Would it hurt to take some extra classes during my year off from school?

[youngcharlie101]

I decided to defer my admission to Syracuse for one year. It's an unfunded offer, and to be honest, I'm going through some health problems at the moment. I realized that perhaps it's best to take a year off from school and focus on myself. I also want to take this year to reapply to some PhD programs in efforts to obtain a funded offer. My field is anthropology.

 

I do want to keep myself academically stimulated though. There were some courses I was interested in taking at Cuny's Graduate Center. I may also take some courses at Columbia. That's where I did my Master's.

 

But the thing is, I may be applying to these schools for my PhD. Would it hurt to take some courses here? I don't want them to think I'm trying to network or get in through the "backdoor approach."

 

What do you think?

[iphi]

It's not going to hurt you, and as long as you can afford it financially I think it sounds like a good plan.

[geographyrocks]

I'm thinking that as long as you don't tell anyone: "I'm here so I'll have back door access", I think you'll be fine!  lol

 

On a more serious note, I don't think professors will think you're trying to weasel your way in.  If anything, this gives them a chance to know you better which, depending on your character, could be a good or bad thing.  Either way, you're showing professors that you are committed to learning.

I would also advise reading as many papers in your field as possible and striking up a conversation with professors about them.  Not only will it allow you to network, but you'll have a real advantage when talking research if/when you get interviewed. 

[youngcharlie101]

Thanks, everyone.

[juilletmercredi]

It won't hurt you, but I'm not a huge fan.

 

It seemed like you decided to take the time off so that you could recuperate emotionally and mentally and prepare yourself for the undertaking of a PhD, as well as just really use most of your time to improve your application.  If you are taking too many graduate classes in the interim time, that might hamper those efforts.  If you do a PhD, you will have plenty of time for classes - probably 2-3 years' worth.

 

Now, it won't hurt you - and could help you.  If you do well in a class and impress a professor who has a say in admissions, they could go to bat for you when the time comes.

 

But I get the sense that you feel like the only way you can stay academically stimulated and connected is if you take classes, and that just isn't so.  Attach yourself to a library - you can pay $30 a month to retain library privileges at Columbia - and set aside some time each week to read articles in your field.  Draw conceptual models or write what you would love to investigate during your PhD and your career.  Read books (both scholarly and popular) about anthropology.  Join a listserv, a mailing list, a discussion group.  If you are still in the city, which it sounds like, visit lectures at Columbia and CUNY Grad Center that are open to the public.  There are lots of ways to stay academically engaged without taking a class.

 

If you do take one, consider auditing it or taking it for R credit rather than a graded class.