December 12, 2014

5 Gifs that Describe How it Feels to Apply to Graduate School {Friday Five 12/12/2014}

Right now, I'm in the midst of applying to graduate school programs for occupational therapy because like many, I need to go back to school for the career I want. I just want to help people!  Sadly, the graduate program application process is  torturous-especially during the holiday season. It's been consuming all my time and brainpower! And it's ridiculously stressful.  

Here's 5 gifs this Friday that perfectly describe the process of applying to graduate school: 

1. You usually have to take the GRE.

It's a 4 hour admissions test with verbal, quantitative (a.k.a math you learned in high school and don't use like figuring out the degrees of an unknown angle in a triangle), and writing sections. I took it after work one evening (WHY), and I hope I don't have to take it again. It's long, tiring, hard, and stressful. 

 4 hours in a testing room with nothing but the test on a computer made me want to ask: 

is-there-food-here-jennifer-lawrence-gif
Seriously, I couldn't bring snacks or a drink inside. 


2. Why do I have to take out a loan just to apply to graduate school?



Seriously it costs around $75-100 to apply to each school.  After I already spent money to take the GRE, take pre-requisite classes at a community college, and now I need to pay a bunch more? On top of still paying off my undergraduate student loans? 


poor-bridesmaids-kristin-wiig-gif



3. You have to fill out extensive applications which make you question everything you've done with your life. 

I am spending hours on applications entering college classes & grades, jobs,  volunteer hours,skills and things I should be doing with my time that will make me stand out as an applicant. You ask yourself like "Why didn't I study harder for that class freshman year to earn an A instead of an A-?" or "Why didn't I spend the summer volunteering with children with disabilities or creating my own charity?" Besides working full-time for four years of course.

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4.  You have to apply and then wait and hope you get picked by a school. 

Many schools use online systems where all your information is entered and sent on it's way. There's a personal statement and sometimes, if you are selected, an interview. 

There's no section for me to say "pretty please pick me I'll work super hard and really want to enter this career field please" or "I'm really awesome you would be lucky to have me here".  

Nope, I can't attach something saying that so I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping someone from a school who reads my one application out of 600 thinks I'm good enough for one of the 10-20 spots in the program. 

pretty-please-despicable-me


5. Yes, I am choosing to try to go back to school-I must accept it.  

It's tough to realize that after going through kindergarten through high school and then getting a Bachelor's degree, I'm in my mid-twenties and still need to pay for more schooling to have the career I want. If I get into a program that means more student loans, homework, tests, and less time. 



Have any of you gone back to school or taken a big standardized test? What is stressing you out lately? 

16 comments:

  1. Haha these gifs are great, I love the J-Law one! I took the GRE but ended up doing a graduate certificate program instead of a full graduate program. Good luck making it through the applications!

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  2. haha i totally feel you! i applied to graduate school during my senior year of college, and the stark realization of just how much it costs just to apply was baffling. i was like, "wait...in the midst of paying for my undergraduate schooling i have to find a way to pay more money for more school?" but it all works out in the end! best of luck to you!

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  3. Well even though it sounds stressful congratulations on taking steps to get what you really want out of life! I've thought many times about going back to school but can never pinpoint a career I'd really love. Maybe one day :)

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    1. Thank you so much! It feels good to at least try and take steps to change my career!

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  4. I love those GIFs! I was in the same place as you a year ago. I spent so much money applying and was so so stressed. As much as the application process stinks, I will tell you that it's the worst part of it. Grad school isn't easy, but it's not as bad as people make it seem. Best of luck getting into the schools of your choice!!

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    1. Thanks for the reassurance-I hope it all works out for me.

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  5. I finished my second masters two years ago. You got this!! It's much more more daunting looking at it from the applicant's perspective than the student's perspective (you don't have time to be scared once you're a student!) If I had to do it all over again I'd definitely go into a program that required the GRE over the GMAT - neither is fun, but the GRE was way easier for me.

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    1. Thanks :) I am just anxious about getting in anywhere at this point.

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  6. I'm currently finishing up the second to last semester for a Master's degree in a field I LOVE! I decided to do this after already starting another graduate program and I made the switch in a heartbeat. Best decision ever. But now I'm applying to residencies which is required in order to get certified and work in the field. There are 200+ applicants for 89 spots. I totally feel you on all of these points above! Good luck!!!

    Oh and I might need to take loans out to travel to interviews for these things. Uuuugh!
    ~Ang

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    1. That's awesome and makes me feel better. Good luck!

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  7. Girl, I TOTALLY feel you. I'm in the middle of applying for my PhD (6 out of 8 applications done), and it's seriously so. incredibly. stressful!! I agree with every single one of these points. Especially the one about questioning everything you've done with your life thus far. Why didn't I devote my entire life up to this point to getting in to school??? WHY?

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  8. I've been through it. Applying to grad school was stressful but well worth it. I wish you all the luck in the world. The hard part is about to happen. Waiting for the answers is the hardest part!

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