Grad School Anxiety

[BMB9290]

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A little over a week ago I got into my top choice school, which I was over the moon about. I was kind of convinced I'd have a hard time getting in anywhere, let alone my top choice. I went to this school for undergrad and loved it, so I it was my ultimate goal to finish my education there.

After I received my acceptance I quickly told them I'd like to attend and rescinded my admission to another school that was closer to home. Not longer after, part of me regretted doing that. I graduated last December and have been living at home ever since. Since then I've gotten used to living with my parents and a more laid-back, care-free lifestyle. Both schools are very expensive, like 60k+, but the one I rescinded I could've lived at home/commuted (it would be an hour drive, but I wasn't concerned). Also, I'm used to living in my home different state again, without rent. I've been thinking about this non-stop for over a week and have been losing a lot of sleep at the same time.

I guess I'm just trying to combat the anxiety that comes with taking out a 60k loan and moving away from my very much loved home and in turn paying an additional 10k+ per year to live in a new city. I'm anticipating the likely worse case scenario of having little finical help with this. I'm also worried about the course rigor. I've been out of school for a few months now and I'm afraid of falling behind due to my study skills. It's not like I can turn around and re-do any of this, not that I should or would, but I just feel a lot anxiety with all of this. Two years is a long time to be constantly concerned with my finances, let alone the debt I'll be in for the years to come. 🙁

Any advice/suggestions?

 

[girlfromseattle]

BMB9290- If the financial side of it all is causing you this much anxiety you should consider taking the year off and reapplying next year to your "home" school. Graduate school is expensive regardless of where you go but I like to consider the debt as an investment in myself. There are programs out there that help pay portions of your debt. You should check out http://aota.org/Students/Aid/Loan-Forgiveness.aspx
Good luck!

 

[jewel11786]

I agree with girlfromseattle, you are investing in your future. I first considered OT my senior year of college but the idea of taking additional pre-reqs and the cost and additional time an OT degree would take didn't appeal to me. I decided to start a masters program in my major and work full-time instead in the environmental field. After a year I decided that this field wasn't for me and that the master's degree in my major was ultimately a waste of time and money. So I decided to suck it up and take the pre-reqs and apply to OT school. I'm glad I did because I love OT and the fact that there are actual jobs. I currently work part-time as an office assistant in my major field and there's not much growth here, which would have been my future had I not decided to take the leap. Granted I'm only working here part-time to make extra money while I'm in school, but there would not be a lot of growth or money should I stay this course. I advise you write everything down make a list of the pros and cons of the program you're in and take some time to think about what would be better for you taking a year or two off an applying to a school closer to home or continuing with the school you're in. Think about what options you have as far as living at your current school and making money while you're in school. But really no matter what you'll probably have to take loans out anyway. I think there will be lots of jobs when you're done and some even have tuition reimbursement and some programs even offer loan forgiveness. There's lot of options out there to consider.

 

[lee405]

So you have these two choice. If i were you I would imagine for a good two days that you pick one path...see how it makes you feel see what your thoughts are...but really imagine and see yourself in that one path. Then do it with the other path for a couple days...how does that path make you feel and what are you thinking. Write down your thoughts.

Also, if the additional 10,000 a year living away from home (so 30,000 if its a 3 year program) is making you nervous remember if you graduate earlier (not taking a year off) you would make that back in your first year working.

Lastly, be proud of getting into a program! Its a huge commitment to prepare for graduate school and some people dont get in or apply several years in a row.

Keep us posted 🙂

 

[SamuraiIAmurai]

It might be too late for this, but you could try calling your home school that you turned down and telling them you made a mistake and realized it is the right school for you. They might tell you they filled the spot, but maybe you can go on the waitlist. I also surprisingly got into my top choice school and told my home school I wasn't going to attend. Within a day, I realized I'd made a huge mistake and couldn't move so far away, so I emailed my home school. They were super nice about it and gave me my spot back. It's worth a shot, and anything that helps alleviate anxiety is good.

Also, I know I'm dealing with anxiety about starting OT school, and I imagine a lot of people are, too. It's going to be hard, and it's a lot of debt. There is nothing embarrassing about feeling anxious about it!

 

[brisa2004]

I would call the home school back and try to get back into the school closer to home if you feel like that is where your heart is leading you. Grad school can be stressful (I know because I graduated from OT school and am now working in the OT field) and it was good to be close to my family for extra support. Plus, you can't overlook the savings that you would have by living rent-free. On the other hand, if you are ready to "find yourself" and want to be independent of your parents, then going to the other school may be a better option. It would force you to find a new support network and rely upon yourself solely. Don't be afraid, people do it all the time. (I chose to be closer to my parents after moving about an hour away from them to live alone, getting married a year later and then going back to grad school.) Finally, I would also consider if your top choice school has a weekend or part time option. I went to St. Kate's weekend program in MN and there were people commuting in from ND, IA and WI for the weekend while they continued to live close by their parents. Just another, "middle" option for you.