Graduate School/Career Options- a steel ceiling

[Ali Mac]

Hi everyone, I'm new to QLC. My life is pretty good in most areas except for career/grad school. I'm wondering if anyone has any input. Talking to my father about this stuff is like beating a dead horse- for someone who claims to be so positive and open minded, he just doesn't get it and doesn't want to think outside his narrow box, so...

So I graduated University two and a half years ago, just barely passing my senior year. I don't have any professors who I have or had a good relationship with. I was too busy being depressed and holed up in my room to concentrate on my studies, explore my horizons, or socialize and now I regret that. I do have a BA in psych from a good university, but that doesn't say much. My transcript looks horrible with mostly C's and one D and a few B's and the occasional A. My GPA amounted to less than 2.5 or near 2.5 maybe once, but really it's not very impressive in the long run. Because I put psychology down on my application in undergrad for an anticipated major my family expected me to go into this and make my career in psych. They are very upset that I found long ago that I really did not enjoy psych courses or the idea of pursuing psychology further. I majored in psych and did not take many courses outside that discipline in order to comply with my parents' wishes. Problem is, I don't know what I *can* study now because I never explored any other avenues. A lot of things interest me but I don't know how I'd fare with anything long term just because I don't even have the slightest experience or idea of how they would really seem to me. How I would get into graduate school is beyond me since I don't have a 3.0 GPA for the last 60 semester units. I've taken other courses part time and did well, but it's not enough.

I work in a substance abuse treatment program as an administrative assistant right now and I'm trying to find a new job, but many of them require more advanced degrees or more experience. Or, they're just in a different field where I have no experience. I live in San Francisco, so it's not like I can afford to take a job that pays like $12 or $13 an hour. My father is so concerned about me staying in "my field" (aka psychology) and only makes criticisms and sweeping generalizations about other fields and doubts my abilities in anything OUTSIDE of psychology and I feel that this is really limiting and narrow minded. I don't want to stay in the field I am now (substance abuse/psych) because it's really not that interesting to me. My boss thinks I'd be good in business, my father thinks it's "not for me" as is everything that isn't a mental health career. Of course he's not going to change his views and while I won't make him try to, his perspective drives me nuts. It's not like I'm going to perish because I'm doing something that might mean a little effort for me, or because I'm doing something new, or doing something that's been outside the classes I took in university. He's very concerned that god forbid I "fall off the merry-go-round" and fail at something or am not good at 100% of all aspects of said discipline or career. I mean, this is really nuts.

I've thought of MBA, I think I'd enjoy being a Nurse Practitioner, but I'd have to take prerequisites first, etc. I'd go back to university full time if I could since I missed out on the whole Univ. experience- and now I'm sorry that I did, but of course I have no one to blame but myself and not that I want to blame anyone else...just making a statement of fact. But I'm not sure taking large loans out for that and personal expenses and quitting my job to go back to Uni. would be the best choice financially and at 25 years old.

I guess I have two issues, 1) graduate school/path of study, and 2) career, and I'm not sure which comes first, getting into school or finding a profession I think I'd enjoy and then pursing studies for that. Has anyone ever been in a similar situation or have any thoughts? I don't know what to do and don't want to keep going in circles about this.

[cameralady]

I've thought of MBA, I think I'd enjoy being a Nurse Practitioner, but I'd have to take prerequisites first, etc.
The nursing profession pays a decent salary, so you should get a decent rate of return on the amount of money you'd invest in tuition.

I'd go back to university full time if I could since I missed out on the whole Univ. experience- and now I'm sorry that I did, but of course I have no one to blame but myself and not that I want to blame anyone else...just making a statement of fact. But I'm not sure taking large loans out for that and personal expenses and quitting my job to go back to Uni. would be the best choice financially and at 25 years old.
What other good reasons would you have for going back full-time?

How are the public universities in the area?

I guess I have two issues, 1) graduate school/path of study, and 2) career, and I'm not sure which comes first, getting into school or finding a profession I think I'd enjoy and then pursing studies for that. Has anyone ever been in a similar situation or have any thoughts? I don't know what to do and don't want to keep going in circles about this.
Playing devil's advocate, go for what pays $$$; you live in a high COL area after all. :evil:

[Ali Mac]

The nursing profession pays a decent salary, so you should get a decent rate of return on the amount of money you'd invest in tuition.

It does. My company doesn't offer tuition reimbursement (we're a nonprofit in the ghetto....to put it mildly), so obviously I'm looking elsewhere. NP's do make pretty good salaries. And there's a lot of options in the Nursing field.



What other good reasons would you have for going back full-time?

Other than making better use of my academic experience.....making better use of my social experience. I mean I could care less about late night pizza runs and nightclubs, but I mean more like more networking among my peers..maybe I'd meet someone in a totally different area of study and learn somethnig from them and vice versa...to really get a broader experience than I allowed for myself the first time around.

How are the public universities in the area?

I'd have to research that more. Thanks for asking. What I can say is that they all say they're competitive, accept this minority of students out of the applicant pool, etc., but it's hard to know whether that's cold and hard truth or just pure advertising to make themselves look good. UCSF is renowned for their programs in medicine/science, etc. But other universities I'd have to see more about. I'm in the process of requesting info.


Playing devil's advocate, go for what pays $$$; you live in a high COL area after all. :evil:

Well, that's another thing. I'd like to make enough money for me, but that's a very subjective thing that differs from person to person. The north bay is more affordable than the city, which is like an hour away from SF, and the east bay is more affordable too but I don't like the east bay. Ideally I'd want to make enough to put away for a house but not necessarily in the city- you would barely own any land, if any at all in most areas of the city, and take a vacation once or twice a year. I don't plan to have children, so I'm not planning my career on my ability to provide for a family.

Thanks for your input!

[Carolineinsc]

I'm in the MBA vs Nurse Position myself.

My boyfriend is on his way to start a nurse program in San Jose next month. So I've toyed with the idea myself I started by reviewing what the pre-reqs are, normally they are always: Anatomy, Statistics, Chemistry, Microbiology and that is before you can even apply. So far I took Anatomy and Statistics all while working full time just to see how I like it and while I loved Anatomy it is a LOT of work and Statistics beat me up bad mostly because I was working during the day.

Now I am wavering on becoming a nurse and am happy to stick in my field to pursue an MBA. You do need the GPA though for most MBA programs as well as some quantitative classes like Accounting, Econ, Statistics even before you apply. Some MBA schools will balance your GPA with your GMAT scores which might help you but then you have to do a perfect job on the GMAT.

I would start with your local community college. Take a night class in some of the prereqs they almost always count toward getting into either your MBA or Nurse program, it is super cheap $80 ? and aside from the commitment it can help you figure out your future.

If you decide you really like nursing then I would suggest you do what my boyfriend did. He has a BA in Literature and went back to school at his local community college, taking out loans, and worked through all the prereqs. It is a hard life but starting wage for him will be $60K plus...

[winneythepooh7]

I work in the human services field right now (social worker). I can honestly say that at least 75% of what I do (if not more!) is "business related". In fact, most jobs are. 99.9% of it though is just having good people skills and being able to schmooze well.

Many of the higher ups I work with have gotten their MBA in addition to their MSW.

[zz4guy]

Because I put psychology down on my application in undergrad for an anticipated major my family expected me to go into this and make my career in psych. They are very upset that I found long ago that I really did not enjoy psych courses or the idea of pursuing psychology further. I majored in psych and did not take many courses outside that discipline in order to comply with my parents' wishes. Problem is, I don't know what I *can* study now because I never explored any other avenues. A lot of things interest me but I don't know how I'd fare with anything long term just because I don't even have the slightest experience or idea of how they would really seem to me. How I would get into graduate school is beyond me since I don't have a 3.0 GPA for the last 60 semester units. I've taken other courses part time and did well, but it's not enough.


If I were you I would ask myself what I really wanted to do and then go do it. Dont listen to your parents, dont listen to anybody but your heart. You are still young enough and your degree wont count towards much anyway since you have low grades (plus you dont care much for psych).

Later on down the road the 4 yr degree will probably be helpful though. There are a lot of jobs at the company I'm at that simply need "a bachelors degree". Doesnt matter in what. So 10 yrs down the road when you get into something you like you can at least satisfy the job opening requirements w/a bacholors. It is a major stumbling block for some people I work with.

In the mean time, go out there and find something you love! Life is too short to be depressed all the time! :)

[Ali Mac]

If I were you I would ask myself what I really wanted to do and then go do it. Dont listen to your parents, dont listen to anybody but your heart. You are still young enough and your degree wont count towards much anyway since you have low grades (plus you dont care much for psych).

Later on down the road the 4 yr degree will probably be helpful though. There are a lot of jobs at the company I'm at that simply need "a bachelors degree". Doesnt matter in what. So 10 yrs down the road when you get into something you like you can at least satisfy the job opening requirements w/a bacholors. It is a major stumbling block for some people I work with.

In the mean time, go out there and find something you love! Life is too short to be depressed all the time! :)

I wish I had done what I really wanted to do. A 4 year degree got my foot in the door, but otherwise it won't help. I would LIKE to go on for further study in another field but not sure how that would be possible.

Also to clarify I am no longer going through depression. I have overcome this and am very satisfied with my relationships, living arrangement, social life. I'm just trying to figure out how I can manage to get into a graduate program of whatever field I happen to choose or how to pursue the idea of it. But if I choose to go into Nursing...a Bachelors' in Psych isn't going to cut it.

[Millenial]

I'm in the MBA vs Nurse Position myself.

My boyfriend is on his way to start a nurse program in San Jose next month. .

i hear it's hard to get into CA nursing programs bc the demand is so high. "impacted" i guess they call it.

i sometimes get jealous of the nursing field, my parents both make tons and are in the field.

[Millenial]

I wish I had done what I really wanted to do. A 4 year degree got my foot in the door, but otherwise it won't help. I would LIKE to go on for further study in another field but not sure how that would be possible.

Also to clarify I am no longer going through depression. I have overcome this and am very satisfied with my relationships, living arrangement, social life. I'm just trying to figure out how I can manage to get into a graduate program of whatever field I happen to choose or how to pursue the idea of it. But if I choose to go into Nursing...a Bachelors' in Psych isn't going to cut it.


i am going for a MA in psych currently, i would highly suggest not picking it if you didn't like the undergrad courses, it doesn't get any better.

[Ali Mac]

I'm in the MBA vs Nurse Position myself.

My boyfriend is on his way to start a nurse program in San Jose next month. So I've toyed with the idea myself I started by reviewing what the pre-reqs are, normally they are always: Anatomy, Statistics, Chemistry, Microbiology and that is before you can even apply. So far I took Anatomy and Statistics all while working full time just to see how I like it and while I loved Anatomy it is a LOT of work and Statistics beat me up bad mostly because I was working during the day.

Now I am wavering on becoming a nurse and am happy to stick in my field to pursue an MBA. You do need the GPA though for most MBA programs as well as some quantitative classes like Accounting, Econ, Statistics even before you apply. Some MBA schools will balance your GPA with your GMAT scores which might help you but then you have to do a perfect job on the GMAT.

I would start with your local community college. Take a night class in some of the prereqs they almost always count toward getting into either your MBA or Nurse program, it is super cheap $80 ? and aside from the commitment it can help you figure out your future.

If you decide you really like nursing then I would suggest you do what my boyfriend did. He has a BA in Literature and went back to school at his local community college, taking out loans, and worked through all the prereqs. It is a hard life but starting wage for him will be $60K plus...

Thanks for your input! I think that's a good idea. I should be able to register for a class for the upcoming semester about now. It's just so hard sometimes to know if you'll enjoy the job and work environment from the actual class. Sometimes profs are bad, or the material sucks but then later you get in a job situation where you'd enjoy doing that work in the office yet not in the classroom, etc. But in any case, the opportunity to learn something new is there. I have a job interview tomorrow(!) for another job, so if I happen to get it, it would help to make things a lot easier on my financially. I'm talking like, a big salary difference/addition of nearly $20,000 (gross, but still). Well, I'll enroll in an evening class and see how I like it and if I'm willing to stay with that discipline and take it from there. If I enjoy it an find myself able to do the work, I think it'll be worth it in the long run to really work through it and apply for a higher degree...hopefully after completing prerequisites, I'll have more work experience to add as well.

[Ali Mac]

I work in the human services field right now (social worker). I can honestly say that at least 75% of what I do (if not more!) is "business related". In fact, most jobs are. 99.9% of it though is just having good people skills and being able to schmooze well.

Many of the higher ups I work with have gotten their MBA in addition to their MSW.

I totally agree that most jobs are business-related. Most of what I do is "business-related" as well- pretty much everything has a business to it, a business aspect to the job which can be quite large depending on your field. Well, I know there are universities who even have certificates, sequences, etc., that working professionals can enroll in and they are given letter grades, so that could be of help.

[TPS]

Ali Mac,

When I read your opening for this thread I could not help to notice how much you wrote about the pressure your family and especially your father seem to be putting on you. It seems that you lived through your university years basically pursuing their dream, instead of exploring what you'd like to do with your own life.

This might be really bad advice, depending on your situation and personality, but you might want to consider taking some time off before deciding whether you want to become a nurse, work in a company, etc. Go and do something entirely different for a while. Something that most of your friends and family perceive as very "not you". Preferably far away from where you live (abroad?). This might help you to get some distance from your current situation and the pressures that your family is obviously placing on you.

[winneythepooh7]

Ali Mac,

When I read your opening for this thread I could not help to notice how much you wrote about the pressure your family and especially your father seem to be putting on you. It seems that you lived through your university years basically pursuing their dream, instead of exploring what you'd like to do with your own life.

This might be really bad advice, depending on your situation and personality, but you might want to consider taking some time off before deciding whether you want to become a nurse, work in a company, etc. Go and do something entirely different for a while. Something that most of your friends and family perceive as very "not you". Preferably far away from where you live (abroad?). This might help you to get some distance from your current situation and the pressures that your family is obviously placing on you.

This actually is really good advice. As an aside, I also recommend talking to others about what they do. You may find you are interested in something else that you may not need to pursue graduate school for right away, if at all. Sometimes just a job/field change in general is what we need! Also others may be able to suggest how to get a job in their field, or how to tailor your resume to fit a current position you may be interested in.

[Ali Mac]

Ali Mac,

When I read your opening for this thread I could not help to notice how much you wrote about the pressure your family and especially your father seem to be putting on you. It seems that you lived through your university years basically pursuing their dream, instead of exploring what you'd like to do with your own life.

This might be really bad advice, depending on your situation and personality, but you might want to consider taking some time off before deciding whether you want to become a nurse, work in a company, etc. Go and do something entirely different for a while. Something that most of your friends and family perceive as very "not you". Preferably far away from where you live (abroad?). This might help you to get some distance from your current situation and the pressures that your family is obviously placing on you.

That feels like what I did...

I live in California, my family lives on the east. So there's plenty of distance between my family and I.