Quarter life crisis? Applying to grad programs, yearning to travel.

[skaneverdies]

Hi everyone. I first would like to apologize in advance for coming to everyone with such a general "question". A lot of these threads seem pretty focused, and my current issues couldn't be any farther from that.

That being said, here is where I stand - I'm currently a year out of my undergraduate degree and in the process of applying to various graduate programs. The end goal is a PhD in developmental psychology, but I intend on getting there first through a pre-doctoral master's program or a roughly equivalent research position. I'm not exactly the most competitive applicant right now (plenty of research experience, good GRE scores, sub-par GPA).

So in summary up to this point, I am seeking a PhD in developmental psychology. That's well and good, but a personal crisis seems to be taking shape as I approach the point where I may find myself looking at another six years of school. The thought scares me, mainly because I feel as though my opportunities as a young person are fleeting, and that I'd be sacrificing those opportunities completely by signing on to such a long commitment. These include the ability to continue running an independent record label, touring in bands, and in a broader sense, traveling.

So for anyone that is knee-deep in their own programs, or perhaps even out of them - do you feel as though you benefited from entering a graduate at a particular time? Is the process more or less the same regardless of what age you applied? Do you think schools look favorably on applicants that took time off after their bachelor's to "live life"?

Finally, has anyone been able to turn their degree in psychology into an opportunity to travel? I'm starting to get very nervous that I chose a career path that restricts me to US universities. Is this the case?

Thanks in advance, and again, I apologize for the broad nature of this post.

Sean

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[EmotRegulation]

Taking time off to live life or to travel isn't looked about harshly, and plenty of people take time off. I'd be wary of taking time off immediately before applying to PhD programs, as you'll want to have current (if possible) letters of recommendation and up-to-date research interests. If I were in your shoes, I'd do the travel/record label/band thing now and then do the masters or RA in a few years, applying to PhD programs after that.

As for travel, I choose conferences in large part based on location. You don't always get the time you'd like to explore a city, but still there are travel opportunities. It's also possible to get jobs overseas with a US degree. I have a friend who is thinking about applying to visiting positions at universities in international locations, hopping from job to job for a few years and having adventures before she figures out where she wants to settle.

 

[wigflip]

In my experience, once you get on the grad school train, getting off makes for a bumpy ride. Don't count on being able to take time off after graduating--it will kill you on the academic job market. Enjoy your life now, buckle down when and if you feel ready.

Most of the conference travel I have done has been a poor substitute for actual travel of the variety that I suspect you are craving. Unless what you really want to do is get shuffled from an overbooked hotel in Dorkusville USA (they're not always held in major cities) to an even worse, slightly less overbooked hotel overrun with nine-year-old beauty contestants*. Even if the conference is held in Fantasticville, you may get stuck playing lackey to your advisor, or rescuing your other committee members from some calamity (i.e. "I forgot my laptop! Can you just..."), or attending some dreary symposium, or get rooked into going to the worst possible restaurant/bar by lab rats (ahem! I mean "peers") with poor taste. Last time I went to a conference my plans to have a nice dinner at a terrific restaurant with a friend in my cohort got derailed because s/he was rooming with some milquetoast who insisted on going to the crappy tourist trap adjacent to the hotel, then got so drunk on swill [edit: s/he, not me] that the evening was dominated by projectile vomiting.

*yes, all true.

 

[Psychadelic2012]

Definitely travel, sow your wild oats, live life, do it! I'm in my mid-30's now and I did all of that in my 20's. I am more than ready to commit to 5-6 years of a doctoral program now, plus the work beyond it. Working my arse off now is very appealing. I've chased a lot of dreams--some of them had some pretty fantastic and unique outcomes, others crashed in my face. I got it out of my system on my own time. I came down from the clouds when I realized that some dreams are not all they're cracked up to be. You need to explore in order to feel good about settling in and working. That's my take.

 

[skaneverdies]

Thank you all very much for the encouraging insight. I'm this intersection a tough one to navigate, so I really appreciate everyone's advice. I think that I've heard what I "wanted" to hear - that is, there is no real cause for concern if I decide to take some time off and enjoy life before I begin my program(s). The letter issue does seem to be a pretty crucial one though.

That said, I think that I'm going to apply to the pre-doctoral master's programs that I had originally intended on applying to. However, if I don't get into my first choices, I may very well take that time off and re-asses things at that point.

 

[deleted176373]

Finally, has anyone been able to turn their degree in psychology into an opportunity to travel? I'm starting to get very nervous that I chose a career path that restricts me to US universities. Is this the case?

Thanks in advance, and again, I apologize for the broad nature of this post.

Sean

As a clinical psychologist, yes, joined the Navy... Next stop Guam, which will no doubt result in travel to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, China and Afghanistan or Cuba.

As a developmental psych, I couldn't tell you what travel opportunities exist. I do know that I took time off between my high school graduation and undergraduate (about 20 years... I had a blast!)

Mark

 

[voyeurofthemind]

In my experience, once you get on the grad school train, getting off makes for a bumpy ride. Don't count on being able to take time off after graduating--it will kill you on the academic job market. Enjoy your life now, buckle down when and if you feel ready.

Most of the conference travel I have done has been a poor substitute for actual travel of the variety that I suspect you are craving. Unless what you really want to do is get shuffled from an overbooked hotel in Dorkusville USA (they're not always held in major cities) to an even worse, slightly less overbooked hotel overrun with nine-year-old beauty contestants*. Even if the conference is held in Fantasticville, you may get stuck playing lackey to your advisor, or rescuing your other committee members from some calamity (i.e. "I forgot my laptop! Can you just..."), or attending some dreary symposium, or get rooked into going to the worst possible restaurant/bar by lab rats (ahem! I mean "peers") with poor taste. Last time I went to a conference my plans to have a nice dinner at a terrific restaurant with a friend in my cohort got derailed because s/he was rooming with some milquetoast who insisted on going to the crappy tourist trap adjacent to the hotel, then got so drunk on swill [edit: s/he, not me] that the evening was dominated by projectile vomiting.

*yes, all true.

By far the best post I have ever read on psychology forums. Pretty much all true too -- my strategy is to extend my stay 2-3 days post conference and see the city myself.