a guide to higher education: master's level
a guide to higher education: master's level
advice and anecdotes from the beans community on pursuing a master's degree
In late March of this year, I posted about my educational journey. Because it was a paywalled post (I discussed in-depth about every school I applied to, my personal statement, and much more), I wanted to post on this same topic but without a paywall. I’m so grateful for all the collaborators in this post (because if you haven’t figured out already, all of my guides are collaborations with you guys and my favorite accounts on Instagram). Accounts are listed in the order in which I received their responses.
Higher education in the context of this newsletter involves the pursuit of a Master’s degree. A Bachelor’s degree is not considered higher education, at least for this newsletter (I am aware that this term may be subjective depending on your experiences, so please keep this in mind).
background
INTRODUCE YOURSELF
Your age, geographical location, unique aspects about yourself, research interests, and any other fun facts you could think of (fav artists, shows, what you do in your down time).
thefireflyproject. Hello! I’m 32, originally from Malaysia and moved to Australia a few years back. My interest comes in phases but one that stuck around is the dream of living a low impact and self-sustainable life!
maybe.its.hailey. I’m 22, from the USA (Florida) and currently studying at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. My favorite bands are Arctic Monkeys and Glass Animals. For my dissertation I’m working on a fantasy novella which will follow the protagonist through a crisis of religion. There’s a lack of fiction books that center around crisis of faith and I’m looking to fill that gap.
therapysloth. My name is Michelle and I will be 26 in April. I live in Canada, but I was born in Japan. I did my undergraduate degree in psychology and my main interests are social psychology and forensic psychology. During my undergraduate degree, I did a supervised study on the influence of habits and routines on the mate selection process. Specifically, it was a pilot study to establish whether habits and routines influences the partner you select (i.e., are you attracted to a partner who has habits/routines? Is the attraction to someone similar to your habits/rotuines?). I love listening to true crime podcasts, watching true crime videos and documentaries. My favourite YouTuber is Stephanie Soo because I love the way she tells stories. I usually crochet when I listen/watch. I also love to read (thrillers and mystery, some fantasy, and usually the popular books get me). I go to raves with friends at least once a month, I’m slowing building my gym routine, and trying to be consistent with meditation. I also love to play video games with friends. I have two dogs, lots of tattoos, and currently my hair is blue!
researchingwealth. Hi, I’m Researchingwealth (an anonymous personal finance account) BUT in my real life I am a 26 year-old Canadian currently living in the UK (England, specifically). I originally did my undergraduate degree in political science, with a specific interest in human rights, history and law but eventually moved into the environmental science and geography field. Broadly, I am interested in environmental science, geography, ecosystems conservation, human dimensions of the environment, environmental management and policy and GIS (geographic information systems). Outside of my research, I love to cook, be outdoors, camp, and spend time with my friends and family. My three favourite cuisines are Japanese, Italian and Vietnamese food and my favourite places I’ve travelled to have been Japan, Greece, and Cambodia. (Beans’ Note: RW also has a Substack,
!)
psychedaboutbooks. I'm 25, going on 26 in a few months, and living in Montreal, Canada. I study full-time and work part-time (about 20 hours per week) in an admin job, but my main hobbies are reading and playing multiplayer zombie videogames with my husband. On slow mornings, after I take out the dog, I like to curl up on the couch with a cup of milk and watch a cooking video on YouTube before starting my day.
koreangalonfire. Early 30s, based in the US, interested in built environment (got licensed as a realtor last year), climate change, healthcare, accessibility, and care for older adults. For fun, I like to travel, make ceramics, and spend time outside. (Beans’ Note: She also has a blog!)
ritual_finance. I'm a 30 year old high school math teacher living in California. When I'm not working I enjoy reading a good fiction book, doing yoga, and traveling. Fun fact: I'm an animal lover & vegetarian.
DEGREES
What degrees do you currently hold/are currently pursuing?
thefireflyproject. Masters in Engineering (MEng) and currently pursuing Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
maybe.its.hailey. I have a Bachelors in Accounting but I am currently pursuing my Masters in Creative Writing
therapysloth. Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP) at Yorkville University (online distance learning)
researchingwealth. Bachelor of Art (BA) in Political Science and a Master of Science (MSc) in Environmental Geography
psychedaboutbooks. I currently hold a 2 year degree in health sciences, a bachelor in psychology (B.Sc.), am currently completing a masters degree in psychology (M.Sc.), and am waiting for an answer from the university for the PsyD (Clinical Psychology doctorate) program, to eventually start in September 2024.
koreangalonfire. Master of Public Policy (MPP)
ritual_finance. Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics (B.S. Applied Math) & Master of Arts in Education (M.A. Education)
WHY?
Why did you decide to pursue this degree (or degrees)?
thefireflyproject. I’ve always wanted to get out of Malaysia and only known education as the way out. So I wanted to make sure that my degree is something that is accepted by developed countries. It paid off though! My pathway to Australia and Canada were because of the MEng. Then I started MBA to learn more about business skills to climb the corporate ladder. Halfway through, I had 2x my income from before I started as I was severely undervaluing myself.
maybe.its.hailey. I wanted to pursue this degree because English is my passion and I didn’t want to give up on it yet. I’m sure accounting will make a good plan B!
therapysloth. I struggled with my mental health when I was in high school. I always felt like I didn’t fit in, that I was stuck between worlds as a Japanese-Scottish-Canadian, like it felt so weird to me. My school counsellor helped me a lot and I was connected with an amazing psychotherapist when I was hospitalized. I realized during high school that I could really make a career out of helping people and connect it with learning. I’ve always been so fascinated by the human brain and how we think and behave, so it felt fitting to go into psychology. It’s something I just love to think and talk about, it brings a smile to my face and I genuinely enjoy studying it. I went for my masters so I could become a therapist and help people and educate them. It just feels right for me. The difficult part for me is that I am interested in so many different aspects. I would love to go back to do an undergraduate in neuroscience and become a neuropsychologist, but I also love research in social psychology, specifically interpersonal relationships, but then I also think forensic psychology is sooo cool. If I had the money to keep getting degrees, I honestly would do it. I really enjoy learning and studying, and I think I would love to study all of these things.
researchingwealth. I originally did my undergraduate degree with the desire to pursue law or diplomacy. Around my fourth year of undergrad, I did a paid work placement at an environmental law firm, with the aim of going to law school. It was at this job I realized I was more passionate about the environment rather than law and when I returned to school, luckily, I had enough flexibility in the last 30 credits I needed to graduate to take courses in environmental sciences and geography. After my graduation, while working full-time (and part-time) during the pandemic, I was also volunteering at a conservation organization for two years conducting field-work which included water sampling, species identification, and some terrestrial ecosystems mapping. I fell more in love with the environmental field and decided to only apply to environmental science/geography programs for my masters!
psychedaboutbooks. Health sciences: Because my parents wanted me to be a doctor, and I didn't know myself enough to realize that wasn't the way for me. Psychology: In Canada, to be a psychologist, you need to have a doctorate. I didn't get into the program when I applied the first time, and I knew I needed to improve my application by adding research experience and publications, so I went for the 2-year masters degree in the hopes that it would improve my application enough for me to get into the doctorate program this time.
koreangalonfire. After working at tech startups for 5 years, I wanted to work on something more meaningful. The problems I was helping to solve at work felt insignificant in the context of society's most pressing issues. Outside of work, I was spending a lot of time volunteering for a climate change nonprofit and decided to pursue a policy degree to complement my business experience. One of my mistakes was that I didn't have a clear post-graduation pivot plan. I thought I wanted to do something related to public/private partnerships to combat climate change, but this wasn't specific enough to translate into choosing the right coursework, skill set, internships, etc. While I did try lots of different roles through internships including in city government, philanthropy, and consulting, I found that what I imagined these jobs to be like were very different from the day-to-day work.
ritual_finance. I decided to major in applied math because when I was growing up math was always my favorite subject. Additionally, growing up I was really interested in being a teacher. I had so many teachers that I loved and I wanted to be like them. As I got older, I found myself helping my friends and brother with their math homework. Although I changed my mind a few times after being told I was "too smart to be a teacher" (smh), I ultimately decided to pursue my teaching credential. The programs I applied to were all joint credential and Master's degree programs which enabled me to earn a higher degree while earning my credential.
CAREER
If you already graduated, what is your current position (and is it relevant to the degree you pursued)? If you are currently enrolled, what type of position do you want to pursue after you graduate?
thefireflyproject. Senior Engineer and hopefully manager after I grad!
maybe.its.hailey. I’d like to pursue professorship at a community college back in Florida. However, I might pursue a PhD in 2025 if finances allow.
therapysloth. I work for the federal government as an Integrity Investigator - basically doing forensic auditing and investigating potential fraud of government benefits (like unemployment, pensions). The cool thing about having a psychology degree is you can apply it to so many different jobs, but to really put it to use you need to pursue postgraduate programs. For my career-specific goals, I’ll need to continue with school.
researchingwealth. I am extremely grateful that my current position is directly relevant to my previous degree. I graduated from my masters program in 2022 and began a research assistant role the following month in the same field. This specific position is primarily focused on the social science dimensions of the environment and geography, so I mainly conduct qualitative research and policy related research with some spatial and evidence mapping.
psychedaboutbooks. After I graduate from the doctorate program, I want to go into industry related work and be a clinical psychologist in my own office. I'd like to see if I can stay affiliated with a university, though, to participate in clinical research!
koreangalonfire. I'm currently self employed as a full-time investor/trader. My current job has nothing to do with my education. Immediately after grad school, I worked at a boutique advisory firm consulting for climate tech startups. While my degree was somewhat relevant to the job, I could have gotten/done that job without a policy degree.
ritual_finance. My current position as a math teacher is extremely relevant to both of the degrees I pursued! Yay for Math + Education!
LONG TERM GOALS
What are your long-term career goals and have you already achieved them?
thefireflyproject. For the next 5 years, climb the corporate ladder. Hopefully at some point I’ll be able to live off my passive income!
maybe.its.hailey. I’d really like to be a professor at a university or go into the publishing industry, something to do with writing so I can stay creative.
therapysloth. I’d like to become a therapist, then a psychologist. In some provinces in Canada, you need to have a master’s degree and a Ph.D. to be a psychologist, so I have another 2 to 4 years of school after I complete my master’s. I would like to specialize in interpersonal relationship, so maybe couples and family counselling, but I am also open to working in schools and helping students. I want to open my own practice and work on my own terms. It would also be fun to continue research. I want to continue research into the different influences on the dating process. I’d also like to study abroad one day, specifically in Japan due to personal/family reasons. I’d like to study the differences in mental health care between Japan and Canada, and see how to adapt therapeutic treatments to the different culture. It is also interesting to see the shift in generations, but I would like to know whether this shift is as large as we might think it is or if there is still some struggle with the traditional views/ways and how this impacts mental health (both individually and collectively). Hopefully this makes sense!
researchingwealth. I am still working on it! Pre-masters, I worked as a research assistant with an amazing project (not environment-related) but it in part inspired me to pursue a career in environmental research. In the future, I can see myself working as a tenured professor and a principal investigator, mentoring and supervising students from diverse backgrounds and working with an interdisciplinary team of other academics from different fields to find equitable solutions to our most complex environmental problems.
psychedaboutbooks. My long term career goal is to be a psychologist, and to have my own practice ! I'm still about 5 to 6 years away from achieving them, I think - 3 to 4 years of university, then some time to start working on those goals more intensely.
koreangalonfire. My long term career goals including continuing to invest and potentially buying or starting a business or nonprofit in the senior care space. There are applicable frameworks and systems thinking in the context of the political economy that can be applied from my graduate training to the industries I'm interested in, but for me, the degree really wasn't worth it.
ritual_finance. Teaching is unique in that there isn't much "climbing" to be done. While some teachers have goals to enter into administration, I absolutely do not. Long-term, I'd love to teach part time and spend the other half of my time working as a coach/mentor for new teachers.
finances
TOTAL COST
How much did/does your program cost in total?
thefireflyproject. MEng - ~A$40k, MBA - ~A$90k
maybe.its.hailey. £21,000 / $26,750
therapysloth. Undergraduate degree was completed in 5 years and cost about $17,000 CAD. This specific master’s program is currently set to be about $44,000 CAD. It is a private school which is why it’s so expensive comparative to other programs.
researchingwealth. For both my undergraduate degree and masters degree my tuition was approximately $102,000 (CAD) ($50,000 for a 5-year undergraduate degree and 50,000 for a 1-year masters), not including housing and other expenses. I paid domestic tuition for my undergraduate degree and international tuition for my masters degree.
psychedaboutbooks. My bachelor cost me about 11 000 $CAD, and my masters will cost in total about 7000 $CAD.
koreangalonfire. $120K
ritual_finance. My graduate program cost was around $80,000 for one year. Thankfully it was a one-year program!
PAYMENT PLAN
What was/is your payment plan for tuition? are you taking out student loans? Scholarships? Are you able to pay in full without taking out loans?
thefireflyproject. Scholarship + Cashflow
maybe.its.hailey. I’m grateful that my parents were gracious enough to pay my tuition in full. For my Bachelors degree I had a 75% Bright Futures scholarship from the state and the remaining was paid for by the company I worked for at the time.
therapysloth. I received government loans (OSAP) for my undergraduate and graduate degrees. For my undergraduate, I received about $12,000 total in loans and grants, and I paid the rest mostly on my own (received $1,200 from my parents). I did receive an entrance scholarship in my first year for about $1,500. For my graduate program, I received about $14,000 for the first year and will pay the remaining $6,000 on my own. I expect the second year to be roughly the same. I may need to use my line of credit to help pay.
researchingwealth. Coming from a low-income background, I was never going to be able to go to post-secondary without student loans - this was something I knew very early on. Thankfully, 1/3 of my loans were actually grants and bursaries and I also received small scholarships throughout my undergraduate degree. My loans are currently 0% indefinitely so my plan is to pay the minimum amount for as long as I can since there is no incentive to pay more than this amount. I may reconsider after my eventual PhD if I have different financial goals, but this is what is currently working for me!
psychedaboutbooks. I pay in full each semester, using governmental student loans. I am absolutely unable to pay for shcool without student loans - I've got a combined student loans debt of about 13 000 $ currently, and will definitely get more when I enroll into the doctorate program. I got a small scholarship of 1000$ from the university this year, which helped a bit with rising food costs.
koreangalonfire. I took out about $40K in student loans and borrowed the rest from my parents. I paid my parents back and have about $30K in student loans left ($600 student loan payment per month).
ritual_finance. I earned a full scholarship which covered the full tuition (around 60k). For the rest (housing, food, books, etc) I was very fortunate to be able to take out forgivable loans only, which amounted to $32,000. These loans were all forgiven after 5 years of teaching full time. One of the loans was a private loan through Stanford and the other loan was a federal Perkins loan.
MANAGING FINANCES
If you currently are enrolled, how are you managing your finances? If you already graduated, please recall whether you had a budget, money saving strategies, any money wins/losses.
thefireflyproject. Doing my MBA part time while keeping a full time job. Savings and investing definitely taking a hit but at least I’m not in the red. No “fun and travel” money until I graduate.
maybe.its.hailey. I’m managing my finances with a tight budget right now. Before I moved to the UK I saved up about 10 months worth of living expenses, and have been living off of that. I was able to find a job over here (after 24+ applications) that was supplementing my budget, but 7 weeks in they let me know that they were closing shop, so they let me go. I’m on the job hunt again (8+ applications and counting!) so hopefully I’ll find something soon, but the job market is not great right now.
therapysloth. I did not have a budget during my undergraduate degree and my finances were horrible. I did not have a credit card at the time and managed to stay afloat. I worked 2 jobs plus a summer job, and I got lucky and worked in a federal government student program in my last two and a half years of school. For the government job, I was full-time in the summer and part-time the rest of the year, and I still held my part-time job and summer dependant job. Still, I was living paycheck to paycheck because I didn’t budget and didn’t understand finances. For my graduate degree, I am working full-time plus a part-time job. I plan to do my summer dependant job as well. The nice thing about this specific program is that it’s online, so I have the ability to work full-time, but it is very challenging to balance work and school along with a social life or even just time for myself. I don’t have a choice though, I need to do this so I can pay for school and get out of debt. I created bad debt for myself in the two years between programs, and now I’m trying to dig myself out. Currently, I am trying to budget better and pay off debt as quickly as possible. I plan to hold the student debt as long as possible as it is interest free during study and a large portion remains interest free after study. I only recently learned about personal finances (within the last three years) and I’ve been trying to figure it out and break bad habits. Slowly getting there! One thing I think is worth mentioning is that I am the oldest of three and there is an expectation for me to help provide for my family. I pay for groceries and cook meals sometimes, I help take care of the dogs, I help pay for things in the house (like repairs etc.) and my time is split between my own things and things for my family. So there is an added financial burden of helping my parents so they can retire eventually. It’s also like engrained in me, this feeling of “I need to help my parents because they helped me” and I feel like that’s an Asian thing? My partner and his family, who are white, don’t understand this when I mentioned it and they think I am crazy for it.
researchingwealth. I had a multitude of jobs throughout my undergraduate degree. In order to save money and gain more work experience. I took a year off to work after spending a semester abroad, which contributed to me being able to partly fund my eventual masters degree. From mid-2019 – mid-2021, I had saved approximately $20,000 (CAD) which went toward my tuition for my masters. During my masters degree, I had a remote research position for the year I was doing it. However, during both my undergraduate and masters degrees, I did not consistently budget. At the time, I had tricked myself into thinking that because I wasn’t shopping a lot or spending lots of money on luxurious things like some of my friends, I didn’t need to budget. This was a way for me to ignore the fact that I was not good at managing money the way I needed to be, since I have no “fallback” (i.e. financial and emotional support from family). There were periods I would be good and had some financial strategies such as mainly cooking at home for my last 2 years of undergrad, living with roommates for cheaper rent and utility costs and not paying for a car or car insurance until my last year.
psychedaboutbooks. I budget every month, using my commonplace notebook which I always have on me. I share my financial burdens with my husbands, who works a 9 to 5 in an administrative job - we divide expenses based on our respective incomes, and I try to put aside as much money as I can in a savings account to go towards paying off my debt as soon as I am out of school. I got a part-time TA job last semester, and will probably get it again in September if I can stay in the same university, but the thing that helps me the most is to try to hold myself to a "no buy" plan as much as possible. It's hard - I used to love going out to stores, looking at items, but I don't do that anymore because it might lead to overspending and we really can't afford that while I'm still in school.
koreangalonfire. I was living on a very tight budget and was working multiple internships and TA jobs to pay for expenses.
ritual_finance. One big money win when I was in grad school was that I was able to pay off some of my non-forgivable loans from undergrad with my new forgivable loans. That was pretty awesome! In terms of budgeting, I lived in off-campus school housing which was more affordable than living on my own. I remember being very mindful about my spending. When I ate out it was generally on campus (more affordable than off), but I tried to prepare most of my food at home. I didn't really have much "fun" when I was in grad school. I did not travel or spend money on entertainment. While I didn't have any official "budget" that I tried to stick to, I'd say I was quite frugal and mindful about my spending.
reflection
WORTH?
Do you think your degree(s) is/was worth it (financially, emotionally, physically, professionally, etc.)?
thefireflyproject. Definitely paid off for me! MEng was the pathway I took to get skilled visa to Australia and also my Canada PR (living my dreams of moving out of Malaysia!) MBA has helped me made new friends in my current city and I’ve learnt so much from the lecturers. I’ve also taken the negotiation class and used the lecturers as my negotiating consultants to 2x my pay!
maybe.its.hailey. Overall, yes, but there have been doubts along the way. Emotionally: absolutely, this has been a once in a lifetime opportunity to live in another country and culture for an entire year. Being homesick is difficult, but I’d do it all over again. Professionally: yes, I think this will get me places my bachelors couldn’t. Financially: Yes and no, being an international student raised my tuition by £11,500 / $14,650. Quite frankly, I could’ve done this course back home, there’s not much different about the course content to warrant this difference. The only justification I have for this is the ability to live in the UK and immerse myself in another culture.
therapysloth. I think my undergraduate degree is worth it because I loved my school and I loved my program, and I loved that I had the ability to try so many different courses in psychology to see what I really enjoyed most. It was hard, but it was worth it in the end. I think my graduate degree is where I’m struggling. I think that online learning is difficult and I am not well suited for it. I think that financially, it’s not worth $44,000 CAD. That’s an absurd price for what I’m getting so far. There are other programs out there that would better suit me and are much more affordable, and I would have the opportunity to do research. In this program, I don’t have that opportunity and my practicum feels like the only hands-on learning I will get
researchingwealth. I think at first glance, some people may say that my degree was not worth it financially but to me it unquestionably is, in addition to the emotional, physical, professional, and personal fulfillment I’ve gotten from it. Financially, my industry arguably does not pay as much as it should be valued (I’m sure other researchers in other fields can relate!), but getting to pursue a career that I love and get paid for it has been incredibly worthwhile. From a professional point of view, going to university allowed me the experimentation I needed to figure out what I was passionate about. The flexibility of being a student enabled me to pursue many different jobs in different areas such as policy, research, law, non-profit, and the corporate sector. Without this flexibility, I wouldn’t have had the same opportunities (such as finding a job during the pandemic) and developing a diverse professional network Having the privilege to go to university at some of my dream institutions was mind boggling to say the least. I met some of my best friends for life, who I am still such good friends with today. During my masters, I met my current partner who I currently live with and finally studied my dream subject. Going to university is/was such a large part of who I am today.
psychedaboutbooks. Oh god, what a difficult question... my very first degree was very much not worth it (the health sciences one). It didn't fit with what I liked, I hated the classes (especially organic chemistry, in which I had to go beg the teacher for another chance on an exam or I would have failed the class and not graduated on time), I had such a hard time understanding the content and doing the work... 0/10 do not recommend.
koreangalonfire. 100% not worth it in every aspect. Part of this was because 7 months into my program, COVID-19 hit and I was remote for the majority of my program, which really impacted the quality of the program. I missed out on a huge part of grad school which is building meaningful connections and networking. The particular program I attended was also very poor quality despite being a well respected Ivy League. The courses, students, and overall program design were disappointing. I was extremely burnt out and while I thought grad school would be a step up from a burnout perspective, it ended up worsening my burnout. I was working a lot to experience different potential career paths. I wish I had taken time off from working--which is what I really needed at the time. All in, grad school cost about $200K including living expenses and I am continuing to feel the financial impacts as I make my monthly student loan payment. A career break would have been a fraction of the cost. Especially given that I'm only a few years out of my program, there are many days I feel like an absolute idiot for having done my program to do a job that has nothing to do with my degree. I'm hoping at some point it will become useful.
ritual_finance. Yes, but only because I got a scholarship and forgivable loans. I did personally love my program. I made good friends and generally had fun in my classes. Having the "Stanford" name on my degree certainly helped me get a job in my current district, which is a high paying district. However, I do think that if I had to pay for my program by taking out unforgivable loans I would likely feel very differently.
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT
What has been your greatest accomplishment as a result of pursuing this degree (something you achieved that you wouldn't have been able to, or would've taken more time if you didn't pursue this degree)?
thefireflyproject. Definitely moving out of my home country and earning a salary that I’m comfortable with. The best thing that I’ve gotten from all the education is change in mindset on all the possibilities that is within reach.
maybe.its.hailey. Being able to live in the UK has been a dream! Growing up, I had always dreamed to live in another country for at least a year, and this has fulfilled that by far. This degree has allowed me to do that, as a student visa is (usually) the easiest visa to get.
therapysloth. I had the ability to do research in my undergraduate degree and found out that I loved it! I also connected with a professor who I admire. Holding an undergraduate degree exposed me to so many different jobs and helped me land a solid government position. If I wasn’t so ambitious, I could retire comfortably by working this government job for the next 25 to 40 years.
researchingwealth. Having the peace and knowledge of knowing that I love what I do professionally. While academia has received warranted criticisms as a sector, I never wake up in the morning thinking “I hate this job”, “I hate my boss”, “I hate working here”. I think finding this balance of passion and supporting myself is something that I often take for granted.
psychedaboutbooks. Professionally, I think it's be landing my current job! It's an administrative position in the public health industry, where I do quantitative and qualitative analysis and overall support my team in the public affairs and communication department. I'm being paid double the amount that I made when I was a cook in a restaurant downtown, where the manager felt free to tell me, on my last day, that they'd "tell all the other restaurant managers not to hire [me], and that [I] would never find a better job than this". No disrespect to food industry workers - but it didn't pay well, the hours were terrible, I was treated really badly, and my diploma has made my life SO MUCH BETTER on that front. It's taken me years to get there, but I'm really proud of where I am professionally, even if it isn't my dream job yet - and that's been made possible because of that diploma.
koreangalonfire. My first job out of grad school was was a 57% base salary increase, but I don't necessarily attribute it to my degree.
ritual_finance. I got to meet/ be taught by some of the most well-known people in the math education field (Jo Boaler & Dan Meyer!!). I also get to work at a GREAT school and the connections that I made through my program helped me land the job there.
REGRETS
Do you have any regrets (financially, emotionally, physically, professionally, etc.)?
thefireflyproject. No regrets for me. Regret is a waste of time, we learn and move on to the next thing!
maybe.its.hailey. I think my only regret would be financially, and even that’s a maybe. I’ll be broke (if not in debt) by the time I go home, but the job that paid for my bachelors will take me back. Not only that, but I’ll be able to move back in with my parents until I get back on my feet. I might be broke by the end of this but it’s been a once in a lifetime experience.
therapysloth. If I could change how I did things, I would. Hindsight is 20/20. I have no regrets about pursuing psychology, but I regret how I did it and I regret that I allowed myself to hold me back. I was my own biggest barrier. If I could do it over again, I would have focused way more on school, done a double major in psychology and neuroscience, and then gone into a neuropsychology postgraduate program. I think I would still work towards becoming a counsellor, but I would have done it in a way where I could still do neuroscience. It would have been a much quicker route to what I want. Maybe I could be a neurosurgeon too? That’s always been so interesting to me.
researchingwealth. Short answer-no, long answer-it’s complicated! I don’t find regret conducive to my own development, so I try not to be regretful, but there are moments I wish I had done something differently. Post-masters, I had a lot of regrets not taking more advantage of the opportunities I had (i.e. going to seminars, networking, not being afraid to reach out to researchers, etc…). I felt like I had done the bare minimum but in hindsight I think I was a bit too hard on myself. Just to say that it is so easy to wish for an alternative scenario, but I think everything works out the way it is supposed to.
psychedaboutbooks. Financially, I wish I hadn't needed to work part-time during all my university years. Without any parental support, it's been just me - and then, my husband and me - and the financial pressure meant that I never had much time for volunteering or internships outside of school. That has seriously hurt my chances of getting into the doctorate program of my dreams, and I regret not asking and applying to all the governmental scholarships that exist for students when I fit the requirements. Coming from an immigrant family where I knew next to nothing about the university system in Canada, there were many opportunities I learned about after the fact, and lost out on because I didn't apply. I also wish I had skipped my first degree and went straight into psychology instead of wasting a few years of my life (and student loans!) doing something I hated (i.e. organic chemistry, my nemesis). In hindsight, there were clear signs that this wasn't the right way for me, but I ignored them because I had been told by my family for so many years that this was what I would do, that I never dared to question it until the diploma was in my hands.
koreangalonfire. I genuinely wish I had been more thoughtful about my why behind grad school. I wasn't honest about running away from my then career situation and was blindly running toward something that seemed more interesting. I also believe that in today's world of content, technology, and unlimited information, a lot of what you want to achieve can be done outside of institutional education. YouTube, mentorship programs, networking, etc. are much more time and cost effective compared to graduate programs (especially non-mandatory ones like MBA, MPP, etc.)
ritual_finance. Not really!! Sometimes I do wish I pursued a different field because teaching is exhausting. But as cheesy as it sounds, I really do feel like teaching is what I was meant to do and so I am happy with where I'm at :)
future applicants
ADVICE
What is your advice for people who want to pursue a master's degree in your field? Talk about what is typically needed in an application, how much to budget for application costs, etc.
thefireflyproject. If you’re going the coursework route, it’s quite straight forward. Potentially a few referral letters and a small amount of application fee (couple of hundred in their local currency). Apply early to get an offer (conditional or not) so that you can apply for all the scholarships out there. If you’re going the research route, definitely talk to the lecturers to make sure that you actually love the topic that your supervisor is currently researching on. The plus side is they usually have grants that can subsidize your fees!
maybe.its.hailey. You’ll have to submit a portfolio of creative work, whether that’s poetry, a collection of short stories, or an excerpt from a novel. There were no application fees needed for my university. For tuition fees budget around $11,000 and if you’re international budget $14,000 more than that. I’ve been able to use my school’s online library for most of my research books, and I bought the rest used for about $75. If you’re applying for a visa, budget around $650.
therapysloth. If you don’t think you would get it, apply anyways. Put your heart and soul into the letter of intent, and then have someone read it over. Preferably, someone who is already a student or professor at that school. Networking is huge - talk to the program advisor, the admissions advisor, reach out to the dean, even ask about any professors and email them to see if they are willing to talk to you. Take the time to research what you are interested in and then look at which professors best align with those interests. Don’t be afraid to take your time before diving into your master’s degree. I’m so happy I took time off to work and think about what I wanted to do. It will be expensive, so budget at least $400 for the admissions process, then try to budget for the tuition costs. I think student assistance depends on the school and country, so take a look at that. Also, find scholarship websites, because there are so many obscure scholarships out there that you can apply for. Definitely budget and try to save. One of my biggest regrets was not budgeting and learning how to manage a budget, because in high stress times it does not help when you have bad spending habits and no budget to guide you. You will not magically be good with money during those times. Spending is emotional, and when you’re stressed you are not thinking rationally. Try to leave yourself some emotional spending money if you can. If you’re not disciplined, learn how to become disciplined, because it really matters now in the master’s degree. As someone currently going through it, I really wish I had established a better study routine at the start so I’m not playing catch up all the time.
researchingwealth. I can only speak from the perspective of someone who applied abroad (i.e. 2 schools in the UK, 1 in Europe, 1 in the US). Speaking from experience, you will usually need unofficial and official transcripts, GPA, GRE (if applicable), personal statement, writing sample, 2 – 3 academic and/or professional references, and an English proficiency test (if applicable). Pragmatically, you want to make sure you meet the minimum requirements such as GPA, having suitable references, and professional and personal experience. If you don’t meet the minimum requirements (i.e. GPA is lower than what they are asking, not your field of study), assess how your experiences make up for those specific shortcomings. I did not study environmental sciences during my undergrad, but I made it a priority to outline why my background and experiences were suitable to the programs I applied to. My biggest tip for writing a personal statement is maintaining the right balance between professional experiences and personal anecdotes to convey your motivation and passion for pursuing the masters. Use your professional experiences (i.e. previous research jobs, volunteer experiences) to articulate how you have developed the skills for the program (and how the masters can help you continue to develop them) but also sprinkle in your values and perspectives to illustrate these points as well. In my experience, I made it a priority to not apply to more than 5 masters programs. This was to manage my workload for applications while working full-time and volunteering, but also to force you to only choose your top programs. Applying to schools is already quite tiresome and can be extremely expensive! I paid over $500 in application fees for my masters. Especially, if you are hoping to do one abroad, I would also recommend budgeting for visa costs before or when you start applying. Visas can be quite costly, and this is something I wish I was a bit more prepared for going into my programs. Now as I prepare for PhD applications, I have set up a sinking fund for these costs!
psychedaboutbooks. The application cost me about 80$CAD, and the cost of sending the university an transcript of my grades from my previous uni. For my field (psychology), I'd say the most important thing to get into the masters program is to highlight research experience in your academic resume and your cover letter. You want to add if you've made a scientific poster (in which conference, when, did you win a prize, were you nominated for one...), or given a short oral presentation, or even participated in the writing of a journal article... anything you've done as part of a "research class" can also be highlighted, so even if you didn't do an entire project yourself, you can still show the admissions committee that you have some experience and are willing to work to get more. There's not clinical component to the masters degree, but if you're aiming for the doctorate later, keep that in mind too!
koreangalonfire. Know exactly what you want to get out of it and the things you can do during your degree to get to your goal. Seriously consider other alternatives with a lower time and money burden--most degrees are not necessary in today's day and age unless you're a doctor, lawyer, etc. Try every other option before choosing grad school.
ritual_finance. From my experience, the application process is not too complicated. You'll want to make sure you have people to request letters of recommendation from. I asked two professors of education classes that I took in undergrad and a teacher whose class I volunteered in. You'll also want to consider the teaching credential requirements for the state you'll want to teach in and see how this compares to what you will earn in your master's degree program (requirements vary by state and it can be easier to go to school in the state you want to end up teaching in!!).
PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION
If someone were to go up to you and say "I want to pursue [degree that you pursued/currently pursuing]", what would you tell them? What type of advice would you give?
thefireflyproject. Truly think about what you’re hoping to get out of it. If you’re doing it full time, there are a lot of scholarships out there.
maybe.its.hailey. I’d be so excited to meet someone who wants to pursue this in an academic sense, but would also stress that it’s not necessary. I feel as though reading books on technique and doing workshops *could* do about the same. Pursuing this degree surrounds you with like-minded individuals who are just as passionate as you are. HOWEVER, the professors and staff are well-published who are professionals in their field and can help with editing as well as “knowing a guy.”
therapysloth. Go for it! There’s so many different areas of psychology and you can find your niche. It’s also a great degree to hold because it’s applicable to so many different settings. It gives you a foot in the door. Learn to be disciplined. Take a course in the psychology of learning and I promise that will help sooo much! That course changed how I studied. Don’t be afraid to jump around different areas in search of your interest.
researchingwealth. It is an extremely satisfying field – if it is what you are passionate about. Environmental research can be very rewarding but also doom and gloom. It can feel helpless fighting the good fight when our environment around is deteriorating at irreversible rates and scales we cannot keep up with. This is also not a financially lucrative field so it would be good to have some ideas of what you want out of this degree and what average compensation looks like in the areas you would like to settle in, and if this matches your lifestyle expectations. Despite these drawbacks, I have no regrets transitioning to the environmental field. Being able to say that I’m passionate about my work is a privilege which I recognize is hard to come by in today’s capitalist society.
psychedaboutbooks. Focus on three things : 1) Get a GPA as high as possible. Universities might say that you can apply only if your grades are above 3.8/4.3, but in reality, they tend to only answer applicants that have a 4.0 or higher. Yes, it's insanely high. Yes, you can do it. 2) Get research experience. This can be done in a lot of different ways, but I'd advise messaging a couple of teachers during your first years, and asking if they have any research assistant spots available in their lab. The worst they can do is say no - and at best, you might find a spot in an excellent lab, with a teacher that could sponsor your doctorate application. 3) Get clinical experience. Your best bet : volunteer in a mental health non-profit that deals directly with people in crisis. You'll feel useful, learn a lot, and get extremely valuable experience to put you on the right path for a clinical psychology degree.
koreangalonfire. Find five alternatives to achieving your long term goal. Try those first.
ritual_finance. Seriously consider if you truly want to be a teacher or if you are just interested in trying it out. If you are not 100% sure, consider getting a teaching credential in your state without a Masters degree OR choose an affordable Masters degree program. If you are interested in going into education research, you may want to consider a PhD instead.
SCHOOL NAME/PRESTIGE
Does the name of the school matter for this degree? Should someone aim to get into an Ivy League/private institution or is a state school/a less "flashy" institution more than adequate?
thefireflyproject. Unless is Ivy League or other world reknown university, chances are employers will only recognize top universities in their own country.
maybe.its.hailey. For a creative writing degree, I’d say maybe? Some people think a creative writing degree isn’t worth anything so it’s up to the individual. My family is pretty conservative, so in my mind I had to justify it by being accepted into a Russell Group uni. Fortunately, my parents have been nothing but supportive and my mom’s said she’s vicariously living through me 😂
therapysloth. I would say no. I’m not sure if this applies if you want to get into academia though? In general, jobs don’t care which school you went to, they just want to know you are competent and know your stuff and you are willing to learn. The school I went to was absolutely amazing, and it’s not an “ivy league” or private school. I hate the private school I’m at for my master’s and wish I could do my program at the school I did my undergraduate for.
researchingwealth. Personally, as someone who graduated from the University of Oxford and applied to ivy leagues for both my undergrad and masters (and was accepted), I do not think the name of the school matters in the environmental field – especially if you want to do applied work. Of course, saying you got your degree from the University of Oxford will carry some weight in some circles, and does open some doors, but I truly do believe it is what you make of the experience. Being involved in extracurriculars, doing your best in school. forming connections with faculty and your peers, these are the things that matter the most over the reputation of an institution. And from someone who rejected/was implicitly rejected (i.e. half-ride scholarships) when I got into my dream ivy leagues for undergrad, I ended up going to a much cheaper public school and have 0 regrets. There are also other trade-offs from going to schools like Oxford, Cambridge, or the “Big Three’’, that may not be suitable for your needs and aspirations. All of this to say that I think once you get to the masters and especially the PhD level, it’s less about the school and more so about the researcher you want to work with and the fit.
psychedaboutbooks. Some people might put a lot of emphasis on the school you're graduating from, but honestly? In psychology, as long as you have that sweet "PhD./PsyD." next to your name, you're perfectly fine.
koreangalonfire. I went to a top Ivy League and it was not worth it. This likely depends on your specific field and where you want to work after. Pedigree means less now and will be worth even less in the future.
ritual_finance. This is tough! As always, name can help. However, the name does not REALLY matter much for this degree. I'd say it can be more helpful to attend a school in an area that you are interested in teaching in vs going somewhere for the name. This is because you will become familiar with local schools and will be able to network locally which can help when you end up applying to jobs.
SCHOOL DECISION
How did you decide on the school you ended up attending/are currently attending? What other schools did you apply to? What criteria were you looking for when you applied to these programs?
thefireflyproject. I decided based on university ranking from the lot that I got accepted into. Unfortunately not smart enough to get into Ivy League, so no one actually knew the university 😂
maybe.its.hailey. I decided on my school because it’s a Russel Group uni as well as the university that my friend goes to. The courses are well accredited and it’s a historical school that’s absolutely beautiful. Funny enough, it was the only school I applied to.
therapysloth. I went to Brock University for my undergraduate degree because it was close to home and one of my parents is an alumni. I applied for McMaster and Ryerson University (not sure what the new name is), and I got accepted to both. I wish I went to McMaster or Ryerson for the research opportunities, but I’m glad I went to Brock University because I loved it there. Also Toronto living it expensive LOL I currently study at Yorkville University because it’s an online master’s degree and it allows me to work full-time while studying. If I didn’t need to work full-time, I would have applied to University of Toronto, Ryerson University, Carleton University, and University of Guelph. I would even be willing to apply to a university in British Colombia or study out east, maybe in Nova Scotia. Or, I would apply overseas in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, or Japan, but I don’t speak Japanese so I need to learn first.
researchingwealth. For undergrad, I had applied to a bunch of schools in both Canada and the US and only applied abroad for my masters. I won’t reveal all of the exact schools I went to for anonymity reaons, but I went to a top 5 school in Canada for my undergrad and Oxford for my masters. For undergrad, the deciding factor ended up being proximity to home and costs. Even though I had been accepted into some amazing schools in the US (2 of them being Ivy leagues), the amount of student loans I would have had to take out at the time was astronomical even with scholarships and aid. As an international student, it was looking to be ~$150,000 CAD for tuition alone across 4 – 5 years vs. ~60,000 CAD for BOTH my tuition and expenses. Even though my Asian parents pushed me toward the US schools, I couldn’t bring myself to take that financial risk. For my masters program, my main requirements were that it needed to be abroad (covid bubble syndrome), strategic for job prospects, and in the environmental sector. When I got into Oxford it seemed to be a no brainer for me since a) it is a top university in the world, b) one of the best environmental departments in the world, c) tap into an incredible network of academics and people and d) despite the steep price, I thought it would be a worthy investment to get a masters in one year instead of the normal back home from a place like Oxford!
psychedaboutbooks. I applied to all of the schools I could apply to in my general area, keeping in mind my job and my husband's job. The only criteria was: is this program going to give me the professional title I need to get my dream job (psychologist) afterwards? Do I fit the application criteria? I talked with my husband before applying, though, and we saved money for a while to afford all the application costs. For us, it was worth it applying to a bunch of schools, if it meant that at least one would say yes! This way, I have no regrets.
koreangalonfire. I only applied to four programs—was accepted to two and rejected from two. I largely chose the school I went to because it was in a better city and overall a better name.
ritual_finance. I primarily looked at location and ended up applying to UCSD, Columbia Teacher's College, and Stanford. I did not factor cost of the program in when I decided to apply because I knew that my final decision would depend on financial aid. I realllllly wanted to move to NYC, but ended up getting a full scholarship to Stanford which is ultimately why I decided to go there over the other two schools I applied to.
As always, thank you so much to the contributors of this post. You guys all rock. Stay tuned for the next academic-related newsletter, which is this newsletter but doctoral edition.
If you got to the bottom of this post, I am so grateful for you. Here’s my weekly virtual hug, and I hope to see you back here next week.
—Beans ⋆˙⟡
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