After thinking about it for a week or two, I finally took the plunge. I ran the calculations. I looked at the course load. I’m sure a M.A. in Intelligence Studies is right for me, but I’m nervous about going higher than undergrad.
Anything you want to tell me about grad school? I’m all ears.
It’s hard to generalize about grad school programs because they vary so dramatically across disciplines. I got an MSW and it was really hard work because in addition to a full course load I had 24 hours of unpaid internship per week. The courses were unusually demanding in terms of output, too… easily 700 pages of reading per week and 1-2 papers/projects due every week for the entire semester. It was the hardest I ever worked in my life. When I look at my calendar from the last semester this Spring, I shudder in remembrance of how completely insane my life was. It was a good kind of hurt, though. I don’t regret it.
One thing I think I can safely say is that grad school is nothing at all like undergrad. You’ll make friends, but you’ll most likely never have much time to hang out. Also, I used to be able to cram for exams until 3am. Say goodbye to that. My first semester of grad school I was horrified to find my brain now shuts down at 10pm. So plan ahead. 
Also be very careful because higher education is often a scam. Don’t trust the university to tell you why you need that degree. Trust outside sources who are in the field. Sometimes I wish I’d been given a more realistic idea of what I was getting myself into.
I wish you the best of luck.
I tell all of our new students, “First rule of grad school is follow all the instructions.” Which means, familiarize yourself with the catalog, which is in essence the contract between you and the school. Knowing what the catalog says about add/drops, appealing course grades, pass/fail, or whatever, will protect you. As an adviser, I admit I am not the most knowledgeable on these matters - but as a student, you bet your ass I read the catalog cover to cover.
The other thing is to read syllabi very carefully, and ask questions of your profs if something isn’t clear.
One thing I should mention is that it’s through AMU, which is 100% online and geared toward busy adults operating throughout the world. So making friends and hanging out on campus is not in the picture. Doubly so now that I’m married. Classes start the first Monday of every month and last for eight or sixteen weeks, so there’s also no real “semester” to speak of. I plan to take one 8-week course at a time. Do you think I should take two 16-week courses at a time instead?
Congratulations!
Yup, totally.
I just started my MA in Environment and Management in September. My program is for working professionals, similar to yours, except we have three, three week residencies in October (in Victoria, B.C. - I just got back two weeks ago) and my course design is predetermined so it fits into a two year program. The way it’s designed means that this semester I had three courses at once. I work full time as well, so during pre-res, I spent maybe three evenings and about eight hours on the weekend doing readings and assignments, and thought that was tough! Oh how wrong I was! Ha!
Res consisted of classes from 8 - 5 Monday to Friday, then group work from 5:30 or so until 9 or 10pm, and 10 - 15 hours a day on the weekends. It was nuts, BUT it was my only focus, so it was ok. However, it sounds like you’re not doing in-class stuff, so you won’t deal with that.
Now that I’m post-res, I’m working a LOT harder on my assignments. I read textbooks/literature on the train to and from work, read or work on assignments during lunch, and I am doing homework almost every night for at least 2 - 3 hours. On the weekend, I’m putting in about 20 hours total. I have no social life right now and don’t really do anything fun. I don’t have kids, and my husband has taken over household chores for now. But keep in mind I’m doing three courses, so if you are doing one, or even two, your workload will be much less.
I’m assuming you will be writing a thesis? If so, and they don’t require any grad level writing courses, find one and take it. We were required to take Analytical Thinking and Communications this semester and wow, my writing was WAY below the graduate level. Plus, learing proper citations (which depend on your University - we’re APA 6th), learning how to structure arguments (which feeds in to your thesis), learning how to read the literature, etc., are all really, really important for a good grad school foundation. Also, you may want to check out the timelines and guidelines for your thesis now. I don’t have to submit my proposal until May, but before I do that I have to do about 1/3 of my literature research, find a supervisor (check on your thesis panel process too - some Universities assign them to you), and write and refine my proposal.
Question, question, question. If something isn’t clear, ask for clarification. Always read ALL the required readings, and try to get to the supplementary readings. Consider making notes rather then highlighting - I am finding it much easier to retain information through writing, and it’s also a good way to summarize and highlight key information. If you’re having trouble with parts of a course, your classmates might be too, so see if you can form a study group. I found that group work really helped everyone understand all the material because one person would know a bit about this, then another a bit about that, and we were able to figure it out together.
I’m not sure how grad school compares to undergrad (never been), but others in my cohort say that it’s much more strenuous. That said, if you keep focused, and most importantly, have the support of your family, you’ll do fine.
I’m 3 classes away from my masters (and I can’t wait to get this thing done) and with my professors, they’ve all understood that we’re adults and we’re busy with work, family, and other stuff. They are too, generally, so the classes aren’t a free ride, but it feels a lot different than when I went to college full time.
I started out taking classes that met once a week, as well as having online assignments and projects and I eventually moved from that towards 100% online classes. Same assignements, but without the 1 day a week class. My classes are 8 weeks long and I’ve been taking them one at a time.
Do the one class first and then evaluate how much of a time commitment that is and how much of a commitment you’re willing to make.
I went to grad school full time for mumble years and I found it an incredible amount of fun. However people who worked for me who did it while working had a much harder time than I did.
Is this program classes only, or do you have to write something? Classes are not that much different from undergrad classes. If you have to do any kind of research, it depends on how much this appeals to you. I loved it, but not everyone does.
The hard part is the on-line part. Do you have to be at your computer at a certain time, or just sometime in that week? I’d think the hardest part would be to force yourself to make the time for your classes and assignments. I’d recommend reserving “class” time no matter what. And I’d take one class to begin with just to see how it goes.
What is Intelligence Studies anyway?
No, I don’t have to be at the computer at any given time. I just have to participate in message boards (hah! Never done that before :D) and write papers. One sample syllabus has a 2-pager due every week and about 70 pages of reading. There’s a term paper, too, with an intentionally unspecified length.
See for yourself. Personally, I’m looking forward to “Assassination: History, Theory, and Practice” and “Political Psychology of Terror Groups”.
I don’t know what’s better; that my company is paying almost 90% of the tuition or that my earning potential per year will go up by the cost the entire degree. I’ll be rich, I tellsya, rich!
Oh, that kind of intelligence. I thought of that of a possibility, but didn’t want to ask so you wouldn’t have to kill me. (I’ve actually heard a guy I knew was from NSA say exactly that in public.) People in my group who got additional degrees while working did rather well for themselves. I just hope your course material doesn’t self destruct in 15 seconds.
Nah, it’s cool. I haven’t had the assassination class yet.