# I Applied for Graduate School - Doing It Differently

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-graduate-school-doing-it-differently/667603>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 30, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-graduate-school-doing-it-differently/667603 "2013-08-30T19:00:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Crumbled\_Bumble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@Crumbled\_Bumble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crumbled_Bumble)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-graduate-school-doing-it-differently/667603/1 "2013-08-30T19:00:52Z")

</div>

I realize that I made a mistake. I didn’t keep a portfolio during graduate school.

So, I’ve decided I’m going back…

This time, I’m going because I want to go - not because I need to.

I want to get a master’s in Psychology, and I’m going to keep a portfolio of all my work.

I realized how badly I needed to start in a new career field, and since I’m young, I can afford to make mistakes. I have no regrets.

Cheers!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-graduate-school-doing-it-differently/667603/2 "2013-08-30T19:11:21Z")

</div>

Congratulations on your decision, and more power to you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-graduate-school-doing-it-differently/667603/3 "2013-08-30T20:38:04Z")

</div>

What is a “portfolio” in this context? If you were getting an MFA, I’d get it. But if it’s “all your work,” isn’t that just, in this day and age, a properly backed up USB stick with your papers?

What field of psychology?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Crumbled\_Bumble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@Crumbled\_Bumble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crumbled_Bumble)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-applied-for-graduate-school-doing-it-differently/667603/4 "2013-08-30T23:45:00Z")

</div>

> [@thelurkinghorror](#):
>
> What is a “portfolio” in this context? If you were getting an MFA, I’d get it. But if it’s “all your work,” isn’t that just, in this day and age, a properly backed up USB stick with your papers?
> 
> What field of psychology?

Pretty much. I have a website that acts as my portfolio. Unfortunately, my computer crashed some time ago and I lost my other work but kept some important documents (and uploaded them to my website), such as my master’s thesis.

Counseling.