tryffelgris Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 ...and, more specifically, how old are people in most soc cohorts? Do you think age matters? Why/why not? Just thought I'd try a diversion, since it appears that the schools I'm still waiting to hear from are taking their sweet time.
ewurgler Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 I am 22. WIll be 23 when I start. I bet the average age for 1st year grad students in soc is approx 24 to 25, with considerable variation. I really don't know. That is a guess.
waitinginohio Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 I'm 21, will be 22 when I start. This sounds like the perfect opportunity to make a poll! They're so much fun!
hoobers Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 I'm going to be 28 when I start. Glad to see not everyone here is straight out of undergrad (but I do expect to be a bit older than my cohort average)
slothy Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 I'll be 22 when I start, although I understand that's rather young to be starting in my university's program.
Tritonetelephone Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 I'll be 23 this summer. Most of the grad students at my UG univ were between 30 and 50 years old and it was quite awkward for me. Cohorts at top 30 programs are probably much younger, of course - they still have the freedom to move anywhere in the country for school.
samoth Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 I'm going to be 28 when I start. Glad to see not everyone here is straight out of undergrad (but I do expect to be a bit older than my cohort average) Not necessarily. I got the impression that late 20s - early 30s is quite common in grad school. I'm 29, by the way.
living_in_paradise Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 27 (...and graying rapidly. grad school's not going to help in that department)
hardboiledegg Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 21 ... to be 22 when i enter programs.
hip2btriangle Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 25 when i start! oof. have any of you youngin's ever had a real job? always wondered about that. like, if having a job and being out there in the real world affects grad experience/performance at all.
Tritonetelephone Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 25 when i start! oof. have any of you youngin's ever had a real job? always wondered about that. like, if having a job and being out there in the real world affects grad experience/performance at all. Depends on what you mean by "real job." I delivered pizza for a year - LOVED that job. I work two part-time jobs now, both at my college - one of them especially has a lot of responsibility tied to it. But I haven't had a job where they would expect me to stay for 5+ years or anything. EDIT: note that two part-time jobs = 40 hrs/wk = full-time
sparkle456 Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 I'm 23 now and I'll be 24. I have been working a full time job for 13 months now. I think it's been great life experience. I work in an educational setting, so I didn't really veer off of my goal but just getting a feel for the politics, different time management (i used to take late classes and sleep in a lot now i work 9-5). Also, I'm able to apply sociology to everything which is the tops!
ejuliast Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 25 when i start! oof. have any of you youngin's ever had a real job? always wondered about that. like, if having a job and being out there in the real world affects grad experience/performance at all. I'm going to go with the easy answer here and say that it depends on the person. When I graduated from undergrad, I was in no way ready for a PhD program. It took years of work experience - and life experience, for that matter - for me to get to this point. But I completely understand that not everyone needs that level of soul-searching before sending out their applications.
hoobers Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 But it'll probably help knowing just how soul-draining a 9-5 can be if the dissertation starts seeming insurmountable
SocViv Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 I'm probably going to be the old married lady of my cohort at 27 when I start. I don't think age makes a difference, but maturity can make a huge difference. People do very different things in those year(s) between undergrad and grad school. And some people want to "work hard, party hard" while others just want to "work hard and sleep hard" or even "work hard and raise my kids". Keeps things interesting having all types, I think, especially in a field like sociology. Personally, I'm glad I'm a few years out because I've gained a lot of skills in the workplace that I didn't get in undergrad or grad school. Like team leadership, customer service and business etiquette skills - all very transferable. And for those of us who are married, it's a heck of a lot easier to be a student when your spouse is bringing home a paycheck! (assuming he can find a job in this dismal economy!)
hip2btriangle Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 god, though part of me is worried i'm going to start at a program with people who are mostly married and planning the rest of their lives together. fun reminders about how single i am. wah!
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