Anyone who took a year or two off end up regretting it?

[Dirkwww]

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I already have really good research experience and grades (No GRE yet), but i am really thinking about taking a year off to build on what i have, and really decide on if grad school is right for me, and what grad schools to look at. Did anyone take a year or two off and regret it? also what did you do with your time off and how easy was it to get a job(full time or not)?

Thanks

 

[Doctor Eliza]

I can answer the opposite question: Did anyone go straight to grad school and regret it?

Answer: yes.

At the time, I didn't even consider time off. I'm a total nerd and happiest among my books and assignments. I had the stats to get into good programs and I had a number of attractive offers. However, I lacked the life experience and maturity to deal with some of the "darker" aspects of grad school. I went to a program with a lot of conflict among faculty, grad students being put in the middle, and a huge lack of boundaries between faculty and students. I think having real life experience would have helped me gain perspective and protect myself from some of what made my grad school experience miserable. I also think life experience might have made me more savvy when deciding among offers(e.g., not being overly swayed by flattery).

Grad school will still be there in a year or two. I would spend some time making your stats amazing, learning about negotiating the uglier aspects of academia and the business world, and enjoying life a little. And if there is any question that you might want to do something other than grad school, definitely spend some time sorting that out.

Best,
Dr. E

 

[lasnap]

I'm about to start my third year off and am preparing to apply to experimental and clinical programs this fall, and I have no regrets. It sounds like I was in a similar situation to yours while in undergrad. I had a competitive GPA, strong research experience and was preparing to take the GRE, but I wasn't totally sure about the area of research that I wanted to pursue nor the types of programs that I wanted to apply to. I decided that some extra research experience in a field that I was considering pursuing as a graduate student was my best option, so I applied for relevant RA jobs and was lucky enough to land one. Over the past couple years I've been able to enhance my resume, learn how to cope with academic politics and difficult interpersonal situations with coworkers (this has been invaluable!), and make a comfortable living, not to mention pay off credit card debt and begin to chip away at my undergrad loans. I feel prepared and qualified to apply this fall, and because I've been in a research setting full-time, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm getting myself into.

If you are interested in taking this route, keep in mind that RA positions are very competitive. I applied to about 30 programs all over the US, had two interviews (and a third that I declined) and ultimately received two offers. I learned about most of the job openings that I applied for by simply checking university HR sites (check a lot of them and check them often, as many jobs are listed only for a short period of time), although I'm sure if wouldn't hurt to email lab coordinators or PIs to inquire about possible openings as well. If you aren't geographically restricted, cast a wide net to improve your chances.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I took time off (for first career) and I felt far better prepared for all of the politics/life stuff. Adjusting to studying was a bit rough, but the 'real life' experience was worth it.

 

[PsySeeker]

How much time did you take of T4C? I took off about a decade, agree I'm far better prepared to excel academically and politically, but I'm not sure I wouldn't have been better off going back maybe five years ago. I think the answer for the OP is going to be case by case... Life experience can be vital to success, but life can also make it very difficult to do the sorts of things required to enter this field successfully.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Yeah, I'd imagine it could very well differ from person to person, although I know of very few people who took "only" a year or two off and then regretted it afterward. I took a year myself, along with having a fairly...protracted undergraduate career peppered with its own break or two mixed in, and felt that I was at just the right place (for me) when I entered grad school.

 

[serotonin]

I took 5 years off between undergrad and grad. Worked as an RA the entire time for a couple of labs to build up my CV. Waited until I felt like the "go back to school now" finally outweighed the "have fun, earn money, live in the real world," then applied.

The only thing I regret is that I am sort of old (will be 32 when I get my PhD), but at the same time it was nice to spend most of my 20s not in grad school 🙂 . I would do it again this way. I did feel ahead of many of my classmates having all the work experience & knowing the ropes / lingo a little better.

 

[HomeworkHelper]

I imagine that as long as you can use the time to gain experiences relevant for graduate school (particularly research-related), you won't regret it. A good percentage of folks in my program took some time off after undergrad and worked as an RA somewhere. I came in straight from undergrad, and while initially I was happy that I would get done at an earlier age, I now wish I would have gained some additional experiences prior to graduate school. Having more experience can add to your CV, which can then make you more competitive for graduate school applications and for internship applications as well.

 

[Pragma]

I already have really good research experience and grades (No GRE yet), but i am really thinking about taking a year off to build on what i have, and really decide on if grad school is right for me, and what grad schools to look at. Did anyone take a year or two off and regret it? also what did you do with your time off and how easy was it to get a job(full time or not)?

Thanks

I took a year off in between UG and Grad. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I had a few reasons for not applying during my final UG year that were completely non-academic (things that would keep me from moving, basically). I got a clinical job and kept doing some volunteer RA stuff in my lab, and applied the next time around.

The time is great just to take a break, perhaps save some money up, etc. I had a lot of fun that year, which was good because it was harder to socialize as often in graduate school.

But come to think of it, I was very young. The extra year made me about the same age as the people who were coming straight out of UG. When I look at it for myself, it was great and I've got no regrets. I was done at 27. But then adding in postdocs, etc...the time really creeps up there. Getting started (and finished) earlier is a good thing if you want to get into a better financial situation for starting a family.

 

[PsychPhDone]

I took 2 years off to be a full-time RA and it was the right choice for me.

 

[roubs]

I took three years off; it was the right decision.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

How much time did you take of T4C?

I was ~3 years into my first career when I decided it probably wasn't for me, and then it took another year or so to go through the application process, get accepted, etc. The only significant downside to my transition was I rose quickly in my industry and I got a taste of the "good life" (nice salary, liberal expense account, full staff, etc) so leaving those luxuries to become someone's poor minion...err...grad student was kind of rough.