Grad school support
- Thread starter Gaze
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Yeah, once my grad program is finished hopefully within 2 years, I'm planning to continue to pursue accounting. I thought of pursuing business but I think the analytical aspects of accounting are connecting with me. However, I'll take it step by step.
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so got the official confirmation that I'm back in starting this summer to finish up. I have to take my comp exams at end of summer and I'm trying to find a way to plan my study with my reading lists. Anyone taken grad comp exams? How did you study?
WAHOO!!! You're going to do aweeeeeeeeeeeeesome!!!
I've finished my comp exams!
I did 2 papers and an oral defense....so I didn't do a test.
However, I've helped a few people through their tests....
Do you decide the reading list? Will you get an idea of the questions they'll answer?
I would go through the literature and make notes of comparisons/contrasts between everything. Bring out themes within the literature. Research the author's backgrounds and ontologies. Understand the finer points of the methods.
If you can bring material in (which you can sometimes), but everything into tables - like have a massive spread sheet of information, that way during your comp exam, you can easily put it into a table.
Also research opposing views, and understand the limitations of the work.
And if some historical research pieces aren't on the list, I might still look at them, because you can bring it in for a foundational piece to the literature!!!
Congrats again!!!!!!!
Thanks so much! Yeah, I'm doing the written exam in two parts at end of summer and oral defense at beginning of Fall. We are not allowed to bring notes in. I am currently finalizing the reading lists with my committee. They don't tell questions in advance but i hope they will give me some idea of what their focus will be.
Nice!!
I think there are advantages and disadvantages to each type of comp exam!
If you read the literature closely and make ties/connections between them- you'll do great! I know a lot of people write mock questions to help them! Are you able to talk to a few students in your department that can give you advice!?
Comps are pretty monumental! When I passed, I went out to dinner with my family..after a few glasses of wine, I was telling everyone I met (strangers!!!) that I passed my comp and now I was going to be a doctor! hahahaha....it felt AMAZING!
Yeah, a dinner to celebrate is definitely on my list if I pass. And I do want to practice mock questions. I am also going find sample questions online and try to answer. I think this will also help me focus my reading.
My masters program only has a comprehensive exam. There's no thesis or culminating project, which is a shame, in my opinion, as I really wanted to write a thesis. I do not at all feel comfortable with the knowledge that two years of work will come down to a 3 hour exam. I do, however, understand the purpose of my culminating experience being a comprehensive exam. I am in a professional degree program, and part of being a professional is the ability to articulate the knowledge that you gained through your course of study. But that still does not provide me a sense of comfort.
If I may vent...
I really wish I had been able to pursue a masters program where performing scholarly research was valued and expected. There are programs in my field that do an excellent job of balancing scholastic ability with the professional focus of the field. I was actually invited to an on-campus interview for such a program. However, as my field is focused on practice, the graduate assistanship is considered an extremely important aspect of the graduate experience. In the course of life, you sometimes have to go where you get the job, so I landed at my current program. I am still studying a field that I like, and I love what I am learning. But I just get the nagging feeling that my program will not fully allow me to reach my professional goals. I actually do not feel adequately challenged, and I do not find the course of study to be intellectually rigorous. I fear that my classwork will not adequately prepare me for what comes after grad school, whatever that will be.
It could be worse. I could not have received the assistanship offer that allowed me to pursue my current program. I could have left that long and stressful grad school/assistantship search process empty handed, out of luck, and thoroughly depressed. I find the assistantship to be rewarding, and the tuition benefits will allow me to graduate without debt. I feel somewhat guilty for feeling so down despite the gifts I have in my life with the assistantship. I just feel kind of lost at the moment.
If I may vent...
I really wish I had been able to pursue a masters program where performing scholarly research was valued and expected. There are programs in my field that do an excellent job of balancing scholastic ability with the professional focus of the field. I was actually invited to an on-campus interview for such a program. However, as my field is focused on practice, the graduate assistanship is considered an extremely important aspect of the graduate experience. In the course of life, you sometimes have to go where you get the job, so I landed at my current program. I am still studying a field that I like, and I love what I am learning. But I just get the nagging feeling that my program will not fully allow me to reach my professional goals. I actually do not feel adequately challenged, and I do not find the course of study to be intellectually rigorous. I fear that my classwork will not adequately prepare me for what comes after grad school, whatever that will be.
It could be worse. I could not have received the assistanship offer that allowed me to pursue my current program. I could have left that long and stressful grad school/assistantship search process empty handed, out of luck, and thoroughly depressed. I find the assistantship to be rewarding, and the tuition benefits will allow me to graduate without debt. I feel somewhat guilty for feeling so down despite the gifts I have in my life with the assistantship. I just feel kind of lost at the moment.
Interesting.
From my perspective, I think this is actually a really excellent situation you're in. Most people I know that graduate from a thesis-based masters don't have enough practical experience (or networks) to land a job. I think this might be a great opportunity for you. Is there a way your current position might supplement your education? Could you do a masters that is thesis-based, and incorporate it into your work? Perhaps something that might benefit your employer? I know a few professionals that did this. After they worked at their job for a few years, they went back to school to get another degree- but used their work environment/clients/etc. as their data/thesis topic- that way the outcome gained them a degree, but was a useful and tangible product for their career/job/employer.
Making academic/career decisions at this level aren't easy. There will always be consequences to whatever we choose. I also took an assistantship when I first started grad school and it definitely lessened my debt for the future. However, i also had a full schedule and unfortunately, don't think I learned or was able to fully specialize in one particular field as much I would like because of the course load and assistant-ship responsibilities. I also like research and academia, specifically writing papers, etc. However, I struggled with this throughout most of the program and found that their focus wasn't really about mentoring and guiding cohorts through good academic work or developing professional and academic development and skills. The aim is more to please and impress for the sake of recognition. Despite this, I enjoy what I am studying now. However, I would have appreciated a program which also had a practical/professional component which would boost my choices after leaving grad school. So, not sure if there is a right or wrong choice. We can only make the choice that seems best at the moment, and deal the best we can with the results. I regretted some of the choices I made in programs and when I made them but maybe I wouldn't have had some of the experiences I did if I hadn't. Hindsight is 20/20. Don't feel as if there's no turning back. You never know where what you've chosen may take you. You could later have opps you never thought you would because of the choice you made. Best of success
Fortunately, my job is directly related to my course of study. I am a student affairs graduate student, so I am working in higher education while I am studying higher education. The lack of a thesis will not deter me in the field itself due to the focus on practice instead of scholarship. However, my own personal goal is to be both a scholar and a practitioner. I feel I need to harness my mind in a greater intellectual capacity than is expected in the field. That is where my troubles come in.
I am currently looking at the possibility of doing some sort of research. I obviously could not make it a primary focus due to my assistantship responsibilities. I do have connections that could be helpful if I can get around to doing some sort of research. I just wish these kinds of things would not get lost in the day-to-day demands of administration.
I am currently looking at the possibility of doing some sort of research. I obviously could not make it a primary focus due to my assistantship responsibilities. I do have connections that could be helpful if I can get around to doing some sort of research. I just wish these kinds of things would not get lost in the day-to-day demands of administration.
Oooh! Evaluation research is really REALLY great within higher education! In the future, you might want to consider something around program evaluation!
I'm curious- do you enjoy working within higher education? I'm always curious to know people's experiences of working in that type of institution!
I enjoy working in the overall higher education environment! I am very attracted to the traditions and values of higher education, and I honestly do not think I would be able to work outside of the "ivory tower." Higher education is so steeped in tradition that I feel I am connected to the rich history of the overall institution. That is why I enjoy being a part of the ceremonies during the academic year. I find it fascinating to know of and see the colors of the various disciplines that are represented. It is very inspiring to see these seemingly unrelated disciplines to come together, and through cooperation, create an environment that is committed to the betterment of humanity through intellectual and academic rigor.
I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of developing students through a liberal education. As the traditional definition of the word 'liberal" would suggest, students should be introduced to a breadth of knowledge during their undergraduate experience in order to become well-rounded persons. This lays the intellectual foundation for an individual to later specialize through either a career or graduate school. This makes me out to be more of a traditionalist when I am compared to my colleagues. Unfortunately, we live in a time when specialization is valued more than a person's awareness of the the world around them. Given that my minor was in economics, I understand that specialization is a natural tendency of a properly functioning market. However, I still think it is a shame that so many students come into college expecting to only learn their major. Some people have no interest in learning anything outside of "what they came here for." Some people just don't appreciate making witty jokes about Socrates, discussing the origins of falafel, and analyzing political speeches in the same conversation.
The reason I went into higher education was to maintain the value of being liberally educated. I certainly benefited from studying a breadth of knowledge that was available at my undergraduate institution. My degree allowed for a large amount of elective credits, so I took courses in African Studies, Human Sexuality, Music, Business, History, Politics, Geology, and Philosophy. I was able to study so many different subjects outside of my major and minor. My concept of the quantity of human knowledge infinitely expanded. I had graduated high school thinking I was knowledgeable about the world, but I graduated college with an understanding of the limits of my own knowledge. My response to "What's the biggest thing you learned in college," was, and will always be, "I don't know very much." That is exactly what I want students to experience. I want students to find enrichment in the knowledge they gain in their "useless" classes. I want students to be introduced to so many new things that their concept of human knowledge becomes a beautiful expanse of possibilities. I want students to gain a confidence in drawing conclusions despite their uncertainty in finding an answer. I want students to utilize their knowledge to look at the world through a multitude of different perspectives. That is what I want to do with my career, and that is why I decided to work in higher education.
I probably rambled a bit, but I don't always get the opportunity to really discuss what drives me in my job. I rarely get the opportunity to discuss this with anyone.
I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of developing students through a liberal education. As the traditional definition of the word 'liberal" would suggest, students should be introduced to a breadth of knowledge during their undergraduate experience in order to become well-rounded persons. This lays the intellectual foundation for an individual to later specialize through either a career or graduate school. This makes me out to be more of a traditionalist when I am compared to my colleagues. Unfortunately, we live in a time when specialization is valued more than a person's awareness of the the world around them. Given that my minor was in economics, I understand that specialization is a natural tendency of a properly functioning market. However, I still think it is a shame that so many students come into college expecting to only learn their major. Some people have no interest in learning anything outside of "what they came here for." Some people just don't appreciate making witty jokes about Socrates, discussing the origins of falafel, and analyzing political speeches in the same conversation.
The reason I went into higher education was to maintain the value of being liberally educated. I certainly benefited from studying a breadth of knowledge that was available at my undergraduate institution. My degree allowed for a large amount of elective credits, so I took courses in African Studies, Human Sexuality, Music, Business, History, Politics, Geology, and Philosophy. I was able to study so many different subjects outside of my major and minor. My concept of the quantity of human knowledge infinitely expanded. I had graduated high school thinking I was knowledgeable about the world, but I graduated college with an understanding of the limits of my own knowledge. My response to "What's the biggest thing you learned in college," was, and will always be, "I don't know very much." That is exactly what I want students to experience. I want students to find enrichment in the knowledge they gain in their "useless" classes. I want students to be introduced to so many new things that their concept of human knowledge becomes a beautiful expanse of possibilities. I want students to gain a confidence in drawing conclusions despite their uncertainty in finding an answer. I want students to utilize their knowledge to look at the world through a multitude of different perspectives. That is what I want to do with my career, and that is why I decided to work in higher education.
I probably rambled a bit, but I don't always get the opportunity to really discuss what drives me in my job. I rarely get the opportunity to discuss this with anyone.
I need someone to light a fire under me...I just don't want to work at all lately....especially today...I'm avoiding what I really need to do (my proposal edits and article revisions), and choosing to do unrelated work....
Feel the same. I've been telling myself i need to go to the library and start doing some reading for my comps. But I don't have the energy.
I agree that students don't come to college/university wanting to learn anything other than a major that will get them a specific job....I would even argue that the majority of students don't want to learn- they want to be told what they need to know. For me, I see a huge gap in higher education - it's focus is on content knowledge, rather than skills and values. If you teach someone the value of knowledge and life long learning, they'll become more interested in other subjects, and see the value in having a breadth of knowledge, rather than a narrow scope. So many graduates go into a job unprepared...they don't understand that the learning they really need to do is on the job, and that requires skills that they might not have picked up in higher education. Having worked with students for a long time, I've noticed a huge gap in their motivation/desire to learn, and their understanding that this is what will make them successful after they graduate.
The fact that you took advantage of your time in higher education, and became so well versed and interested in a broad mix of knowledge shows that you have the motivation and desire to learn- which will help you succeed in life.
I often wonder if higher education is really doing their job. Looking at an undergraduate program, it largely consists of retaining and regurgitating knowledge...how much to they remember after the course? How relevant is that to the real world? Higher education has become a more of a business than an institution - where they just want students to come in with their money, and go out with a grade...it's a shame, because as teachers we're not able to spend our time with students and develop a course that goes beyond just content knowledge...ok...I'm babbling now!! hahaha!!!
I know! I should be going into school today...but I'm soooo tired and it's so cold out....instead I've decided to stay at home...which I know is not the most productive thing....*sigh*
MBA is a bit tricky of a degree these days. I don't not recommend them, but I don't recommend them either. Many MBA programs have very high tuition, and the market is honestly over saturated with MBA degree holders. Because of this, I know many students who have a hard time finding a high enough paying job to pay off those student loans. If that's not an issue, then MBA away!!
That's an interesting point! I didn't think they would overwhelm the employment sector so soon! I think it speaks to the economy today- you need a graduate degree for almost any job now!
I've seen a lot of people who already have a job, go back and do an MBA. They stay in the same position during it, but then often move up within the company/organization afterwards. I imagine though, that this is a far lesser experience than most people with MBAs!
