my program, I have realized without question that the professional and personal experience I bring to the table has greatly enhanced my ability to understand the intersections and nuances of complex systems, the process of human growth and development, how to create lasting relationships and identify best business practices. The experience I have gained over the years has allowed me to assimilate new information with enhanced understanding and insight. Because of my professional experience, I have learned that my capacity to learn and retain information is much larger than when I was in my early twenties. As I have completed school projects, I have been thankful for my digital skills, professional identity, technical knowledge and ability to organize tasks and project manage. Do not discount the skills you bring to the table, because they will come in good use.
Finally, do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it. I have found most of my professors to be flexible and responsive to anything I have needed help with. I have also found that my spouse and children have been willing to step up and fill shifting roles and responsibilities. No one can do it alone, and I am thankful to have a support system that has greatly enhanced my success at UNC Charlotte.
Article Written by Marisa Grimmius
Marisa serves as a Graduate Admissions Ambassador and is studying in the M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program from the Cato College of Education.