Advice for a Young Grad School Applicant?

juillet
Mon, 16 Sep 2013 13:27:21 +0000

Parents are often against gap years because they believe that students “will never go back” to graduate school, or they believe (erroneously) that their children will never get a job without a graduate degree. Neither of these things are true - PhD students are often in their mid-to-late 20s or early 30s (or older - the oldest woman in my cohort was 34 when we began) when they begin. And they bring with them maturity and experiences that help them weather graduate school, both academically/professionally and personally.

Also, PhD programs are typically fully funded, so don’t worry so much about your parents not helping you financially. It would be nice, but you can make it on your own. Please don’t rush yourself into graduate school just because your parents seem not to understand the realities.

I too wish I had taken 2-3 years off before coming to the PhD program. It’s grueling! And long! An English PhD can easily take 7-10 years. If there’s anything you want to do before that, do it now!