Am I actually ready for this?

[olosir]

Condensed version: coasted through Management concentration in undergrad at a good private school, did well within the discipline but was indifferent to everything else, graduated, have been doing the full-time stable Management job for five years, and now I'm stuck. My interests are I/O psychology, change management, and project management. I need expertise and practice in each area. My goal is to be an I/O consultant, but I essentially want to acquire as many valuable Management skills as I can. I have determined that I should pursue graduate study.

I have no research experience and an unremarkable academic record. I won't get into a PhD program without doing awesome work in a MA. Even then, I'm not sure if I need a PhD if I'm focused on an industry career. I applied to Fairfield MA in Applied Psychology and The New School MS in Organizational Change Management. Both have rolling admissions, and I'm confident I'll be accepted to both programs.

However, I feel like I'm "missing" something. Actually, it's everything. I question my ability to do graduate work, how I'll fit in a program, what expectations I should have, and what I'm actually preparing for. I read many posts on this forum and talk to friends in grad school, and I just feel like an ignorant outsider. Do I even belong in grad school? Am I fooling myself by expecting significant career advancement?

Basically, what the hell am I doing here?

[hejduk]

You're here because you want to better your life and have opportunities that only an MA or PhD will present. You are good enough, smart enough, and worthwhile; just do it!

Everyone here doubts themselves at some point (to an extent, it's healthy), so it's normal. If someone makes it seem like their fully confident being in a PhD program, then they are obviously lying! Grad school is some pretty heavy stuff, but worthwhile things require A LOT of work.

Edited May 7, 2011 by hejduk

[beanbagchairs]

You're here because you want to better your life and have opportunities that only an MA or PhD will present. You are good enough, smart enough, and worthwhile; just do it!

Everyone here doubts themselves at some point (to an extent, it's healthy), so it's normal. If someone makes it seem like their fully confident being in a PhD program, then they are obviously lying! Grad school is some pretty heavy stuff, but worthwhile things require A LOT of work.

These. These two paragraphs! I cant say it better than hedjuk did.

Edited May 7, 2011 by beanbagchairs

[Seeking]

Believe me, I have 10 time your qualifications from a well-known university and I'm beginning to ask if I shouldn't start all over again because I feel I don't know much.

No one knows much while beginning a Graduate programme. Only by years of training do they acquire expertise in their subject. So it's normal that you feel you don't know much - if you knew, you wouldn't be applying to Graduate School. That's what Graduate education is all about. So you should just have faith in yourself and take one step at a time. You will see the end of it with your perseverance. How you'll use it in professional situation is what you have to figure out. But a PhD in a discipline related to industry can lead many kinds of professional paths.