I did a two year masters program to receive my masters in social work. It was definitely worth it for me, because I needed that in order to become a licensed clinical social worker. I will say that there were pros and cons. I felt that I learned a lot more in my internships than in my classes, which makes a lot of sense to me knowing how I learn. My second year internship is where I discovered my loved and gift for working with children, and I canāt be more grateful that I found this work. I also got to go to Guatemala for two weeks as part of a class, which was amazing. I never got a chance to study abroad in my undergrad for various reasons so that was the closest I could get. Overall, it was a really positive experience for me.
I would say do some research on if people that are working in your desired field have found it useful. I do think that the connections and internships you can get from grad school alone can really make it worth it.
Oct 17, 2024
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Iām actively pursuing a PhD right now, so for me itās a yes, but Iāve had two friends drop from their respective PhD programs in the three years Iāve been in mine and for them itād be a hell no. You have to be really honest with yourself and take the decision seriously, but if you feel there arenāt much stakes (for instance you get into a fully funded program or get scholarships/fellowships) then Iād say itās worth a shot. I would never recommend grad school if youāre only doing it to ātake a break from the real worldā or something like that, but if getting a specialization in something would help you meet personal or professional goals, then itās probably gonna be worth it for you.
Oct 17, 2024
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iām so glad i went to college, long post bc i have so many feelings about it! my disclaimer is that i was really lucky to receive need-based and merit scholarships so despite my familyās income it ended up not being a financial burden for me. i feel like getting my degree was worth it for a few reasons.
the main reason is obvious: going to college really expanded my knowledge; i encountered so many different ideas and it cemented my love for learning. and unlike in high school, i had significant autonomy in choosing what i wanted to explore. besides important things like theory etc, i also was taught skills like using statistical software and academic writing. because of this, i learned my professional and academic interests, so i now have the option to go to grad school or pursue so many different jobs. i also did a few extracurriculars and had campus jobs, which i feel also contributed to my growth.
work isnāt the end-all be-all, so the other important reason it was worth it are the personal benefits. college was really a perfect place for growth between high school and āadulthoodā. it was a safer space to learn about myself and the world around me, independently but still in a supportive environment. also it was just really fun sometimes! in some ways it was much freer than life with a full-time job.
i went to a liberal arts collegeāso iām totally biased about that, butāi think it provides a far better education than non-liberal arts programs lol. it took me until my third semester to learn what i wanted to study and that wasnāt a setback at all; i still benefited from those courses and if i didnāt get to different explore subjects that first year, i would not have found my love for the fields i got my degree in. i think college should be about exploration and well-roundedness as much as it is about preparation for the future.
and all this isnāt to say colleges are perfect; i have plenty of āivy towerā criticisms and there were plenty of shitty things i experienced personally and academically bc life is just that way sometimes, but i think for me, the pros of attending still outweigh those cons. in the right place you can get a better idea of what you hope to do in your life, be equipped for that, and grow a lot of confidence in yourself, your dreams and your goals! :) overall it was very worth it and i donāt regret it.
Jun 18, 2024
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preface: this is the opinion of someone who has yet to go to grad school but is in the same boat as you. I think if you just want to have a professional career as a counselor/therapist/social worker then you can do a master's degree that will help you get some from of clinical license (MSW, CCMHC, LMFT). I'm working in a direct care/nonprofit job before I apply for my master's just so that I know what I'm getting into before I lock in to a career doing this for the rest of my life lol. Getting prepared for a PhD is trickier because it's more competitive; you'll need research experience since that is mainly what a PhD student is doing (writing academic papers rather than working directly with patients). Since you've already graduated, you would need to do a post-bac program/volunteer in a psychology lab at a nearby university/or find a job doing psychology research to get that experience. I don't think a master's degree in psychology alone is the move unless you plan to go on to get a PhD.
May 10, 2024
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This has become the norm and every day I grow more disturbed. I understand if somebody is behaving in a harmful way, that is good to document and put out there. But as a whole, it seems, we have become so comfortable with recording people just living their lives. I saw a video of a guy working and the caption of the video was that he was so hot, we needed to find him!!! Why are you providing the Internet with his face and location instead of just going up to talk to him? I saw another of two people on the subway, seemingly a couple, having a very emotional moment. How would you feel if you open up an app and saw a video like that of yourself? I donāt like this level of sibling society surveillance. Why are you videoing an elderly person with sad music dubbed over it to gain likes? It is WEIRD. Donāt even get me started on videos of children. It is WEIRD to use a stranger without their consent to get some kind of fake validation. Get a life.
I donāt mean to come on here and share something so negative, I just donāt have anywhere else to put it and itās gnawing at me.
Oct 7, 2024
Feb 23, 2025
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Iām curious what your brains are like
1d ago