The 'real world' is near... maybe

I have about two months until graduation. Once I finish these next eight weeks of classes, I will have a bachelor’s degree in communication.

Now what do I do with it?

I have never really had a clear idea with what I want to do with my life. I’ve always wished that as a kid I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I was never like that. My sister always wanted to be a teacher, and she is one now, just like my mom. I, however, have had many great career plans since I was young. I’ve had dreams of being a candy maker, a veterinarian, a spy (after Harriet the Spy, of course), a teacher and an author.

When I started college, all I knew was that I enjoyed writing, and so I decided to major in communication. Once I started writing for the college’s newspaper, my career goal was to be an editor of a fashion magazine. Even though that still sounds appealing, I’m not interested in moving to New York City or having to wait many years to be promoted to an editor position.

For various reasons, I’ve decided to continue my education. While many seniors are busy searching for jobs, I’ve spent the last few months searching for and applying to graduate schools.

I’ve decided to go to grad school partly because I don’t know what I want to do with my life and partly because I’m terrified of the “real world.” But mostly, I’ve decided to go because I think I want to teach communication at a college or university. A master’s degree will give me more time to figure out my life and the education to pursue the career path of professor.

Both searching for and applying to graduate schools has been a long process. There is so much to do including taking the GRE, sending transcripts, obtaining letters of recommendation and making a final decision. Not to mention, there are so many costs involved with applying to grad school that I definitely didn’t account for.

Even though I’m not an expert on grad schools, I’ve recently gone through the application process, and I’m getting close to make an important decision that will affect my life, at least for the next two years.

So for advice on grad schools from one perspective student to another, keep reading.