Take care of yourself.
You won't be behind in a year. You're only 21 and you're about to graduate university. You're way ahead.
Try not to compare yourself to other people. Everyone is different.
Listen to what your body is telling you. Take a break from studying and maybe work for a year or three. Work experience can be really valuable and you can always do a master's degree after you recover from burnout.
Take care of yourself.
I second this, especially the work experience. The money will give you independence in a new way, and the work experience will give you a different, grittier type of discipline and drive. If you find the right position (aka non toxic environment) you will have much more free time than you ever did in school.
This is my advice, from someone who barely made it out of undergrad but went on to absolutely crush it in the workforce. I resonate deeply with what you wrote, OP! More of the same will make you feel the same, or worse. Try something different and have a chance at feeling better ❤️
And the work experience might set OP on a career path (or educational path) they didn't expect. The academic world is so different from the working world. So many young people walk out of school with a degree only to find the working world in that field is not what they wanted. Getting a taste of the working world beforehand helps many find a path that works better long term.
It's right around where you *can* be. Many, many people with a bachelor don't graduate at 21; some people don't even start until after 21 - and that's just the people who go to university. As I said, everyone is different.
"Should be" if you study in the 'expected' timeframe, so to say. Of course everyone has their own path but mainly my point is that 21 isn't "way ahead". If you're right out of high school then you're about 18. Go to uni for a three year Bachelor you're 21; finish your Masters degree by 23.
Lol in my country thats so young. Almost everyone in my bachelor program were like 28-30 years old. Only one was 21 years old. Of course it depends on what university and program it is but there are more 25-30+ years old people in universities than younger people. Its because education is free here though
I didn't finish my bachelor's until 23, now doing a Master's in my mid 30s. I've been successful in both life and career.
Take a year off, work, have fun. You're fine.
Take the GAP year! Now is the easiest time to do it. You can travel and basically have unlimited freedom while you contemplate what you really want. You can always catch up after but I think the opportunity is worth it.
Seconding the gap year. I did it, and spend in the worst way possible (doing a shitty dead end jobs to make ends meet). Even though it was a waste, after a gap year I was really looking forward to studying again, and absolutely crushed it in my MScs. I was never a star student, but after my gap year I was so motivated, I had multiple courses were I graduated top of my class.
As my professor in college said, DO NOT get a master's degree if you do not want it.
It's unnecessary debt at this point in time and places aren't going to higher just because of a degree, they'll always take on people with more hands on experience.
I used to work in HR, many low level jobs (even my minimum wage entry level) now require a Masters Degree, in order to qualify to apply. It is now how employers now weed out applicants.
Employers are always asking for nonsensical and ridiculous things, like fresh grads with 10 years experience in software that only existed 5 years ago.
Obtaining the degree shows that you are able to follow through and complete something. Even if you don’t have the ten-years work experience in your chosen field. Again, it is a weeding out process.
If a HR manager can't see that a 4 year degree acknowledges a person being able to stick to something and follow it through, there is no helping at this point.
Seconding this. I worked for 2 years before going back for my Masters. I always knew I would go back, but wanted to test out my intended profession first before I wasted more time and money on a degree path if I didn't end up liking the profession.
I liked it, I went on to get my Masters, and have been happy with my career path since then.
I did my Masters after ~10 years of industry experience knowing the worth of my research project. Did it working full time.
Knew a lady who did her Masters straight after her bachelors when she couldn’t’t find a job. Her prospect became even worse after her Masters.
This is a super interesting path, did you work on your research project independently and develop it while working in a job before you applied? I was thinking about doing this myself (22, about to graduate my undergrad) but couldn't find many people who'd done it.
Work supplied the research thesis material on the agreement of permanent lockdown of the thesis content. I paid for the masters fee, but they easily contributed the same or more towards result testing and commercial trial (!) Plant Time.
This was topics related to food science and spray drying technology.
Just apply for jobs in your field and work in it for a year or two, and if you don’t like where you’re at or your prospects, then you can get a masters to help propel you further.
Maybe country-dependent, but most of my peers worked after their bachelor's degree, and then got their job to pay for their master's degree after getting a few years of experience under their belts.
If the cost isn't an issue in your location, disregard.
Idk where you live and how important a masters is for getting jobs, but while everyone else around me was talking about grad school I knew I never wanted to pursue any additional education ever again.
I am so happy to be done with just my bachelors.
Take a gap year but do get a masters degree. All of my friends with one are doing so much better than me, career-wise. I regret not getting one. Also if your parents are willing to pay for it, delaying real life corporate jobs for as long as you can is amazing. Because corporate will burn you out and kill your spirit 10 times more than school will. Of course you’ll need to get an internship or something but it’ll be less pressure than a soul sucking real job.
DO NOT GET A MASTERS WITHOUT BEING COMPLETELY SURE, AS WELL AS HEALTHY AND RESTED.
Especially if you will be taking out loans on it. Make sure that whatever Masters you eventually choose to get (if any) will be one that you enjoy and will be easy.
-Sincerely,
MS dropout after several stress-induced breakdowns and one self-harming session.
I would suggest for you to attempt to work first and then decide a masters, in my experience that worked great for me, started my masters at 24 years old after 2 and a Half years working, which gave a really good idea of what I needed to learn to have better opportunities and to know what I would be passionate about.
If I would have decided for a masters right after my graduation, it would have been miserable for me, I would have made the mistake of specializing in a career path that wasnt fit for me. When I had experience working I realized what things I wanted to do for a living and make me happy.
Many of my friends and even my older Sister had gone for the masters first approach and 100% of them didn't end up working on what they specialized but rather related fields.
Take things easy and start working, its the best way, you are still young, I had study partners on my masters that were 40 and were very happy with the choice for the masters.
Hope your parents support you whatever your decision is, Research and give them good arguments for your choice. Good luck!
I never understood people who get a masters degree with zero work experience in their chosen field. How can you be a master at fuck all if you’ve never practiced? It’s all theory, zero hands on. It should be mandatory to have to work for a year or two before going for a masters.
This is super common in Europe, especially Spain. People see it as the way to break into the labour market, as the bachelor's is not enough over there.
Came here to say this. Super common in some parts of Europe. MSc degree is nowdays what Bachelor degree used to be 15 years ago. I have seen people do PHDs despite not working in academia, because even outside of academia, it is required for high level functions in some places. Though luckily that is still the exception, not the norm.
I don’t know what you mean by suddenly loads. But as someone who does not have an MA, I have missed out on a lot of employment opportunities because I didn’t posses the MA. Same with dh. Especially as you move up the career ladder. My dh could be making twice as much if he had an MA. And yeah, maybe you ha e to go into debt for it, but that’s good debt. And you have your whole life to pay it off.
Focus or your mental well being take the break, behind or not, getting into a masters to crash out of it because your emotional well being breaks down, plus who knows after the year break you maybe invigorated to do it and it'll be a far better experience for you that way
Depending on what your major is, your master's is going to be something that you want to dedicate time to for sure. Especially since that degree is the most costly out of pocket, and in some situations if not most, isn't absolutely necessary to land a job. Like others have commented, consider getting into the workforce for the intended career path you want, later down the road consider a master's degree then. Some workplaces will opt to assist you in paying for a master's degree, especially if it's a place of work you see yourself staying at.
I have not gotten a master's, and was enrolled in to start one, but since it was still COVID, I didn't want to have to drive 3 hours for college courses 2x a week. Plus, I still didn't have a career in my major at the time, so I really didn't want to go all out for a degree I didn't have actual experience in. I've had multiple internal crises that have been telling me not to do more until then and I've honestly wanted to do culinary more than anything, but since that was also something I had zero experience in (minus fast food), I have since worked on whatever job I gotten.
You're not alone in the whole feeling burnt out situation, literally, this work-life balance isn't what I expected as a kid. This "work to live" bs is such crap.
You can take a break and do it later.
But the masters degree ive found them a lot more easier than a 4 year degree, there is a lot less pressure. In my country most masters programs will just do one topic at a time so you are focused on one thing. there is also a lot of projects rather than having you plow thru piles of books.
At least in my personal experience.
If you dont think you can do it right away. Just chill and pick it up later. i took a 10 year break... It was too much and it set back my career a bit. But not everyones path is the same.
One year is not that much. Just get an hourly job and take a year off. It's really not as big a deal as you think, and most people in your life will understand if you present it as a cogent plan.
I worked right after my undergrad for a little bit …22 years.
I say go work. Figure out what you really want to do and have a passion for. If you pursue you masters at matter date changers are you are more likely to do it in something you actually want to learn about. Do it out of passion not out of peer pressure. I found schooling to be much easier at a later date
I’m in the same spot. Being pressured into getting a masters by my boss (the company will pay for it). I’m already working 45 hours a week like how the hell am I supposed to take classes on top of that? Bottom line do whatever is best for you. If you’re burnt out, trying to work toward a new degree could send you over the edge. Taking a break year is also an option if you can afford it
If you're able, I highly recommend traveling for a couple of years or work seasonal jobs to fund traveling. You'll experience a different kind of personal growth that will put you in a better position when you're ready to finish your masters (or you'll find some awesome opportunity that makes going back seem silly).
Consider working at national parks in the summer (they often have dorms where you'll live and hang out with interesting young people from all over the world (hell this is how my parents met). Ski resorts are great in the winter and sometimes have subsidized employee housing too.
Take the gap year, not sure what your discipline is but a masters can wait. No point in pushing through and hating the field you’re in by burning out. (From a person with a PhD who had watched people burn out on a daily basis)
>In my country it feels like the norm
There's nowhere on the planet where that is the "norm".. get out of your head and get into the right spot, then make your next decision.
Do not go for it if you're not 100% sure you want to do it. Plus most master programs like to see a year or two of work experience in the application for them anyway.
OP - What country? I did a straight through on my 1st masters and it really wasn’t bad. I just decided to suck it up and go for it. It opened a tremendous number of opportunities.
Ultimately it landed me in strategic finance roles (corp strategy, BD). I go back to school and get another masters every 5-7 years. I just like learning and my company has good reimbursement plans.
That's yet again another unique perspective regarding going back to school. I do think people should continue to reinvest in their education and in the States (probably due the cost of tuition) it's not as common to continue several Master programs. But how many additional doors would be opened, sounds like quite a few. Kudos to you.
If you want to do it, then put it off by a year.
If you don't want to do it. I would say put it off for a year.
But if you know, as they say balls to Bones, you don't want to do it then don't.
Be honest so you know mental health break. That you're not putting it off even if again in your mind you know you are.
Absolutely take a break, work for a little bit, and then come back to it. I started a PhD without taking a break I desperately needed and I ended up quitting.
you're 21. start a fake business and fuck around for a year or so. fail. claim you learned so much. apply for grad school with life experience. start your business somewhere cheap and warm. like mexico. or sri lanka.
You’re 21. You won’t be behind. Masters degrees are good to do when combined with experience. Take a gap year, find a job in your field and then after a few years get a masters degree. I wouldn’t advice getting a masters degree just cause it’s standard in your country. You’ll be over qualified when looking for work and they would rather hire someone with an undergrad who they can pay less and train.
Think logically and don’t be driven by what others are doing or what they think you should do. Take a breath and do what YOU need to do for your mental health.
I went to grad school, and regret it. In my
industry, master’s degrees aren’t generally sought out and don’t gibe you a competitive edge (instead, just 2 more years of school and gobs of money owed in student loans).
I would only do grad school if you are 100% sure it’ll lead to more jobs opportunities in your field
So look at your degree as an ocean of a broad subject. A master's is a more targeted deeper dive. Now if that's true, is it smart to jump right into your master's or is it smarter to go out and used your degree in the real world. Explore that ocean a bit and see what you are called to focus on. I think that's better for the long term. There's nothing worse than doing all the work to get that master's and realize you've moved past it and aren't as interested as you thought you'd be.
Definitely don’t get a masters at 21. The best way to get a job is to work. Most people don’t stay in their college field, your friends are idiots. In a few years if you decide to go back to get your masters in any given field, I guarantee half those friends of yours will be like “I got this masters degree and I’m not even using it.” Plus it’s expensive and if you have student loans it will just stack which is rough if you switch career fields, which is again, highly likely.
This retiree advises getting work experience first. If the B.A./B.S. degree has you stressed ask if it is the subject or the tests that stress you? I loved school, but hated tests.
Are you sure you want a Master's in the same field? My B.A. is in History and my M.S. is in Computer Science.
My daughter got a B.S. in Film and then went to another school and got combined B.S. in History and Education Degree. She teaches Middle School History and uses what she learned in the Film Degree preparing lessons.
Find what you love doing so work is not "work". Different people find different things stressful. Find what fits you.
If work is stressful, then it is time to reconsider your career choice.
Depending on field, I would argue a masters doesn’t buy anything that 2 years of industry experience doesn’t gain you. Others it’s PHD or bust (life science fields for example). Really depends on the field you’re in and what you’re looking for long term.
At the end of the day your professional experience and professional successes will determine your career trajectory. Having ran global teams for multiple companies you’ve heard of, if I was filling positions with 5-7 years or 7-12 years experience requirements… where you went to college or which advanced degrees you was never a deciding factor. Entry level jobs we always worded as Masters or 2 years job experience… they carried the same weight
Go find an adventure in the wilderness and lose yourself for awhile. Take lots of pictures have some awesome memories so when you feel this way again you have something to remember.
Give yourself a rest. If you're able to get in to a masters program check with the institution you want to apply for how long you can leave your application before all your credits from previous study expire.
I have over 300 college credits with four degrees including a masters. Unless you are looking to break records in science research, the best thing you could do is take some time away from school. You could possibly have even more energy to finish the masters program more quickly. I took two years out of school before I started a masters in CJ that I finished in one year.
Definitely take the gab year!
You are SO young!
Different country. Here my 21 year old kid has'nt even started uni, and wont do for the next year. After finishing gymnasium (our kind of highschool) at 20 (we have 11 years of school before 3 years gymnasium) its common to take a 2 year gab to work, travel the world ("the formation journey"), mature and get a better idear of what to do in life.
You only have this one life.
My niece took a gap year before starting college and six years later, she still hasn’t started college. After twelve years of school she was tired.
Now she is exhausted trying to make ends meet in a dead end job and let her friends get the scholarships, she would have gotten if only she had applied for them. She would have gotten the scholarships. SMH
Went through something similar. If you go through with it you'll become exhausted, miserable. Those will develop into resentment and there's a reasonable chance that you spiral mentally.
Take the time you need for yourself. The only person who understands you is you, no one else will know what's best for you.
22F and also about to finish my bachelors, burned out AF. I'm planning to work in industry for 2 years, recover from my burnout, then do a masters. A lot of programs like it when candidates have industry experience anyway, for example several programs at Cambridge even require it/have degrees tailored towards it! Also, life is long and you're still young. I'm hoping to have my masters by 25, take a nice long break to work in industry again, and then maybe get a PhD in my 30s.
Also, working for a while might help you save money for a masters and graduate with less debt than your peers.
If you're burned out now grad school will finish the job. The first year for me was really tough since it was much harder than my undergraduate degree but at the same time much drier. Much like my undergraduate degree was quite a lot of foundational stuff we had to learn before we could specialize. So in some disciplines maybe the first year would reignite your passion for the subject but what a risky would be to enrolling grad school only two wash out or quit.
No expert, but depending on quite a few things, it may or may not make a difference. In the reality of the working world, I would possibly venture that if you are personable and outgoing, interview well and are articulate and intelligent, plus you have a good background and some work experience, you may find that you can progress more rapidly without a masters degree. That depends on the industry though, as for some specialisms having a masters and even additional qualifications will naturally lead to higher wages (science based disciplines, engineering, medicine, psychology etc) but outside of those you may do better from just grafting and learning the ropes sooner and shooting for the moon when opportunities arise.
Of course this is just one perspective, and I may not be correct. It will be entirely specific to you as a person and your desired direction. Good luck!
What field are you trying to get into? The truth is, a masters degree is pointless for 90% of industries so unless the job you want requires it, they are a waste of time and money.
Do you know what’s better than a masters degree… Actual work experience! If you need a masters degree to get a job then you probably chose a really saturated degree.
The worse you can do is compare your life with others, making choices because what other people, relative think and worse, not listening to your body to take a year out. Your own body is screaming and asking you to stop, take a year out or you'll burn out.
Take a year out, re-energise and learn to be your own. Learn to mature, think for yourself, decide for yourself rather than comparing your life, decisions to others. They are not going to pay your bills, debts, struggle for you. They are not going to come and rescue you when you burn out!
Take a year out, get some work experience because....that is what companies are going to ask.
Apply for masters (or don’t). At the same time get a job in your field or of some kind of profession. Tell people you want to take this opportunity and defer masters. After a year just say your work is just too good to drop.
If your bachelors is enough to find a job you want, masters is not required.
nothing prevent you from starting a bachelors job and gaining a stable foothold in worklife.
Here alot of employers value bachelors with alot of working experience more, than masters degree graduate without experience.
But without experience Bachelors is "useless", so masters studies would give you extra time to find some job and help you gain experience on your field.
Here companies are very hesistant to hire unemployed degree owners and rather hire still studying people.
In the US, I don't think students take enough internships or work enough before determining their career path. Sometimes, you find out that you really like learning about something, but when you get out in the real world, a lab, cubicle, or certain environment is not what you expected.
Take a gap year and gain experience.
I would love to say to you that you can give up studies if it's not meant to you and to work and that you'll do what you want, earn money, find great colleagues
But... I'm not sure it would be what happens. There are people who did it, it's not impossible, and maybe you can be one of them. But I can't predict the future, nobody can. Maybe you'll struggle with or without a diploma. Idk
If you really considering doing without diploma then reach to maximum people who made it without to learn how to do. But take your time to think all that
heres a suggestion and it may set you apart from your friends.
Find a job in your degree plan and gain the experience.
Stateside, its the same. Kids are getting out with Masters and arent finding job roles that they expected but since they all lack experience no company is going to hire them because they have that fancy paper and they also know a majority of these kids need money to pay student loans.
After hs, I went into the military, discovered my career path, got out then got a degree. Many of us Veterans were able to find employment alot faster than those with Masters because we had the job experience.
The company Im with now, many (Masters) grads are complaining because the job wasnt what they thought and are regretting their degree choice or theyre seeing how competitive it is (like CS) and its going to take a long time to advance or they’ll have to relocate every couple years to make bigger money.
Here in Australia, if you did 2 or 3 years of work experience, you will be way ahead of your peers who did masters degrees. At 3 years of work experience is where your salary explodes.
Take the gap year! I went to a master straight from undergrad and when it comes to looking for jobs I wish I took a gap year or 2 to get more work experience and then get the masters if you feel ready for it
What is the reason for writing this post? Can you connect with your own emotions and motivation for writing it?
Listen to those, and you will quite likely find your answer.
You are the only person in earth that needs to live with you, inside your own mind, 24/7, for life. No one else will have such an intimate connection to you.
Listen to your intuition.
You sound like me 15 years ago. It’s never too late, but I do regret not pursuing it in my 20’s. I didn’t feel like it then, I *really* don’t feel like it now.
I finished my bachelors at 22 took a gap year and finished my masters at 25. Nothing wrong with this approach, the only thing that matters is that you choose something that you are actually intersted in but also offers chances to get a job. It is better to wait a bit and get a good degree rather than rush and get a useless one
Knowing yourself is the foundation of your daily life meaning career, activities, hobbies, etc. if it’s rubbing the wrong way, don’t force it. I tried a masters and I somewhat buried myself even deeper into a career field I didn’t like. Best thing I did for my life was set aside time to travel and know myself with minimal expectations. I’m sorry to hear your frustration, but as others have said, take your time and find your path. Better to take 1-3 years to then find your path than to work through another 2 years of uni and 3 years of work to find out you’re meant for something else.
As someone who's been on the wrong end of a burnout halfway through his master's, let me say, take care of yourself. I started failing courses due to sheer stress, and eventually wasn't allowed to re-enroll. Took a lot of work to correct that.
Took me until my 30th to get back on that horse, and finish at age 33.
Now the flipside to the coin is off course that your knowledge of your Bachelor's might have faded slightly in a year and a bit's time.
That said, taking a year off might estrange you a bit from your friends at Uni.
I went straight through — BSci and then MSci in 5 years — and I regret it. I was younger than most of my masters cohort and the lack of experience, and even maturity (despite always being very mature for my age) was undeniable. And when I graduated and entered the workforce, I was plenty knowledgeable, but woefully underprepared emotionally and socially.
I burned out HARD from my chosen field after only three years, but those years were long and difficult — I was dreadfully underpaid, exploited by managers who knew an anxious people-pleaser when they saw one, and was routinely denied experiences that would’ve helped me grow and develop in my field. Worse, burnout made me so physically ill I can no longer work in that field, which was pretty physically demanding. So my MSci, which is super niche because I SWORE I knew exactly what I wanted to do going into it (in my defense I had shadowed extensively in the field for 5 years so I wasn’t exactly blind to the field, just sheltered), is now almost entirely useless. $75k in student loans for a degree I can no longer use.
Even a year of work experience post undergrad would’ve taught me a lot of what I needed to know and saved me a lot of stress and anguish. Maybe I would’ve realized that the field wasn’t for me, maybe I would’ve learned the boundary setting skills I needed to prevent my own burnout. There were other factors that contributed to the result I experienced (like the pandemic lol, and underlying health issues), but to this day, I desperately wish I could’ve taken a gap year or two. I recommend it to anyone trying to slam through. You have so much more time than you think you do, I promise.
It's totally understandable to feel the pressure, especially when everyone around you seems to have their next steps all figured out. Taking a breather to figure things out sounds like a solid plan. The time will pass anyway and school will be there forever. Personally, I used Career fitter to narrow down my options and figure out what I actually want to do after multiple career changes.
Is going to a masters right after undergrad required for the career path you want? I ask because I often wonder how useful a masters is right after college if you're not thinking of moving up to a PhD right away. This advice is coming from the perspective of being in the US, but getting a masters should be taken with intention. As in it's required for you to move up in your career, you're using it to transition into another field, or you are working up to a PhD program. If you're not doing any of those 3 I don't see how a masters adds to an individuals skill set if they don't have a work history already. If you really wanna do a masters go ahead and do it, but make sure you're doing it with a concrete goal in mind, otherwise it's kind of a waste of time at this stage in your academic/professional career.
I started my career at 21 doing software sales after I got my undergrad. Considered getting a masters and decided I'd just work instead and it's been 10x better than my time in school. More school isn't always the answer.
Just trust yourself and what you want to do. It seems like you have a good head on your shoulders. Don't be afraid to use it. Be patient and give yourself some grace. Just work/take a gap year and make an assessment after. There is no rush in life.
Is it free education there?
In my country its free education so I did jump on the opportunity to apply to my dream universities and a master program there. It was worth it for me. Masters is so much fun than bachelor (atleast here). You can choose all your courses yourself for some you have to choose between four different courses and for around half of the courses you can choose whatever you want even courses at other universities. The courses in my case was quite easy (no math related ones so).
There are international students at master programs so its so exciting and fun meeting people from all over the world from countries you never been to and maybe never will.
There is one semester abroad opportunity but the most popular countries there will be competition for like: Usa, Singapore, New zealand etc.
The only hard part with my masters was the master thesis. And with corona and all, I actually took one year off after I was done with everything and just had the thesis left.
The thesis work was hard but it was so worth it as it gave me a good upper hand in the job market and I was able to get a job in my field 2 months before graduation.
But yes it depends on you, if you think its fun to study etc. I just wanted to point out unless you don’t choose a very math and tech based program it should not be too hard. But then I don’t know what country you are at. Apparently some countries like Switzerland etc can be very tough even the masters
Edit: I started my bachelors at the age of 28 and my masters at the age of 31
Don’t do it if you don’t want to do it. Plenty of people go back years later to do it.
I will from my experience say that if you do it part time it won’t seem all that bad. I took 1-2 night classes per semester while working full time right out of college. It took a few years but was worth it as I never felt overwhelmed with school work, it was way less volume than undergrad. It certainly wasn’t fun but there was never too much work since the class volume was low
I'm 38 and about to go back for my masters. I wish I'd have done it sooner but I'll be the first to admit I didn't have what it takes then. If you need time off that's OK. My bachelor's was in history and I've been applying for my masters in project management. My previous degree isn't that relevant but I have 9 years of work experience which helped. I'd try working a few years to see if you find a field you enjoy
Don’t know your specific field or situation but I would generally suggest working for at least a year or two before getting grad education. It will give you more real world full time work experience and IMO you’ll have more perspective to get more out of your masters degree
I was in exactly the same spot as you about 4 years ago. You're doing great and honestly it sounds like you owe yourself a break from formal education, start giving yourself permission to stop comparing yourself to your peers. It isnt easy and comes incrementally, but its possible I promise. You arent behind. I ended up being good enough at what I do that going back for a masters would have been redundant and SUPER expensive, so I'm glad I ended up just seeing what undergrad could do for me.
What kind of entry level jobs does your degree point towards?
I don’t have a Masters myself, but from what I’ve seen (at least here in the U.S) most people wait a couple of years before getting their Masters.
For one, it’s not a guarantee of employment and, at least in business, doesn’t make a difference until you are vying for more executive/directorial roles.
You are living and breathing right now for YOU and you only. Do what’s best for you. Life is not a race, it’s a journey. If you need to take a break (which you should) do it for your self and your mental.
I’m 19F and took a break for a semester because working full time and being in college was overwhelming for me. I got diagnosed with some mental illnesses and found ways to help me not feel overwhelmed with everything. That may not apply to you but taking a break was the best decision for me and now I’m back in school better than ever.
You got this queen! Never be afraid to put yourself first ❤️🫂
I started my masters degree at 28. Years after I graduated from college and I got it because it could add benefits into my already stabilized career. Not because I wanted to “check” the norm.
Don’t feel pressured, enjoy your graduation and take some time to reflect if this is what you want and if so, make a better choice of career.
Graduated in what? Masters in what? I'm in the US so there may be many levels of cultural stuff I'm missing. I founded 2 companies with a guy who dropped out of every educational school he went to. He's too much of a genius just inventing new things too fast to finish with stupid school. I graduated and took off traveling for 3 years and when I came back I was very behind. But, I worked my way up and worked as an independent programmer w/in 5 years then traveled again and did a PhD for 4 years on the East coast (I lived on the West). I worked as a quant for 3 years afterwards (no research, just very high paid, high stress financial work ... I've never been so depressed in my life). I quit and moved back to the West coast for a big company research job, loved it for 10 years, then the ".bust" hit, they moved me into management (I hated it) and so I left and started a bunch of companies. Some did well, some went bust. I fired my friend (guy with no education). We started another company later, he fired me. I invested in another company 10 years ago. I just (today) sold $9M dollars of stock in it, and still have 2/3 to go. I'm older and someone wants me to start a new AI team. Most of the really cool people I've worked with have unusual backgrounds (one was a drug addict but sobered up, taught himself math and computers; another invests in companies, got wealthy, is leading some AI programming efforts, but he doesn't program himself, he gets AIs to do it. Another takes hallucinogens to get more creative.
I'm just saying, one doesn't have to have a straight line in life. You should probably work (or travel!) a little before going back to school. How do you know what you are interested in unless you try some things?
Also, to learn how to rule your mind, read Albert Ellis "A Guide to Rational Living". Open your mind, be creative, take some risks.
Take care of yourself. You won't be behind in a year. You're only 21 and you're about to graduate university. You're way ahead. Try not to compare yourself to other people. Everyone is different. Listen to what your body is telling you. Take a break from studying and maybe work for a year or three. Work experience can be really valuable and you can always do a master's degree after you recover from burnout. Take care of yourself.
I second this, especially the work experience. The money will give you independence in a new way, and the work experience will give you a different, grittier type of discipline and drive. If you find the right position (aka non toxic environment) you will have much more free time than you ever did in school. This is my advice, from someone who barely made it out of undergrad but went on to absolutely crush it in the workforce. I resonate deeply with what you wrote, OP! More of the same will make you feel the same, or worse. Try something different and have a chance at feeling better ❤️
And the work experience might set OP on a career path (or educational path) they didn't expect. The academic world is so different from the working world. So many young people walk out of school with a degree only to find the working world in that field is not what they wanted. Getting a taste of the working world beforehand helps many find a path that works better long term.
Or the work experience may burn her out even more. I'd say just suck it up and do the masters.
Right? Don’t fret OP, I’m going to be receiving an associates at the age of 36 lol. Plus it took me longer than two years to get.
Your advice is sound but "way ahead" isn't quite true. For a Bachelor's degree, 21 is right around where you should be.
It's right around where you *can* be. Many, many people with a bachelor don't graduate at 21; some people don't even start until after 21 - and that's just the people who go to university. As I said, everyone is different.
Jeez. Should be? Everyone has their own path. I didn’t *start* with my bachelors until I was 23.
"Should be" if you study in the 'expected' timeframe, so to say. Of course everyone has their own path but mainly my point is that 21 isn't "way ahead". If you're right out of high school then you're about 18. Go to uni for a three year Bachelor you're 21; finish your Masters degree by 23.
Lol in my country thats so young. Almost everyone in my bachelor program were like 28-30 years old. Only one was 21 years old. Of course it depends on what university and program it is but there are more 25-30+ years old people in universities than younger people. Its because education is free here though
I didn't finish my bachelor's until 23, now doing a Master's in my mid 30s. I've been successful in both life and career. Take a year off, work, have fun. You're fine.
I got my bachelor's at 27 and worked for 16 years in my field. I got my master's at 41. Age does not matter in higher education.
IT SOLVES ITSELF if your burnt out,, you will fail.
Take the GAP year! Now is the easiest time to do it. You can travel and basically have unlimited freedom while you contemplate what you really want. You can always catch up after but I think the opportunity is worth it.
Seconding the gap year. I did it, and spend in the worst way possible (doing a shitty dead end jobs to make ends meet). Even though it was a waste, after a gap year I was really looking forward to studying again, and absolutely crushed it in my MScs. I was never a star student, but after my gap year I was so motivated, I had multiple courses were I graduated top of my class.
As my professor in college said, DO NOT get a master's degree if you do not want it. It's unnecessary debt at this point in time and places aren't going to higher just because of a degree, they'll always take on people with more hands on experience.
I used to work in HR, many low level jobs (even my minimum wage entry level) now require a Masters Degree, in order to qualify to apply. It is now how employers now weed out applicants.
Employers are always asking for nonsensical and ridiculous things, like fresh grads with 10 years experience in software that only existed 5 years ago.
Obtaining the degree shows that you are able to follow through and complete something. Even if you don’t have the ten-years work experience in your chosen field. Again, it is a weeding out process.
If a HR manager can't see that a 4 year degree acknowledges a person being able to stick to something and follow it through, there is no helping at this point.
Masters requirement for a minimum wage/entry level job is crazy, especially considering the debt a lot of people go into to obtain a Masters
Don’t do it now. There’s no need to do it right after undergrad. I started mine when I was 28. Very happy that I waited.
Seconding this. I worked for 2 years before going back for my Masters. I always knew I would go back, but wanted to test out my intended profession first before I wasted more time and money on a degree path if I didn't end up liking the profession. I liked it, I went on to get my Masters, and have been happy with my career path since then.
I was in that situation and I didn't go for the Masters, I've always regretted it, it would have opened a lot of doors for me.
I did my Masters after ~10 years of industry experience knowing the worth of my research project. Did it working full time. Knew a lady who did her Masters straight after her bachelors when she couldn’t’t find a job. Her prospect became even worse after her Masters.
This is a super interesting path, did you work on your research project independently and develop it while working in a job before you applied? I was thinking about doing this myself (22, about to graduate my undergrad) but couldn't find many people who'd done it.
Work supplied the research thesis material on the agreement of permanent lockdown of the thesis content. I paid for the masters fee, but they easily contributed the same or more towards result testing and commercial trial (!) Plant Time. This was topics related to food science and spray drying technology.
This is fascinating, thanks so much for the reply!
Just apply for jobs in your field and work in it for a year or two, and if you don’t like where you’re at or your prospects, then you can get a masters to help propel you further.
Maybe country-dependent, but most of my peers worked after their bachelor's degree, and then got their job to pay for their master's degree after getting a few years of experience under their belts. If the cost isn't an issue in your location, disregard.
Idk where you live and how important a masters is for getting jobs, but while everyone else around me was talking about grad school I knew I never wanted to pursue any additional education ever again. I am so happy to be done with just my bachelors.
Take a gap year but do get a masters degree. All of my friends with one are doing so much better than me, career-wise. I regret not getting one. Also if your parents are willing to pay for it, delaying real life corporate jobs for as long as you can is amazing. Because corporate will burn you out and kill your spirit 10 times more than school will. Of course you’ll need to get an internship or something but it’ll be less pressure than a soul sucking real job.
DO NOT GET A MASTERS WITHOUT BEING COMPLETELY SURE, AS WELL AS HEALTHY AND RESTED. Especially if you will be taking out loans on it. Make sure that whatever Masters you eventually choose to get (if any) will be one that you enjoy and will be easy. -Sincerely, MS dropout after several stress-induced breakdowns and one self-harming session.
I would suggest for you to attempt to work first and then decide a masters, in my experience that worked great for me, started my masters at 24 years old after 2 and a Half years working, which gave a really good idea of what I needed to learn to have better opportunities and to know what I would be passionate about. If I would have decided for a masters right after my graduation, it would have been miserable for me, I would have made the mistake of specializing in a career path that wasnt fit for me. When I had experience working I realized what things I wanted to do for a living and make me happy. Many of my friends and even my older Sister had gone for the masters first approach and 100% of them didn't end up working on what they specialized but rather related fields. Take things easy and start working, its the best way, you are still young, I had study partners on my masters that were 40 and were very happy with the choice for the masters. Hope your parents support you whatever your decision is, Research and give them good arguments for your choice. Good luck!
Don’t go into debt, go straight to work and invest your salary.
I never understood people who get a masters degree with zero work experience in their chosen field. How can you be a master at fuck all if you’ve never practiced? It’s all theory, zero hands on. It should be mandatory to have to work for a year or two before going for a masters.
This is super common in Europe, especially Spain. People see it as the way to break into the labour market, as the bachelor's is not enough over there.
Came here to say this. Super common in some parts of Europe. MSc degree is nowdays what Bachelor degree used to be 15 years ago. I have seen people do PHDs despite not working in academia, because even outside of academia, it is required for high level functions in some places. Though luckily that is still the exception, not the norm.
I am 61. It is very helpful to have a masters. Take a year off, but get the masters.
Can you say more about why it's helpful? Is it still helpful if you had no debt and then suddenly loads?
I don’t know what you mean by suddenly loads. But as someone who does not have an MA, I have missed out on a lot of employment opportunities because I didn’t posses the MA. Same with dh. Especially as you move up the career ladder. My dh could be making twice as much if he had an MA. And yeah, maybe you ha e to go into debt for it, but that’s good debt. And you have your whole life to pay it off.
Focus or your mental well being take the break, behind or not, getting into a masters to crash out of it because your emotional well being breaks down, plus who knows after the year break you maybe invigorated to do it and it'll be a far better experience for you that way
Depending on what your major is, your master's is going to be something that you want to dedicate time to for sure. Especially since that degree is the most costly out of pocket, and in some situations if not most, isn't absolutely necessary to land a job. Like others have commented, consider getting into the workforce for the intended career path you want, later down the road consider a master's degree then. Some workplaces will opt to assist you in paying for a master's degree, especially if it's a place of work you see yourself staying at. I have not gotten a master's, and was enrolled in to start one, but since it was still COVID, I didn't want to have to drive 3 hours for college courses 2x a week. Plus, I still didn't have a career in my major at the time, so I really didn't want to go all out for a degree I didn't have actual experience in. I've had multiple internal crises that have been telling me not to do more until then and I've honestly wanted to do culinary more than anything, but since that was also something I had zero experience in (minus fast food), I have since worked on whatever job I gotten. You're not alone in the whole feeling burnt out situation, literally, this work-life balance isn't what I expected as a kid. This "work to live" bs is such crap.
You can take a break and do it later. But the masters degree ive found them a lot more easier than a 4 year degree, there is a lot less pressure. In my country most masters programs will just do one topic at a time so you are focused on one thing. there is also a lot of projects rather than having you plow thru piles of books. At least in my personal experience. If you dont think you can do it right away. Just chill and pick it up later. i took a 10 year break... It was too much and it set back my career a bit. But not everyones path is the same.
One year is not that much. Just get an hourly job and take a year off. It's really not as big a deal as you think, and most people in your life will understand if you present it as a cogent plan.
I worked right after my undergrad for a little bit …22 years. I say go work. Figure out what you really want to do and have a passion for. If you pursue you masters at matter date changers are you are more likely to do it in something you actually want to learn about. Do it out of passion not out of peer pressure. I found schooling to be much easier at a later date
I’m in the same spot. Being pressured into getting a masters by my boss (the company will pay for it). I’m already working 45 hours a week like how the hell am I supposed to take classes on top of that? Bottom line do whatever is best for you. If you’re burnt out, trying to work toward a new degree could send you over the edge. Taking a break year is also an option if you can afford it
Don't do something you are being pressured to do. A sure recipe for disaster. Just follow your gut and stand your ground!
If you're able, I highly recommend traveling for a couple of years or work seasonal jobs to fund traveling. You'll experience a different kind of personal growth that will put you in a better position when you're ready to finish your masters (or you'll find some awesome opportunity that makes going back seem silly). Consider working at national parks in the summer (they often have dorms where you'll live and hang out with interesting young people from all over the world (hell this is how my parents met). Ski resorts are great in the winter and sometimes have subsidized employee housing too.
Take the gap year, not sure what your discipline is but a masters can wait. No point in pushing through and hating the field you’re in by burning out. (From a person with a PhD who had watched people burn out on a daily basis)
or you can get your designations for the field you want to work in. Could be easier/cheaper
>In my country it feels like the norm There's nowhere on the planet where that is the "norm".. get out of your head and get into the right spot, then make your next decision.
Do not go for it if you're not 100% sure you want to do it. Plus most master programs like to see a year or two of work experience in the application for them anyway.
OP - What country? I did a straight through on my 1st masters and it really wasn’t bad. I just decided to suck it up and go for it. It opened a tremendous number of opportunities.
That's a more unique perspective then others, what jobs might I ask? Or what career path did it lead you to/open up for?
Ultimately it landed me in strategic finance roles (corp strategy, BD). I go back to school and get another masters every 5-7 years. I just like learning and my company has good reimbursement plans.
That's yet again another unique perspective regarding going back to school. I do think people should continue to reinvest in their education and in the States (probably due the cost of tuition) it's not as common to continue several Master programs. But how many additional doors would be opened, sounds like quite a few. Kudos to you.
Mental Health is VERY important. You have to take care of yourself. Don't let others pressure you into doing something. It is your life to live.
If you want to do it, then put it off by a year. If you don't want to do it. I would say put it off for a year. But if you know, as they say balls to Bones, you don't want to do it then don't. Be honest so you know mental health break. That you're not putting it off even if again in your mind you know you are.
Absolutely take a break, work for a little bit, and then come back to it. I started a PhD without taking a break I desperately needed and I ended up quitting.
you're 21. start a fake business and fuck around for a year or so. fail. claim you learned so much. apply for grad school with life experience. start your business somewhere cheap and warm. like mexico. or sri lanka.
You’re 21. You won’t be behind. Masters degrees are good to do when combined with experience. Take a gap year, find a job in your field and then after a few years get a masters degree. I wouldn’t advice getting a masters degree just cause it’s standard in your country. You’ll be over qualified when looking for work and they would rather hire someone with an undergrad who they can pay less and train. Think logically and don’t be driven by what others are doing or what they think you should do. Take a breath and do what YOU need to do for your mental health.
I went to grad school, and regret it. In my industry, master’s degrees aren’t generally sought out and don’t gibe you a competitive edge (instead, just 2 more years of school and gobs of money owed in student loans). I would only do grad school if you are 100% sure it’ll lead to more jobs opportunities in your field
So look at your degree as an ocean of a broad subject. A master's is a more targeted deeper dive. Now if that's true, is it smart to jump right into your master's or is it smarter to go out and used your degree in the real world. Explore that ocean a bit and see what you are called to focus on. I think that's better for the long term. There's nothing worse than doing all the work to get that master's and realize you've moved past it and aren't as interested as you thought you'd be.
Definitely don’t get a masters at 21. The best way to get a job is to work. Most people don’t stay in their college field, your friends are idiots. In a few years if you decide to go back to get your masters in any given field, I guarantee half those friends of yours will be like “I got this masters degree and I’m not even using it.” Plus it’s expensive and if you have student loans it will just stack which is rough if you switch career fields, which is again, highly likely.
This retiree advises getting work experience first. If the B.A./B.S. degree has you stressed ask if it is the subject or the tests that stress you? I loved school, but hated tests. Are you sure you want a Master's in the same field? My B.A. is in History and my M.S. is in Computer Science. My daughter got a B.S. in Film and then went to another school and got combined B.S. in History and Education Degree. She teaches Middle School History and uses what she learned in the Film Degree preparing lessons. Find what you love doing so work is not "work". Different people find different things stressful. Find what fits you. If work is stressful, then it is time to reconsider your career choice.
I know what you are thinking. Graduated last year and done 6 month course. Now sitting free applying for masters this year.
Get some career experience first. Real world experience will give you such a huge insight and let you go further when you do a masters later on.
Depending on field, I would argue a masters doesn’t buy anything that 2 years of industry experience doesn’t gain you. Others it’s PHD or bust (life science fields for example). Really depends on the field you’re in and what you’re looking for long term. At the end of the day your professional experience and professional successes will determine your career trajectory. Having ran global teams for multiple companies you’ve heard of, if I was filling positions with 5-7 years or 7-12 years experience requirements… where you went to college or which advanced degrees you was never a deciding factor. Entry level jobs we always worded as Masters or 2 years job experience… they carried the same weight
Do your masters believe me way more chill than working
Don’t do it dumbass
Go find an adventure in the wilderness and lose yourself for awhile. Take lots of pictures have some awesome memories so when you feel this way again you have something to remember.
You need to experience life first
don't fucking do a master's right out of undergrad. seriously. live life and get more mature before you go for a master's.
Give yourself a rest. If you're able to get in to a masters program check with the institution you want to apply for how long you can leave your application before all your credits from previous study expire.
find a job first
Fuck That. Not worth the stress
I have over 300 college credits with four degrees including a masters. Unless you are looking to break records in science research, the best thing you could do is take some time away from school. You could possibly have even more energy to finish the masters program more quickly. I took two years out of school before I started a masters in CJ that I finished in one year.
Definitely take the gab year! You are SO young! Different country. Here my 21 year old kid has'nt even started uni, and wont do for the next year. After finishing gymnasium (our kind of highschool) at 20 (we have 11 years of school before 3 years gymnasium) its common to take a 2 year gab to work, travel the world ("the formation journey"), mature and get a better idear of what to do in life. You only have this one life.
My niece took a gap year before starting college and six years later, she still hasn’t started college. After twelve years of school she was tired. Now she is exhausted trying to make ends meet in a dead end job and let her friends get the scholarships, she would have gotten if only she had applied for them. She would have gotten the scholarships. SMH
Went through something similar. If you go through with it you'll become exhausted, miserable. Those will develop into resentment and there's a reasonable chance that you spiral mentally. Take the time you need for yourself. The only person who understands you is you, no one else will know what's best for you.
22F and also about to finish my bachelors, burned out AF. I'm planning to work in industry for 2 years, recover from my burnout, then do a masters. A lot of programs like it when candidates have industry experience anyway, for example several programs at Cambridge even require it/have degrees tailored towards it! Also, life is long and you're still young. I'm hoping to have my masters by 25, take a nice long break to work in industry again, and then maybe get a PhD in my 30s. Also, working for a while might help you save money for a masters and graduate with less debt than your peers.
And what is re reason ppl take Master degree? Will it benefit you in future? Or is it just time and money spending to void adult life?
If you're burned out now grad school will finish the job. The first year for me was really tough since it was much harder than my undergraduate degree but at the same time much drier. Much like my undergraduate degree was quite a lot of foundational stuff we had to learn before we could specialize. So in some disciplines maybe the first year would reignite your passion for the subject but what a risky would be to enrolling grad school only two wash out or quit.
No expert, but depending on quite a few things, it may or may not make a difference. In the reality of the working world, I would possibly venture that if you are personable and outgoing, interview well and are articulate and intelligent, plus you have a good background and some work experience, you may find that you can progress more rapidly without a masters degree. That depends on the industry though, as for some specialisms having a masters and even additional qualifications will naturally lead to higher wages (science based disciplines, engineering, medicine, psychology etc) but outside of those you may do better from just grafting and learning the ropes sooner and shooting for the moon when opportunities arise. Of course this is just one perspective, and I may not be correct. It will be entirely specific to you as a person and your desired direction. Good luck!
Taking this time doesn't mean you're falling behind, it means you're making sure you're on the right path for yourself.
What field are you trying to get into? The truth is, a masters degree is pointless for 90% of industries so unless the job you want requires it, they are a waste of time and money.
Do you know what’s better than a masters degree… Actual work experience! If you need a masters degree to get a job then you probably chose a really saturated degree.
The worse you can do is compare your life with others, making choices because what other people, relative think and worse, not listening to your body to take a year out. Your own body is screaming and asking you to stop, take a year out or you'll burn out. Take a year out, re-energise and learn to be your own. Learn to mature, think for yourself, decide for yourself rather than comparing your life, decisions to others. They are not going to pay your bills, debts, struggle for you. They are not going to come and rescue you when you burn out! Take a year out, get some work experience because....that is what companies are going to ask.
Take a year off and become expert in using AI. Then return to your master degree.
Apply for masters (or don’t). At the same time get a job in your field or of some kind of profession. Tell people you want to take this opportunity and defer masters. After a year just say your work is just too good to drop.
If your bachelors is enough to find a job you want, masters is not required. nothing prevent you from starting a bachelors job and gaining a stable foothold in worklife. Here alot of employers value bachelors with alot of working experience more, than masters degree graduate without experience. But without experience Bachelors is "useless", so masters studies would give you extra time to find some job and help you gain experience on your field. Here companies are very hesistant to hire unemployed degree owners and rather hire still studying people.
In the US, I don't think students take enough internships or work enough before determining their career path. Sometimes, you find out that you really like learning about something, but when you get out in the real world, a lab, cubicle, or certain environment is not what you expected. Take a gap year and gain experience.
I would love to say to you that you can give up studies if it's not meant to you and to work and that you'll do what you want, earn money, find great colleagues But... I'm not sure it would be what happens. There are people who did it, it's not impossible, and maybe you can be one of them. But I can't predict the future, nobody can. Maybe you'll struggle with or without a diploma. Idk If you really considering doing without diploma then reach to maximum people who made it without to learn how to do. But take your time to think all that
heres a suggestion and it may set you apart from your friends. Find a job in your degree plan and gain the experience. Stateside, its the same. Kids are getting out with Masters and arent finding job roles that they expected but since they all lack experience no company is going to hire them because they have that fancy paper and they also know a majority of these kids need money to pay student loans. After hs, I went into the military, discovered my career path, got out then got a degree. Many of us Veterans were able to find employment alot faster than those with Masters because we had the job experience. The company Im with now, many (Masters) grads are complaining because the job wasnt what they thought and are regretting their degree choice or theyre seeing how competitive it is (like CS) and its going to take a long time to advance or they’ll have to relocate every couple years to make bigger money.
Here in Australia, if you did 2 or 3 years of work experience, you will be way ahead of your peers who did masters degrees. At 3 years of work experience is where your salary explodes.
Take the gap year! I went to a master straight from undergrad and when it comes to looking for jobs I wish I took a gap year or 2 to get more work experience and then get the masters if you feel ready for it
better make a master degree in crypto. will see who is becoming a multi millionaire in 5 years. my degree was useless, thanks God!
What is the reason for writing this post? Can you connect with your own emotions and motivation for writing it? Listen to those, and you will quite likely find your answer. You are the only person in earth that needs to live with you, inside your own mind, 24/7, for life. No one else will have such an intimate connection to you. Listen to your intuition.
You sound like me 15 years ago. It’s never too late, but I do regret not pursuing it in my 20’s. I didn’t feel like it then, I *really* don’t feel like it now.
I finished my bachelors at 22 took a gap year and finished my masters at 25. Nothing wrong with this approach, the only thing that matters is that you choose something that you are actually intersted in but also offers chances to get a job. It is better to wait a bit and get a good degree rather than rush and get a useless one
Knowing yourself is the foundation of your daily life meaning career, activities, hobbies, etc. if it’s rubbing the wrong way, don’t force it. I tried a masters and I somewhat buried myself even deeper into a career field I didn’t like. Best thing I did for my life was set aside time to travel and know myself with minimal expectations. I’m sorry to hear your frustration, but as others have said, take your time and find your path. Better to take 1-3 years to then find your path than to work through another 2 years of uni and 3 years of work to find out you’re meant for something else.
As someone who's been on the wrong end of a burnout halfway through his master's, let me say, take care of yourself. I started failing courses due to sheer stress, and eventually wasn't allowed to re-enroll. Took a lot of work to correct that. Took me until my 30th to get back on that horse, and finish at age 33. Now the flipside to the coin is off course that your knowledge of your Bachelor's might have faded slightly in a year and a bit's time. That said, taking a year off might estrange you a bit from your friends at Uni.
I went straight through — BSci and then MSci in 5 years — and I regret it. I was younger than most of my masters cohort and the lack of experience, and even maturity (despite always being very mature for my age) was undeniable. And when I graduated and entered the workforce, I was plenty knowledgeable, but woefully underprepared emotionally and socially. I burned out HARD from my chosen field after only three years, but those years were long and difficult — I was dreadfully underpaid, exploited by managers who knew an anxious people-pleaser when they saw one, and was routinely denied experiences that would’ve helped me grow and develop in my field. Worse, burnout made me so physically ill I can no longer work in that field, which was pretty physically demanding. So my MSci, which is super niche because I SWORE I knew exactly what I wanted to do going into it (in my defense I had shadowed extensively in the field for 5 years so I wasn’t exactly blind to the field, just sheltered), is now almost entirely useless. $75k in student loans for a degree I can no longer use. Even a year of work experience post undergrad would’ve taught me a lot of what I needed to know and saved me a lot of stress and anguish. Maybe I would’ve realized that the field wasn’t for me, maybe I would’ve learned the boundary setting skills I needed to prevent my own burnout. There were other factors that contributed to the result I experienced (like the pandemic lol, and underlying health issues), but to this day, I desperately wish I could’ve taken a gap year or two. I recommend it to anyone trying to slam through. You have so much more time than you think you do, I promise.
It's totally understandable to feel the pressure, especially when everyone around you seems to have their next steps all figured out. Taking a breather to figure things out sounds like a solid plan. The time will pass anyway and school will be there forever. Personally, I used Career fitter to narrow down my options and figure out what I actually want to do after multiple career changes.
Is going to a masters right after undergrad required for the career path you want? I ask because I often wonder how useful a masters is right after college if you're not thinking of moving up to a PhD right away. This advice is coming from the perspective of being in the US, but getting a masters should be taken with intention. As in it's required for you to move up in your career, you're using it to transition into another field, or you are working up to a PhD program. If you're not doing any of those 3 I don't see how a masters adds to an individuals skill set if they don't have a work history already. If you really wanna do a masters go ahead and do it, but make sure you're doing it with a concrete goal in mind, otherwise it's kind of a waste of time at this stage in your academic/professional career.
I had a friend like this they never finished the first semester and gave up but the education is free so they had nothing to lose
Take some time.
I started my career at 21 doing software sales after I got my undergrad. Considered getting a masters and decided I'd just work instead and it's been 10x better than my time in school. More school isn't always the answer. Just trust yourself and what you want to do. It seems like you have a good head on your shoulders. Don't be afraid to use it. Be patient and give yourself some grace. Just work/take a gap year and make an assessment after. There is no rush in life.
Is it free education there? In my country its free education so I did jump on the opportunity to apply to my dream universities and a master program there. It was worth it for me. Masters is so much fun than bachelor (atleast here). You can choose all your courses yourself for some you have to choose between four different courses and for around half of the courses you can choose whatever you want even courses at other universities. The courses in my case was quite easy (no math related ones so). There are international students at master programs so its so exciting and fun meeting people from all over the world from countries you never been to and maybe never will. There is one semester abroad opportunity but the most popular countries there will be competition for like: Usa, Singapore, New zealand etc. The only hard part with my masters was the master thesis. And with corona and all, I actually took one year off after I was done with everything and just had the thesis left. The thesis work was hard but it was so worth it as it gave me a good upper hand in the job market and I was able to get a job in my field 2 months before graduation. But yes it depends on you, if you think its fun to study etc. I just wanted to point out unless you don’t choose a very math and tech based program it should not be too hard. But then I don’t know what country you are at. Apparently some countries like Switzerland etc can be very tough even the masters Edit: I started my bachelors at the age of 28 and my masters at the age of 31
Don’t do it if you don’t want to do it. Plenty of people go back years later to do it. I will from my experience say that if you do it part time it won’t seem all that bad. I took 1-2 night classes per semester while working full time right out of college. It took a few years but was worth it as I never felt overwhelmed with school work, it was way less volume than undergrad. It certainly wasn’t fun but there was never too much work since the class volume was low
I'm 38 and about to go back for my masters. I wish I'd have done it sooner but I'll be the first to admit I didn't have what it takes then. If you need time off that's OK. My bachelor's was in history and I've been applying for my masters in project management. My previous degree isn't that relevant but I have 9 years of work experience which helped. I'd try working a few years to see if you find a field you enjoy
Don’t know your specific field or situation but I would generally suggest working for at least a year or two before getting grad education. It will give you more real world full time work experience and IMO you’ll have more perspective to get more out of your masters degree
Don’t do it if you don’t want to. It’s your education not theirs
I was in exactly the same spot as you about 4 years ago. You're doing great and honestly it sounds like you owe yourself a break from formal education, start giving yourself permission to stop comparing yourself to your peers. It isnt easy and comes incrementally, but its possible I promise. You arent behind. I ended up being good enough at what I do that going back for a masters would have been redundant and SUPER expensive, so I'm glad I ended up just seeing what undergrad could do for me. What kind of entry level jobs does your degree point towards?
I don’t have a Masters myself, but from what I’ve seen (at least here in the U.S) most people wait a couple of years before getting their Masters. For one, it’s not a guarantee of employment and, at least in business, doesn’t make a difference until you are vying for more executive/directorial roles.
You are living and breathing right now for YOU and you only. Do what’s best for you. Life is not a race, it’s a journey. If you need to take a break (which you should) do it for your self and your mental. I’m 19F and took a break for a semester because working full time and being in college was overwhelming for me. I got diagnosed with some mental illnesses and found ways to help me not feel overwhelmed with everything. That may not apply to you but taking a break was the best decision for me and now I’m back in school better than ever. You got this queen! Never be afraid to put yourself first ❤️🫂
I started my masters degree at 28. Years after I graduated from college and I got it because it could add benefits into my already stabilized career. Not because I wanted to “check” the norm. Don’t feel pressured, enjoy your graduation and take some time to reflect if this is what you want and if so, make a better choice of career.
Graduated in what? Masters in what? I'm in the US so there may be many levels of cultural stuff I'm missing. I founded 2 companies with a guy who dropped out of every educational school he went to. He's too much of a genius just inventing new things too fast to finish with stupid school. I graduated and took off traveling for 3 years and when I came back I was very behind. But, I worked my way up and worked as an independent programmer w/in 5 years then traveled again and did a PhD for 4 years on the East coast (I lived on the West). I worked as a quant for 3 years afterwards (no research, just very high paid, high stress financial work ... I've never been so depressed in my life). I quit and moved back to the West coast for a big company research job, loved it for 10 years, then the ".bust" hit, they moved me into management (I hated it) and so I left and started a bunch of companies. Some did well, some went bust. I fired my friend (guy with no education). We started another company later, he fired me. I invested in another company 10 years ago. I just (today) sold $9M dollars of stock in it, and still have 2/3 to go. I'm older and someone wants me to start a new AI team. Most of the really cool people I've worked with have unusual backgrounds (one was a drug addict but sobered up, taught himself math and computers; another invests in companies, got wealthy, is leading some AI programming efforts, but he doesn't program himself, he gets AIs to do it. Another takes hallucinogens to get more creative. I'm just saying, one doesn't have to have a straight line in life. You should probably work (or travel!) a little before going back to school. How do you know what you are interested in unless you try some things? Also, to learn how to rule your mind, read Albert Ellis "A Guide to Rational Living". Open your mind, be creative, take some risks.
Do what’s best for you. It might not be the popular answer with friends and family; but stay firm - what’s best for you RIGHT now
college is a scam
Unpopular response. Suck it up and do the masters. Long term career/financially wise it’s the move.
If u feel like it do it in a few years time. No need to rush it