maggik

Thank you. That was extremely helpful!! I was quite worried about feeling locked into a field but I think that it is close enough to my interests and I will gain many of the skills I was hoping to. I appreciate the advice! By the way, my field is environmental conservation/hydrology but everything you said was applicable to this field.

I got into 3 schools that all have pros and cons. I don't know what to do. I don't care much about school rank, mostly just that it is a good professor and in a town I will like. School 1 Pro: Advisor is well known and top in field Lab group publishes lots of papers- I will probably get my name on quite a few papers I will learn a crap ton cause I will probably be working my ass off because he has high expectations I will learn all the computer programs I was hoping to learn No set project so I get to design my own as long as it falls within the realm of his grants- could be good or bad Pays well for a Masters and fully funded Con: Expectations may be so high that I will basically be a Phd Student (info from a grad student) and will work a bit more than I would like Lab group is not a “tight” group. Yes, they get along in a work environment but they are all Phd students or post docs and work really hard. I will be the only Masters student of about 20 others, mostly foreigners (possibly one other incoming Masters student). Advisor is a nice guy, I could work with him but we won’t be best buds or close I have to TA Not set project but there is a chance the project won’t end up being what I wanted I am missing some basic courses but that is ok, I will just need to catch up the first semester no field work- very computer oriented (in reality my future is very computer oriented) For some reason I have an uneasy feeling about this lab group and professor School 2 Pro: Project is perfect for me Project has field work component Lab group is a close group who hang out outside of school. They are outdoorsy people who I would be comfortable with Advisor is relaxed, chill guy who I could get along with well No TA Con: Funding- pretty positive I have at least 1 year of funding, not sure on amount. He seems confident he will be able to get me full funding both years. BUT not sure if he can cover my tuition b/c university won’t waive it (If he can’t then I am not going to take it). not the top person in the field but he publishes a fair amount and is still pretty well known School 3 Pro: Advisor is awesome. We clicked and I know we would work well with each other. She is a skier- doesn’t show up on pow days (I am one of those as well) Department and lab group is a close nit group of people who work together and support each other Pay is average No TA Has full funding for 2 years. Project has field work component Con: Project is not my ideal project. I would get many of the skills I would like to finish graduate school with but it might have an element that I am not interested in. Project is river and hydrology focused but I might have to research fish and I don’t have interest in fish. In the long run, post masters I think this would still keep me on the conservation/climate change track but I am nervous I would start down a road I don’t want to go down with this project. I emailed her today about this concern and am waiting for a response