Help I hate my masters program

[jrsybubbles]

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I'm currently in a 2 year Mental Health Counseling program and I hate it. I applied to PhD/PsyD last year and didn't get in. The only perk of this program is that they are giving me tuition remission/stipend for working with 2 professors, one of which said he could get me into a PhD program maybe not in clinical but in counseling. I hate all of my classes but one though and in one of them I just super failed a test even though I only got two A- in undergrad. I just don't enjoy school anymore and feel like I'm wasting two years in this program since I don't want to get licensed as an LPC. I really need a new perspective on how to look at things, all summer I dreaded starting the program but since I wasn't able to get a job I figured I might as well give it a shot. Would it be ridiculous to drop out? I don't even know what I would do if I dropped out but I feel like I shouldn't be spending so much money on something I hate so bad. Please help!

 

[wigflip]

What is your end goal? If you get into a doctoral program are you hoping to gain licensure as a clinical psychologist and practice, or go the academic route, or...?

 

[jrsybubbles]

i want to teach, do research at a school and practice. it seems like every day i want to do more of one than the other =/

 

[JustNoticing]

I'm curious why you hate your course work, and aren't doing well in some of your classes. And why doesn't a PhD in counseling psychology interest you?

 

[Psychadelic2012]

I'm relatively old and I've been in several graduate programs. I've felt the way that you do and I've felt completely at home. Currently, I'm in a PhD program that I hate as much as you hate your masters program--I felt at home at my masters program, even though I had no financial assistance (like I do now). I totally sympathize. I don't think there's anything wrong with dropping out. We all have these experiences. I think that sometimes we don't know until we're in the thick of it, that it's not a good fit. I'd say follow your gut.

 

[kestrella]

I felt the same way about my master's program in mental health counseling. I recently withdrew from the program and I am very happy with my decision. I wish I would have done it sooner. I didn't want to get licensed either and realized that I was just wasting my time. Best of luck in whatever you decide.

 

[sportpsychcop]

feel for you, I chose a sport performance psychology masters over jumping into a counseling masters because I do/did have an interest in sport psych and thought maybe Id do this and then a funded PhD in sport psych with concurrent masters in counseling....now Im nearly done with it, pretty much feel it was worthless...but I put so much time, money, and took out loans, that finishing a "useless" masters is better than investing in half a useless masters.

Now its steered me away from PhDs in sport psych because I know of none that are more applied focus, and most profs are not active consultants, and scary but most students in sport psych grad programs are not former athletes or coaches, do not work out, do not walk the walk at all like an athlete so class discussions are way out of touch. As an athlete, as a coach, I would not let 90% of the people in sport psychology Ive met near any athlete or coach I know.

So, ugh I feel for you...at least you are not going in the whole with money. I wish I would have spent the time and money in a counseling program that led to a license and at least would have taught me some proven methods of behavioral change and counseling theories.

Now I need to regroup and decide if spending any more money on grad school is worth it at my age.

 

[gth1985]

i want to teach, do research at a school and practice. it seems like every day i want to do more of one than the other =/

Could it be that it's not that you hate your program, it's that you feel your program is not helping you progress toward your goal, and therefore feels pointless to you (and thus starts a spiral of negative thoughts and feelings towards it)?

 

[gth1985]

I felt the same way about my master's program in mental health counseling. I recently withdrew from the program and I am very happy with my decision. I wish I would have done it sooner. I didn't want to get licensed either and realized that I was just wasting my time. Best of luck in whatever you decide.

May I ask why you hated it, and what you're doing now instead?