Time off between undergrad and grad?

[Paper Moon]

I have been teaching in Japan via the JET program for almost 3 years. It's been an amazing experience to live and work in a foreign country, and I've been able to save money. 

I would love to do the Peace Corps after graduate school, but I'm glad I decided to do JET, because it's allowed me to meet amazing people, travel, get international relations experience, get teaching experience, and save money.

It's by no means perfect (Japan definitely has its problems and those are often amplified in the small, traditional, rural village that I live in), but I'm so happy that I decided to do this after undergrad and it sounds like it might be a good option for you if you aren't sure about graduate school.

[Need Coffee in an IV]

I toyed with the idea of taking time off from undergrad then going to grad school in a couple years. I would have to say that my boyfriend had an impact on my decision. His parents aren't in the best of health, so we decided that it would be best if I could finish my studies as soon as possible so we could eventually move near them to help out. Plus I've worked in museums, so I know what I want to study. Also with just a bachelors, I would hit a glass ceiling very quickly. I already have an admit I'm excited about. I would have taken a job over grad school if I couldn't afford it though.  In my case there wasn't an actual reason to put off grad school except for just putting it off.

[Ilikekitties]

I applied for an English teaching position in China. It would be for 1 year if I got it. It doesn't pay much, but it's enough. Since I've gotten rejected by most of my grad programs and funding for the one that I have gotten into is weak, China might be a good option if I get an offer.

[MarineBluePsy]

13 minutes ago, Peanut said:

I applied for an English teaching position in China. It would be for 1 year if I got it. It doesn't pay much, but it's enough. Since I've gotten rejected by most of my grad programs and funding for the one that I have gotten into is weak, China might be a good option if I get an offer.

I knew a gal who taught English in China and she loved it.  She saved a ton of money by staying with a host family and doing inexpensive things like hiking on the weekend.  Of course she was stuck there longer than expected because of the SARS outbreak, but her host family was understanding and continued to let her stay with them.  

Regarding taking time off between undergrad and grad school, I think everyone should do it.  When out of academia you learn a lot about yourself and really get a chance to figure out what you do and do not want to do.  Many parts of the world are un/undereducated and learning to interact within it can be challenging if you're only accustomed to dealing with people as one well educated person to another.

[spectastic]

for me, taking time off to pursue a career in industry only reassured me that there's nothing there for me if I decide to stick with my bachelors. I think you should try to have a clear idea of where you want to be in the world as you're going through college (internships, co-ops, and study abroad opportunities are excellent for this). for a lot of people, it's hard to decide what they want to do, but it's something you'll have to deal with sooner or later, so it's better to be vigilant in at least thinking about your future than postponing it. the downsides of not knowing is getting stuck in a job you don't like, and transition will become harder as time goes on. on the flipside, even if a phd is right for you, that's 5 years spent in poverty, and coming from industry, that SUCKS. but overall, as many frequently say, this is incredibly field specific, and I can only speak from my own experience. who do you want to be in society? find those people, and look through at their resume.

Edited March 21, 2016 by spectastic

[Ilikekitties]

I got offered a teaching position in China!

[puyple]

A professor I admire very much (he later wrote one of my letters of recommendation) talked me into taking time off.  It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  Granted, I only took a year, but it allowed me to get my priorities straight and save some money.  He put it this way: If you don't miss it once you're gone, don't go back.  

[Danger_Zone]

I was given similar advice from a professor as @puyple was. I only took a year off as well, but that gave me plenty of time to travel, "read for fun", study for the GRE and look into schools. Most importantly, though, it gave me time to really decide if continuing my education was right for me. I was initially worried that I might not want to go back once I had a break, but I've had quite the opposite reaction and am now very eager and excited to start school again. I've always loved writing and conducting research, but my final year was pretty intense and I think having a break may have prevented any burn out I may have felt if I didn't take time off. It also gave me plenty of time to explore my research interests and get a better idea of what I wanted to study in grad school.

[puyple]

On 4/17/2016 at 7:58 PM, Danger_Zone said:

I was given similar advice from a professor as @puyple was. I only took a year off as well, but that gave me plenty of time to travel, "read for fun", study for the GRE and look into schools. Most importantly, though, it gave me time to really decide if continuing my education was right for me. I was initially worried that I might not want to go back once I had a break, but I've had quite the opposite reaction and am now very eager and excited to start school again. I've always loved writing and conducting research, but my final year was pretty intense and I think having a break may have prevented any burn out I may have felt if I didn't take time off. It also gave me plenty of time to explore my research interests and get a better idea of what I wanted to study in grad school.

 

Yeah my final year was rough as well, and my year off made me eager to go back.  I'm glad I did it.