Taking a Year Off Before Grad School- Good or Bad Idea??

[Chizette]

I am a senior undergrad art history student in Miami, Florida and I am about to graduate with my BA. My grades are very good, and I'm interning currently at a museum where I help manage the docent and volunteer program. My plan is to take a year or so off after I graduate to gain some experience in the field, and I am looking into some paid internships and programs in London and New York. After this period of time, my plan is to then apply to grad programs. Is this a smart/viable thing to do? Does taking a year off look good to grad schools? Any suggestions, advice, or input is greatly appreciated!

[Hegel's Bagels]

I vote: Great Idea! I honestly cannot emphasize enough the importance of the gap year. About half of my incoming class in my current MA program took the gap year, and they all say they're the better for it. I know many others who wish they had taken a gap year between BA and MA/PhD. It really is a great time to work on languages, catch up on scholarship without the pressure of school, figure out what you want to do with your life, etc. etc. Don't fret. As long as you are doing something constructive (e.g. language study, internship, etc.) the gap year will reflect well on you during admissions season.

[contiguous]

I'm not sure you have a choice since it's too late now to apply to programs for Fall 2012 anyway. I considered this, made the decision to apply and then received a full-time job offer at the place where I currently intern. It's tempting, but I feel if I spend too much time (more than one year) between undergrad and grad school I'm going to lose momentum and connections with my recommenders.

[runaway]

I spent about a year as an intern after finishing my BA, and it was a great experience-- my supervisor was also one of my recommenders when I applied for MA programs.

I would broaden your search a bit, however. The most competitive programs also tend to have early deadlines, so your options for funded positions might be limited at this point. Don't discount unpaid internship programs in locations where a part-time job could support you in terms of living expenses. A big-name museum definitely helps on your resume, but I find in interviews I often discuss the hands-on experience I got at a smaller museum institution to the same extent that I discuss my experience at Museum Mile Museum.

[fullofpink]

I'm concluding my second gap year this semester and I can honestly say that I love it. However, I am in no way any less motivated to go to grad school - in fact, I'm more gung ho than ever! Take this time to not only bolster yourself as a potential student with new experiences and boosting your already acquired skillset, but also take some freakin time for yourself. Vacation, party, relax - you've earned it! And once you get into grad school it will be a long time before you get to be so free again lol.

[cokohlik]

Gap year, definitely! It's given me time to recharge and to read tons of books in my area of specialty. I also got married and have had time to save a little nest egg (which is probably going toward moving costs, now) and it's just been fabulous! I'm definitely super motivated to be in school and I think I may have burned out had I started grad school immediately following graduating with my BA.

[snes]

I'm not in art history, but I took two years off! I actually meant to only take one, but last year's app cycle didn't work out as hoped, haha. It absolutely helped me gain the outside perspective I needed, to know for sure that I wanted to go to grad school. I also was able to save some dough. Drawbacks: it's so ridiculously difficult to be motivated to do academic-y things when you're not IN it, you know? It was for me. I had to write essentially an entirely new paper for my writing sample, and while it was enjoyable to get some ideas down on paper, the actual part of formulating it into good scholarly writing, with good scholarly sources, was SO PAINFUL! I also intended to LEARN ALL THE LANGUAGES I didn't learn as an undergrad, and I barely did anything. For me, a lot of difficulty stemmed from having a job that was completely outside of the realms of my academic areas of interest, and so if you do museum work, you might not have the same problems!

[stilnovista]

I'll have been out of undergrad for two years when I start my art history MA program in the fall. I am so, so glad I spent some time away from school. I feel like it helped me to regroup in every possible way, and let me concentrate on the aspects of my life that had sometimes fallen to the wayside when I was an over-eager, over-stressed undergrad. I feel infinitely more balanced.

[cokohlik]

I'll have been out of undergrad for two years when I start my art history MA program in the fall. I am so, so glad I spent some time away from school. I feel like it helped me to regroup in every possible way, and let me concentrate on the aspects of my life that had sometimes fallen to the wayside when I was an over-eager, over-stressed undergrad. I feel infinitely more balanced.

Exactly this!!

And, I just realized that it will actually be two years for me (sad day) in June. I keep forgetting that I graduated in 2010. I hope this doesn't mean I'm getting old.

[cokohlik]

... Drawbacks: it's so ridiculously difficult to be motivated to do academic-y things when you're not IN it, you know? It was for me. I had to write essentially an entirely new paper for my writing sample, and while it was enjoyable to get some ideas down on paper, the actual part of formulating it into good scholarly writing, with good scholarly sources, was SO PAINFUL! I also intended to LEARN ALL THE LANGUAGES I didn't learn as an undergrad, and I barely did anything. For me, a lot of difficulty stemmed from having a job that was completely outside of the realms of my academic areas of interest ....

I had that problem too! For instance, right now I work in business development which is pretty boring but it pays well. It's difficult to write papers and keep up with academia unless you have access to scholarly journals, etc., through your undergrad school or subscriptions or things like that. I also found that with working full time, I'm so exhausted by the end of the day that I found myself thinking: Do I really want to study my non-existant German right now? (or whatever you need to get caught up on). I also found that being outside of academia for so long has led me to feel like my brain cells have died. I made a point to try to stay academically minded through the website I started and through my own reading/research, and while independent study is freeing because I had no deadlines, it's also unnerving because I had no expectations except my own and no assignments to guide my thought process.

Edit: *by the end of the day, not "by the end of." Silly me. Typing is for awake people.

Edited March 26, 2012 by cokohlik

[runaway]

Exactly this!!

And, I just realized that it will actually be two years for me (sad day) in June. I keep forgetting that I graduated in 2010. I hope this doesn't mean I'm getting old.

I graduated mid-academic year, so I'll be starting grad school a year and a half out. I'm definitely feeling impatient to get back into school and on to a PhD program eventually, but my ideas and perspectives have evolved so much during this time! Traveling also added a great deal to that evolution, which I highly recommend if it's at all feasible.

[contiguous]

ack, I guess I'm the minority here. Hoping that going straight from undergrad won't burn me out :/

[mooncake88]

I also took a year off before attending grad school (MA program), and I believe my work experience during that year will be a major asset for (hopefully!) landing a good internship this summer. Also, taking and studying for the GRE, applying to graduate school, managing rec letters, and obsessing over this forum, the results page, and incoming rejections and acceptances is a very time-consuming and stressful process. For me it was much better to have a job while doing all that instead of being in school.

[once]

I'm glad I took a gap year, but if I had to do it again I'd plan things differently. I took on two part time jobs (total of 40 hrs/week plus 12 hours of commuting!) and a side consulting job plus doing applications in the fall. It left me with very little time (read: almost none) to do the kinds of things that I wanted to do with my year off: travel, garden, learn how to cook, work on my languages... nope. I did get to spend more time with my friends, which helped me realize that I'm going to need a good work/life balance once I start grad school if I want to stay sane. I'll be leaving one job early so that I can truly relax this summer so that I don't start my program already burned out.

Another benefit of working is that I've built up a nice little nest egg to cover moving costs and serve as emergency money for the next few years since I doubt I'm going to be able to save much of my stipend. I also got some great experiences in my field and was able to work more independently and on more interesting projects than I expected.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd work 20-30 hours a week and use the rest of my time to read, learn, and travel. But I would, without a doubt, do a gap year again. I was just not ready to go straight through.

[cokohlik]

ack, I guess I'm the minority here. Hoping that going straight from undergrad won't burn me out :/

I wouldn't worry too much about that, contiguous

[JosephineB]

ack, I guess I'm the minority here. Hoping that going straight from undergrad won't burn me out :/

I too am going straight through from UG to masters! I might take time off between MA and PhD, but right now I am extremely focused and motivated, and my advisors and I decided that this was the right choice for me. A lot of my decision also had to do with the timing being right on a few important factors.

I

[contiguous]

I need advice - I received a full-time job offer for a museum administration position where I currently work part-time. I am also in the throes of considering two graduate programs where I've been accepted, each with pros and cons. I have til April 15th to choose.

I ultimately wish to be neither an academic nor a curator (I work in exhibitions and registration and love it), and this position would allow me to work directly on a large, international loan exhibition. I initially applied to MA programs because I thought I needed an MA to get a job, but now I'm not so sure... ack. Would it be a major burned bridge to turn down the two schools, take the job, and maybe 4 years from now reapply to grad school?

[fullofpink]

Is the position Limited Term? If it is, and it doesn't extend for at least a year, I personally wouldn't hold off grad school. However, if it is unlimited, then definitely go for it! Who knows? You might do a terminal program while working full time later in your life

[Hugh10]

I need advice - I received a full-time job offer for a museum administration position where I currently work part-time. I am also in the throes of considering two graduate programs where I've been accepted, each with pros and cons. I have til April 15th to choose.

I ultimately wish to be neither an academic nor a curator (I work in exhibitions and registration and love it), and this position would allow me to work directly on a large, international loan exhibition. I initially applied to MA programs because I thought I needed an MA to get a job, but now I'm not so sure... ack. Would it be a major burned bridge to turn down the two schools, take the job, and maybe 4 years from now reapply to grad school?

You are definitely not burning bridges by not accepting an offer. As someone who has just finished a Masters and is still in the position of figuring out what comes next I would say take the job! Especially as it is something you enjoy and is in line with your career goals. With the only caveat being the one that fullofpink brought up: as long as the position is truly permenant and not just for the duration of an exhibition.

Are the museum and program in the same city? I would also suggest seeing if doing a part-time MA is an option. You might be able to swing four days a week at the museum job and still be considered full time while taking one class a semester at the MA program.

You will be able to pursue an MA down the line, should it prove benficial to your career, and you are not closing any doors by working first!

[contiguous]

Thank you both for the responses! I have been assured it's a permanent position. Neither of the schools I was considering are in the same city as the job (and my undergraduate institution essentially does not admit their own to the grad art history program). There is a arts management program at a nearby institution, although I'd prefer an AH degree. I just can't help but think that because this fits precisely in my career goals, I should work for awhile and then reevaluate grad school in my mid/late 20s once my life is more fixed.

[KCampbell]

I took a year off before my master's program and I'm so glad I did. It helped expose me to many sides of the art world that I had not interacted with in the bubble of my undergrad program. It helped me narrow my interests, decide what I did NOT want to do, and (after many hours of filing and copying) so grateful to be back in the classroom and challenged intellectually.

[ruru107]

ack, I guess I'm the minority here. Hoping that going straight from undergrad won't burn me out :/

I'm going straight in, too. My main concern is that I'll forget how to "do" school if I take a year off. Plus, I'm pretty set on what I want to do/where I want to go in life, so I don't need to the extra time to figure things out. But I also have the fear of burn out. My friends will just have to deal with me freaking out a lot over the next two years.

[Guest mckee002]

I took a year off before my master's program and I'm so glad I did. It helped expose me to many sides of the art world that I had not interacted with in the bubble of my undergrad program. It helped me narrow my interests, decide what I did NOT want to do, and (after many hours of filing and copying) so grateful to be back in the classroom and challenged intellectually.

Amen to that last one. I've been a secretary/admin all through undergrad and it does not require much brain power. I'm taking a year off and I'm glad that I am. After two undergrad theses I know I need it.

I don't think that a gap year (or two, or three even) is about finding out what you know you want, but realized that there are things you don't want. And a gap year gives one time to work on languages!

[mphillips13]

I am currently taking a year off from graduate school, having graduated last May and will be attending a graduate program in the fall. There are definitely benefits to a year off but like anything it has its set backs. I liked having the year off because it gave me time to focus on what my true interests in the subject are so I could apply to appropraite programs. I also was able to spend many months dedicated to studying for the GRE's and going through the application process which can be grueling at times. I also have had time to build a savings account for grad school. In this respect having the year off to work, take time to myself, and having time to dedicate to the process of applying to graduate school has been great. Also having the time to build my resume/cv has been very helpful. The setbacks have been that I feel my second language abilities in french (which is required by most graduate school programs) have weakened as I am not using it as often as I was in school. I also feel that because I have not been writing and researching as activily as I was as a undergraduate that my writing has been affected. I personally think that if you are doing a year off for an internship and then applying to graduate school that you will be just fine. While every decision has its consequences, don't miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity!! Graduate school isn't going anywhere Best of Luck!

[losemygrip]

I need advice - I received a full-time job offer for a museum administration position where I currently work part-time. I am also in the throes of considering two graduate programs where I've been accepted, each with pros and cons. I have til April 15th to choose.

I ultimately wish to be neither an academic nor a curator (I work in exhibitions and registration and love it), and this position would allow me to work directly on a large, international loan exhibition. I initially applied to MA programs because I thought I needed an MA to get a job, but now I'm not so sure... ack. Would it be a major burned bridge to turn down the two schools, take the job, and maybe 4 years from now reapply to grad school?

Take it. Do you hear me? TAKE THE JOB!!