Overwhelmed with interviews - Am I being ungrateful?

[Bec]

I feel like I'm having the biggest first world problem over here. Today I got an email for a 4th interview offer at a school. Awesome, right? Especially since they are all on different days. I should be jumping for joy, right? I was, initially. 

But I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. They are all on Mondays, 2 of them consecutive weeks. Since I'm at college, I have to miss Monday classes to go all the way home and do these interviews. One or two is fine, I had my professors give me the OK, but now I feel like I'm going to be missing more than they'll be okay with (and missing more work than I can deal with), especially if I end up getting other interviews down the road. I also have to take off of work on these Sundays and Mondays too since I won't be here. I'm worried this will start to annoy my boss. She's understanding but that will be a lot of time missed. 

On the other hand, I don't want to turn down any of the interviews! I don't plan to. I guess this is just me ranting about how they are all on Mondays when it is a struggle for me to miss. I wish I could ask for them to be on Fridays (no classes that day) but they sound like they are all group interviews so it doesn't seem possible, and I don't want to leave a bad first impression.

I realize that other people are probably in the same situation, so I'm wondering how everyone else it handling this? Even missing just one day of classes puts me far behind.

[bandinterwebs]

I'm in the same boat and I'm about to cry I'm so stressed. I have four interviews scheduled and just got notified of another today. A great problem to have, and I feel like a tool, but I work full time and am going to have to go into the negative on vacation time for these interviews. My boss, too, is understanding, but I'm about to tell him I need a full week off for back-to-back interviews right before a giant project is due...a giant project for which I'm one of the only resources.

I guess I'm struggling with the thought that maybe I should have a better idea of where I want to go. Are all four of your schools equal contenders? Mine aren't, but how early should you definitively rule a school out? If you think you don't want to go to a school, does it make sense not to visit, or should you give it a shot? 

I've been able to re-schedule one interview but I've had another school say they absolutely do not allow re-scheduling, and they were not at all kind about it. You might ask if any of your schools are open to re-scheduling. If you're a strong candidate, they might be willing to oblige.

I feel your pain, friend.

[Bec]

Thank you so much for your reply baninterwebs! I'm sorry that you're in the same situation but it's also reassuring to hear that I'm not alone in this. I thought maybe I was being ridiculous or ungrateful, because I have friends who haven't received a single interview yet. 

My schools aren't exactly equal contenders either. The one I got an email for today isn't really as high of a choice as the other three. However, I would absolutely go there if I didn't get accepted to any of the others (that's why I applied, isn't it?) and you are right--how do I know for sure if I haven't even visited them yet?

I already confirmed the other 3 interviews and this one said that the day for it isn't flexible. Yikes. I'm actually about to head out the door now to talk with my school adviser and hopefully he will be able to help me sort this all out. I'm also going to meet with my Monday class professors and hope that there's a way I can make this work. I mean, I can't be the only student they've had who had to go through this, right? Not sure about your boss's experience with that since it might be a more uncommon request for time off.

[Edotdl]

I feel you. I'm going on 5 interviews and 1 visit, missing 15 days of school in total. It'll be a lot of work too catch up on...

[ciistai]

Feeling your pain, sorta. Not in school, but working full-time, and I'm already trying to hoard my vacation days for fieldwork in the summer. The two interviews/ weekends I have planned are already overwhelming... I can't imagine having so many! Good luck to you - I wish you all the best - you're not being ungrateful though, it's tough when you're a) in school finishing the degree that will qualify you for your next one and/ or b ) working a job that allows you to survive and pay expensive application fees... 

[Love3]

I feel your pain! I'm not in school but I work a job that doesn't give paid time off. I am very grateful for my 6 interviews especially because last time I applied I wasn't as successful! Between the money it takes to travel and the actual traveling, it is so exhausting.

This is what we wanted and it'll all work out once the process is finished and we are starting a program. 

[Bec]

Thanks for the responses everyone. It is indeed harder than I imagined to schedule these over top of my classes and I can't imagine how much harder it is for those of you with full-time jobs. I'm just going to bite the bullet and work extra hard to make up for the classes that I'm going to have to miss! I'd be more confident to ask to reschedule for a day I have off if they were individual interviews, but they are all group interviews so I know it's not possible.

Love3, you are applying to School Psychology programs? 2 of my interviews are for School Psychology as well (the other 2 are for School Counseling). Did you apply to any schools in PA/NJ by any chance? And you are totally right--this is what we wanted, and hopefully down the road we will wonder why we were stressed in the first place! 

[Love3]

1 hour ago, Bec said:

Love3, you are applying to School Psychology programs? 2 of my interviews are for School Psychology as well (the other 2 are for School Counseling). Did you apply to any schools in PA/NJ by any chance? And you are totally right--this is what we wanted, and hopefully down the road we will wonder why we were stressed in the first place! 

Exactly and then the stress of being in grad school will start. We might as well get used to the stress now. 

I applied to 9 schools and only one is in PA. I'm trying to get away from my hometown area. Lehigh is the school that I applied to in PA and my interview is on Monday. How about you? 

[Bec]

23 hours ago, Love3 said:

Exactly and then the stress of being in grad school will start. We might as well get used to the stress now. 

I applied to 9 schools and only one is in PA. I'm trying to get away from my hometown area. Lehigh is the school that I applied to in PA and my interview is on Monday. How about you? 

Ah, okay, I'm the opposite. I live in the Philadelphia area and I (mostly) applied to schools that I can commute to. I didn't apply to Lehigh, but my interviews for School Psychology are for Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Rider (NJ). Also applied to Temple but haven't heard back. Best of luck on Monday with the interview! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[cpctc1]

Just wanted to say that I feel you on this. I keep missing the same class and the work I have to make up is piling up and the concepts are getting difficult to teach myself. As far as problems go, it's a good one to have, but it is still very very stressful. I'm considering turning down an interview because I'm just so behind, but it's creating such a dilemma for me.