Grad school or not

[Pinky]

I’m having a major dilemma. Grad school decisions are coming up soon (2 weeks…) and while I do have schools to choose from, I’m debating if I even want to go to grad school at this point in time. I’ve had this doubt for a long time and I’m wondering if it is a sign…

It may sound a bit whinny but I feel terribly burnt out when it comes to anything school related and I am basically struggling just to finish up my last quarter of undergrad. I am exhausted and stressed out and just want a break.

The problem is what should I do? My bachelor’s degree will be in Biology and there is very little I can do with it just at the bachelor’s level so I know I will need to further my education someday but I’m not sure if that should be immediately or sometime down the road. I am in desperate need for a break but I’m afraid to take a year off in case I can’t get back into the school rhythm.

My family keeps pushing me to decide ASAP but I don’t know how a huge life decision like this can be made… They say it’s okay if I don’t go to grad school but I will need to find something to do. They also think it would be better if I just went ahead with it and if I didn’t like it, just quit after a year (I’d feel bad for the school and program though…) But if I did that, then what?

Has anyone else become so burnt out you didn’t want to continue with school? What did you do to try and become re-energized? I’ve thought about jobs, travelling, Peace Corps/Ameri-Corps, etc. but I don’t know if any of them would fix my issue…

[go3187]

If, burnout aside, a PhD and the career opportunities that follow are what you really want, then my advice would be not to give up the offers you have. That said, while an undergraduate degree can be demanding, especially towards the end, a PhD program is even more so -- a friend who already graduated called it "a test of endurance." There will likely be times during grad school when you'll feel burnt out and will not want to hear anything that has to do with courses/research/TAing... I think it's something most grad students go through at one point or another. I finished writing a paper a couple of weeks ago (been working on it for more than a year), which was followed three days later by a project proposal deadline, and by the end of it, all I wanted to do was hide under a cover and sleep for a month.

Unfortunately I don't have quick fixes or foolproof solutions, but here are the main things that help me stay sane:

- a healthy diet (if you're curious, I eat paleo)

- exercise -- it's not a waste of time, even though it often seems there are more urgent things to do

- slowing down -- going for a walk, taking time to cook, reading, meditating (regarding meditation, a book I liked is Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn; there's also a great interview that Krista Tippett did with him, which you can listen to -- while you take that walk -- here: http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2009/opening-to-our-lives/)

- getting enough sleep

- keeping my work organized (that includes things like summarizing each day's results in a notebook, keeping my to-do list up to date... or just keeping my desk clean -- which is a challenge! )

- talking to my advisor (I'm lucky to have a wonderful PhD supervisor)

- when things get really bad, I re-read the acknowledgments section of a friend's PhD thesis... which I find inspiring, for reasons which are too complicated and personal to explain here (I left the cheesy stuff for the end of the list ).

As I've said though, things get crazy at times, or I get a little lazy with my routine, and burnout can't always be avoided. Sometimes I just have to push through... but that too can be a satisfying lesson.

ETA: Re-reading my list, it almost sounds as if I'm suggesting MORE things to do, doesn't it?

Edited March 31, 2012 by go3187

[MakeYourself]

Do not go to graduate school just because you don't have anything better to do. You will end up resenting it and will hate your life. Plus, it's not like the job market for people with PhDs is any better than for those with BAs. Only do it if you truly love academia and science.

[Frostfire]

It might be worth looking into the possibility of deferring for a year. It would give you the chance to unwind and figure out if you really DO want grad school. But I don't know how that would work out with the programs you've been accepted to. *shrug* Just a thought.

[rockhopper]

Coming from someone else who is finishing up a Biology degree, I understand your struggle with finding a job after graduation. I definitely did not want a lab tech position or something similar (not that there's anything wrong with that I just know it wouldn't suit me!)

I've always wanted to go to grad school, however, I'm not "burnt out" from school but a lot of my friends are, and they are all taking a year off. It sounds to me like you should defer and do the same if you can. I've heard a lot of the same things from grad students in my department. if you are going to grad school just because you feel you should or have nothing else to do, then you're probably going to end up hating your life.

A lot of my friends have been interviewing for Teach for America recently so maybe try and find some volunteering or service (Jesuit Volunteer Corps/Peace Corps, etc) that you'll enjoy devoting yourself to!

Good luck!

[theoneand]

See if you can defer for a year. If not, consider re-applying. If you are feeling burnt out in school now I doubt it'll resolve itself over a summer. It's also good to get some perspective of what life is like outside of academia before committing yourself to grad school. If you spend next year applying to jobs/volunteering/waitressing/whatever, you'll get a good idea of what you can and cannot do with the degree you currently hold. Grad school's a big decision, and if you're a traditional student finishing up undergrad right now you are still young and shouldn't be in any hurry. You said you are interested in travelling/volunteering; DO IT! Early twenties is the time for that kind of thing, and it will enable you to grow in ways that grad school simply cannot facilitate.

/2 cents from someone finishing up their own post-undergrad "gap year" now.

[TropicalCharlie]

I agree with what some of the posters have said here, defer if you can. If the school doesn't allow deferments, then don't go. Continuing with school now is obviously not the right fit at this point in your life, otherwise you would not be so torn up about it. Right now you are thinking that you can start grad school and drop out if you are still burnt out. Well, that's not the mentality that you want to take to grad school. It's like the battle hasn't even begun, and you have already given up. You need your mojo back or whatever you call it, so go find it.

Take a year or whatever you need off to refresh. Traveling, working or volunteering will give you perspective and motivation for your next course of action. If that doesn't include grad school in the future, then who cares, as long as you are happy. I finished my undergrad ten years ago and am just now going for my MS this fall. Why such a long gap? I never thought about going to grad school until five years ago. I worked in an analytical chemistry lab for five years post ug, then got tired of science and tried admin jobs for the past five years. Working at these jobs convinced me that I really wanted to go to grad school and get back into science.

Best of luck to which ever decision you come to.

[stell4]

When I finished up my BA in chem I was in exactly the same spot as you. I was burnt out, didn't really know what I wanted to go into, and knew I wouldn't last in grad school. I decided to go into teaching high school and have been since '09 . A few years was just what I needed to figure out my life and get the much needed break from school (college that is, now I am in much need of a permanent break from high school ). Now I know exactly what I want to do and am VERY excited to go back to school!!!