Beware of the Nostalgia and Romance When Considering More Schooling

Hi, Caitlin Faas here. I help busy professionals like you integrate graduate school seamlessly into your life with productivity hacks and career direction. In today's video, I wanted to talk about de-romanticizing the idea of graduate school a little bit because when I work with potential clients, sometimes I hear them saying phrases like this,

“Oh, I really miss school. I loved everything about college. I really want to be back in the classroom.”

And they kind of have this image of what was going on during their time in college, maybe a little bit differently than what actually happened. I work with undergraduate students almost every day nine months out of the year. A lot of them are not running around saying like, “Oh this is so great. I just love everything about this.”

But when we’re in the moment, we don't usually see those things. It's looking back on the past and those are some psychological terms from your psychology professor here about when we reflect back on the past and we romanticize it.

1. Check in with reality

If you are thinking about going to graduate school, do you have some of these romantic ideas about it stemming from your past? How much of that is a realistic perspective about what it will actually be like?

And so, ways to find that out would be: have you talked to people in the program that you're thinking about or if you're not ready for a program yet, are you actually talking to people about what their graduate experience was like? Why they went back to school? And not just people who graduated because those are people who are reflecting on the past as well, but people who are in the program right now. Are they somebody who is a first year graduate student? Have you talked to them? What's their experience like right now? For a lot of them, it probably isn't like, “Oh, this is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

They're going to give you a much more realistic perspective both positive and negative, but you're able to walk into it with a more realistic idea.

2. Find healthy perspective

The other thing about the de-romanticizing this idea of graduate school is making sure that you're coming in from a place of a healthy perspective rather than being frustrated with the situation you're in right now.

Are you thinking, “Graduate school is my way out of the current job I'm in because I'm really frustrated with that?”

Part of that is, why do you want to go to grad school? Is it only the reason to get out of your current situation? And the common phrase we think of for that is “grass is greener on the other side” right? Like, “Oh, if I go to school that'll transport me out of this situation into a new situation and then my problems will be solved.” And we know that doesn't actually happen right? But I hear a lot of people say things like this, so that's why I want to bring it up. When you stop and think about the phrases that you're using, either in your head or you're starting to tell somebody that, do a check and say, “Wait. Is this reality-based?” “Is this a healthy approach?” “Am I approaching it with a good intention rather than a fear intention of ‘I'm frustrated, I want to get out of this situation, I am going to run away from this to do that.’”

Those are two things I want you to consider on your graduate school decision journey.

In the meantime, take the next step toward achieving your goals and check out my tips for reclaiming your time. Just leave your details below!

How is time different in graduate school compared to the corporate world?

Getting ready to head into graduate school after years in the corporate world? This video is for you:

Hi, Caitlin Faas, your productivity navigator, excited to talk to you about the differences in working full time and transitioning into graduate school or adding graduate school onto your busy plate.

Let's talk about the time difference.

You're probably wondering what is this experience going to be like? Maybe you've been out of school for so long that it's hard to know whether or not you know like, “Will I be able to pick this back up?” And you certainly will. I am confident that you can do that especially because you found this video and are being proactive, so kudos for that. You're figuring it out.

But let's talk about what happens with when you're thinking about working 40 hours a week for a corporation to when you start this graduate program.

Your final project

The first thing is that there will absolutely be classes that follow a structure with project deadlines, but what we want to talk about today is your final project, capstone, thesis, or dissertation that you'll be writing – whatever the final product is in your specific program.

So think back about what happened in your own undergraduate career and the lessons you've learned from that. I'm sure there are several, especially if you want to undergrad when you were 18 to 22. I teach undergraduate students and a lot of times, for them, being able to do well in a class without reading the textbook is a win. (YES!) But then you grow up and you're over the age of 25 and you realize would it really have killed me to read that book? Could I have learned something in that class? Retained it? – Especially when you're paying student loans. So all of those lessons are really great, yes, those lessons would have all served you well. You're going to be excited about this program. You're excited to read, excited to soak up knowledge, that is great.

Working for yourself

But let's think about what happens to your time management for that final project. In a corporation there's the CEO, there are vice presidents. Somewhere in there is your boss, project managers, people working on teams. Now for your final project, one big difference is going to be that you have to play all of those roles. You become the CEO and the person doing all of the work on your final project. And that's a big shift because now there aren’t people to report to report to so to speak. You've just got to get the work done. You actually have to be the one that creates the work and creates the idea of the work, creates the plan of the work and then execute that plan.

You might say, “But wait, I have an adviser.” And I know you’ll have an adviser, but the difference there is they will advise you on your topic and yes they'll be excited about your topic but they aren't really interested in making sure you follow through on that project. I mean it in the way that they are not responsible for it. And so, they aren't your boss saying, “You must meet this deadline.”

Often times it's completely up to you. You can meet whatever kind of deadline you want. It's a very continuous process. You're not leaving your graduate program at 5 p.m. and seemed like well done with work for the day. I don’t have to think about that project anymore. It kind becomes something that you're thinking about all the time and it's there.

Holding yourself accountable

Now there are ways to help set healthy boundaries absolutely, but it's still kind of - you're thinking about it all the time and having to meet these deadlines. You’ll say, “I'm going to turn this in to you by this date.” And they'll say, “Great.” And then maybe you don't turn it in and they're all like, “That’s okay.” They're not upset with you, “I know, but I need you to hold me responsible.” So there's that balance.

So that's why I want you to think about this today that you're going from having all these roles in a corporation to being all of the roles for your final project. That's why a lot of graduate students get writing partners, accountability buddies, or maybe you hire a coach to be able to help you follow through on your progress. There's a lot wrapped up in that, but I just want to highlight that one shift – that difference and thinking about who am I in my workplace and who am I going to be in graduate school and having to be in charge of all of those steps.

Tell us below about your experiences during the transition!

How to be successful in graduate school

Hi, Caitlin Faas, your productivity navigator, excited to talk to you about how to be successful in graduate school.

On the right track

The first thing is, if you're watching this video, that means you looked up something about "can I be successful in graduate school", which already means that you're amazing, right?

I want you to take a deep breath and know that you're amazing for even trying to look into this and think about it. That’s why I'm taking this video outside. It’s a gorgeous day and I want you to look at the trees, take a deep breath, and know that it’s awesome you're looking this up.

Tips for success

So, how to be successful in school? This is true for a lot of different programs. I've talked to a lot of graduate students about their experiences and I've put it into an email challenge for you that I’ll share below.

A lot of the things that you need to be successful for graduate school aren’t actually the things that you think of first. I asked dozens of past and current graduate students and said, “What do you wish you would’ve known before?” And you already know that of course work is going to be important, that you want to do well in your classes, but those weren’t the things that they wanted to you know.

Former graduate students and current graduate students say, “Oh, I really needed to have my time management system in place and I really needed to realize that I'm good enough for this program and I can do really well in this program. They accepted me for a reason.” And so many different topics like that.

Want to make sure you’re prepared for the next step in your education? Leave your details below, and I’ll send you my tips for reclaiming your time!

Feeling unsure about why you want to go to graduate school?

There are many reasons to go to graduate school and in this video, I challenge you to think about one of the related themes!

Caitlin Faas, psychology professor and coach, excited to talk to you today about some of the thoughts I've been having about graduate school.

Identify the “why”

I mentor a lot of students and clients that think about going back to graduate school. And I always start with asking about “why you want to go back to graduate school” or any type of program or certificate. So… “Why?” And there are a lot of great reasons to go back and we can make a whole list of those, but sometimes – Well, this is what I talk about today – sometimes there’s this sneaky thing that comes into the reasons that has to do with “enough.”

Beware of “enough”

And so, people say to me, “If I go back for this program, then I will be smart ‘enough.’” Then, “People will view me as competent ‘enough.’” “If I do this, then I'll feel better about myself” – which is another type of “enough” type of feeling. If I do this then this feeling will happen or I'll be in a different type of mindset or a better place.

Bird by Bird

Something I read this weekend that I want to read to you was from Anne Lamott who wrote a book called Bird by Bird that you may have come across yourselves. It’s pretty famous. She's writing to writers – people who want to become published writers.

In this book, she actually is referencing – in the section that I'm going to read, she's referencing the first Jamaican bobsled team and how there's a movie about it called Cool Runnings. And in that movie, this is the quote, “The coach is a 400-pound man who had won a gold in Olympic bobsled 20 years before, but had been a complete loser ever since. The men on his team are desperate to win an Olympic medal just as half the people in my classes are desperate to get published. But the coach says, ‘If you're not enough before the gold medal, you won't be enough with it.’ You may want to tape this to the wall near your desk." That’s what Anne Lamott says – the quote from her book Bird by Bird.

This really resonated with me because I thought this is the same thing that happens with people who are thinking about school. They'll say, “I'll be ‘enough’ after I complete this program.” And if you ask anybody who's been through a program, there usually isn't a magical…“Now I feel smart enough, now I feel competent enough.” Right?

You are enough.

It was a mindset shift or embracing the idea they are enough through a different process, not necessarily the process of going through graduate school to help them realize that.

My own example, I thought as I completed my Ph.D. or even before, people said I was smart. I felt like I could be smart enough in that program, but even after completing a Ph.D., I still didn’t feel smart enough. And so, again it was a different – through a lot of talking with people and mindset shift, I realized I am smart enough and I always was with or without my Ph.D. That's what I work with clients and students to realize, that if your sole reason to go to school is something about being enough, that is not (pun intended) going to be enough to get you through your graduate program.

So, can we work on the other more concrete reasons that will give you a reason to go to a program, stay in the program, and graduate from the program. I challenge you today to think about do you have any “enough” statements that are floating around in your head, kind of reasons of why you're going back or thinking about going back to school or it may be applicable to another domain.

Whatever you decide, make sure you’re prepared for the next step in your career by overcoming procrastination for good. Get my tips for reclaiming your time below!

5 Mistakes People Make When Considering More Education

I have a lot of students and coaching clients ask me about going back to school. Either to finish a degree they once started or to start a new program, such as graduate school. I love to talk about the possibilities!

But I also hear a lot of mistakes in thinking when people are considering their options.

Here's the list with details about how mindset shifts can help reshape the question or concern.

1. I don't want to go anywhere that requires test scores.

I get why people say this one. They don't want to take another standardized test. Not to mention pay for something like the GRE and spend an entire Saturday taking it. I get it. But choosing what kind of program you might want to pursue solely based on whether or not they require testing? That is a short-sighted mistake. Instead, think about whether or not this program will help advance your career and understanding of the field.

One standardized test should not stand in the way of your potential for a program or not. There are many helpful books and flashcards on the market with practice tests. Finding a partner to study with can also be beneficial to keep you motivated before test day. 

2. I have to pay for all of this education myself.

Are you sure? And I don't mean asking family or friends for assistance. But maybe your current employer would be willing to consider it as a professional development? Especially if you plan to stay with the organization, but would like to move up? Try asking them before dismissing the idea.

There are also several opportunities for assistantships and stipends at the graduate level. Many times my students are surprised to hear that graduate programs want people to work for them while they go through the degree program. Your potential program  may not advertise it directly on their website, but it is important to ask admissions or the program director about potential opportunities.

Scholarships for all types of learners are also an excellent way to help pay some of the costs of a new education program. They aren't just for high school students. Scholarships can be in the most surprising places too. My electric company even offers scholarships!

Don't forget potential tax deductions for any loans you take out to further your education. Again, there are several ways to finance an education, even if it is beyond the traditional four-year degree right after high school.

3. My local university does not offer the program I want to take, so I can't do anything.

Here's another mindset shift - what if you didn't take courses at the local university? What if your new education program was offered online? While it doesn't seem like a revolutionary idea in 2016 to be taking online courses, I still get a lot of questions surrounding the idea. My students ask me if "online programs" are looked down on by potential employers. With our increasing capabilities to Skype and connect with people across the globe, the online classroom is quickly changing. People can be engaged in meaningful conversations and discussions in online learning environments very easily now.  

The confusion really stems from for-profit schools. 10-15 years ago, it seemed like only for-profit schools were the ones online. Now almost all schools are online. So read up on the type of institution you might be considering before dismissing online learning. Not everyone feels like an online learning environment would be a good fit for them, but I recommend trying a free online course (from anywhere) to test one out.

4. I don't have anything else to do, so I might as well go back to school.

I also see this phrased as, "I'll keep going to school because once I stop, I'll never go back," and "I can't find a job, so I'll go back to school." Using these phrases to justify more schooling can be difficult because it might not be the root of the problem. If more education seems like the default choice with no other options, it will be really hard to keep the motivation to keep going in that program. And you may find yourself in the exact same situation after you graduate.

Nothing else to do? Are you absolutely sure? Have you spent some time on informational interviews with people in the field? Are many people in your life recommending that you go back to further your career? Or are you defaulting to the decision? Avoid the default. Go into the decision with purpose and passion.

5. More education always means more job opportunities and a higher salary.

Well, that depends. What type of education are you planning on getting? Have you looked into the job opportunities in your area for someone with that level of education? My favorite resource for exploring these details is O*Net Online. You can look up any job and see how much education is typically required, all based on the U.S. Department of Labor statistics. Some graduate programs actually limit your choices in jobs, if you want to apply the degree directly to your career. For example, medical school prepares you to be a medical doctor. Sure, you can do other things and many people pursue other options. But compared to a bachelor's degree in biology...the person with a bachelor's degree in biology has a larger variety of jobs they can apply for compared to the medical doctor.

So more education isn't always better for your career and salary opportunities. Of course, I always think "learning" is good for everyone! But that's not always the same as formal education programs.

What do you think?

What other things do you ask yourself when you consider going on for more education? Any other barriers you see in your way? Comment below!