Well, dopers… I need some advice. I figure that the only place that I can get a wide range of advice would be here, so here’s what I need. I need some help figuring out what to do with the next couple of years of my life. I’ll explain my situation a little further…
I will graduate with a degree in International Studies (an honors program at my University. My Univ is just a state university with a pretty good reputation, but my instruction has been very good, to say the least. I am proficient in Spanish, as I lived there for six months in my Sophomore year. After that I took intensive German courses my Junior year ( i haven’t had any German courses prior ). Now I am in the first semester of my Senior year studying in Germany (The semester runs till february here). I’ll be about two classes from getting a degree in Spanish, and probably the same for getting a degree in German. I could probably also get a degree in Economics because my international studies major has required a lot of economics courses. I could probably do this all in about another two semesters worth of work. But that’s not the real issue. But the real issue is this. I am only 21 years old at the moment and not feeling very much at all like growing up. While I have had financial support through scholarships and from my parents up to this point, my parents aren’t likely to keep paying for me after I am finished, so I will have to get a job soon at some point. I just don’t know where to go, nor what to do. Firstly where I want to go is a big question. Maybe I could go to South America? Argentina or Chile sound nice, and I already speak Spanish. Maybe I’ll go to Europe? I’d like to go back to Spain maybe or the UK. I hear that the Netherlands has some nice English-Speaking Universities (although I’m not so big in to drugs or anything). Or maybe I will stay in America. Although i don’t see this likely, as I really tend to relate more with people that I meet from Europe and I do most people in America, but my experience is mainly from people in the South. But people that I’ve met from the North don’t seem that much different. Basically NYC is one of the few places I’d like to go because I already have friends there.
Well, there is the regional confusion described. Now on to the occupational questions. I have this narrowed down a little better. I really like university life, and I especially like meeting university students, as the general IQ seems to be much higher at them and people much more understanding. I was considering doing graduate studies. My major problem is the paying part. I know that there are loans, but this gets to the other part of my problem. I will eventually go to graduate school one day, but only if i won’t be an indentured servant for the following years to pay of student loans. If that is what it takes, then I’ll wait till later, when I am ready to have an “adult life.” The other option I need advice with is work studies. I’ve heard that at certain universities you can work as a teacher (teachers assistant, I suppose) and recieve a basically free education (no tuition or housing or some sort of discount). Can someone give me their knowledge about such programs? Again I would like to be a part of the University life by being a student still, but I don’t want to be a slave to creditors when i am done. I do like the idea of teaching, however. I am very excited by economics, and also getting to learn new cultures and meet new people. However, I do have a problem with working 50 to 60 hours a week just to shave a few bucks off a bottom line. That’s why I think I would be more into working for an international organization (like a charity or something) of some sort rather than for a business as I would be able to apply my skills to a meaningful cause.
Anyway, I am not looking for someone to make deciscions for me, I just am curious what people would suggest for me. I am looking for anectdotes or whatever type of general knowledge that people on the SDMB are famous for. Like you should try to work for x company in y city, considering your background. Just give me whatever you have. But in summary here are the main points.
Should I get the extra degrees? Which ones and why? You have to realize that I HATE my University ( the other students for the most part ) so any time I spend there is almost like a waste that I could be seeing other parts of the world with.
Where should I go? If you have any good parts of the world that you think that I’d like go on and tell me.
What should I do? Go to college and do a work study? Or just get a job somewhere that allows me to make minimal money, but still have enough free time to pay bills and have fun (debt free). How hard would this be in NYC?
Will it look bad on me that I may have taken 4 or 5 “years of having fun” rather than having gone directly go graduate school?
The reason why I am really strange like this is that I simply don’t want to get into the rut of the ordinary suburban life that I see most americans having done. That and the fact that I really like living in new cultures. As I said I have lived in Spain and i am living in Germany now and I really liked that a lot. I have too many friends and relatives that are my age or about my age that have gotten out of college and gotten into a 40-50 hour work-week at the age of 23 or so and gotten married at around 25 or so. Then they start accumlating debt and become immobile. That’s not what I want for some time to come. Most of them are really unhappy because they realize that life can be pretty boring once you grow up (at least in suburban america). Well, that about sums up what I am thinking, so everyone feel free input anything.
PS. I’ll give a cookie to the first person who guesses what my name means. (excluding germans) because its not a particularly german reference.
No Cookie needed here. I’m just an American prof. who may have some advice. You sound like you are afraid of getting stuck in the American sludge so many people are stuck in today…
There is nothing wrong with thinking you want to party for a few more years…only you knows what is best for you. However, living in America does not mean you will get stuck in the sludge. I will be frank with you right now because I am a little short on time.
The culture of many American youth these days is that is instant gratification. Some get it, some do not. If you are willing to work and work hard you will get exactly what you put in. A non-sludge America that you will love.
Diversity is great, living in Europe is wonderful. But make sure you are being real about your lifestyle. You parents are paying right now, and you are right that will stop. And you will have to get a job to pay your phone bill, rent, loans, electric, etc…etc…those things will not be handed to you on a silver platter, and being of above average intelligence I am sure you understand this. Also, having above average intelligence does not grant you the best job right away, be real about your current situation and do not view it with “rich blinders” at this piont in your life. See your future for what it is. It is something that is going to take the rest of your life to view…nothing will come easy and just watch your credit!
And above all make everything you do enjoyable, including choosing where you are going to live and work!
Thank you for your input. But I do have to say I’m not so afraid of getting caught in the North American sludge so much as I am afraid of getting caught in a sociciety that is too superficial. I tend to find Europe less superficial than America at this point. Case in point: Most girls in Europe that you meet don’t care what kind of car you drive or while you are in college. I like that. It seems to be more equal here. But please feel free to put in any input that you like. It doesn’t matter if its based on little knowledge, because I’ve got time to sort through the results.
I’d say with your college degrees and your interest in exploring other cultures, that you might like to check into Peace Corps. It won’t be easy, but it’d definitely be an experience beyond anything suburbiana could offer.
I went to grad school directly out of college, and while I love it most of the time – once you’re in, you’re definitely in for the long haul. I wish I had taken a little more time to travel and explore my options first, because it’s much easier to do these things before you make other commitments. I’d strongly suggest that you get a fun, easily quittable job that involves travel while you can.
You might want to look into teaching English abroad, for instance, or working for a study abroad program. Many of them hire twentysomething advisors / counselors to organize social events and help students through culture shock, and from what you’ve said, it sounds like that might be right up your alley.
By the way, don’t worry too much about how any of this is going to “look” to other people – especially if your immediate goal is grad school rather than a corporate job. People come to grad school (and careers) from all paths, and having some interesting life-experience usually won’t reflect badly on you.
I didn’t go straight to grad school after I finished my undergrad - I spent seven years working and having a “career” that I hated. I’ll finish my master’s this May.
The Peace Corps idea sounds like it might work for you - you do have that interest in other cultures. Take a look at the web site and find out (perhaps through career services) if visits are scheduled with your school.
If you decide to go to grad school, understand that you will probably take out some loans, but also talk to whatever program you’re looking at about assistantships, whether teaching assistantships or graduate assistantships. I have one this year that pays my tuition and provides a monthly stipend. I am still responsible for my living expenses and fees, but it covers my out of state tuition (technically it provides a waiver, which means I never receive the money so it’s not income and thus not taxable). This will minimize your loans. Even taking some out you’re not going to be a slave to creditors. You get a long time to pay them back, but you can pay extra once you’re working and get them paid off relatively quickly.
weelll, I’m not down with Uncle Sam giving me emplyoment, although i have thought about that. The fact that I would have to take a lie dectector test to determine if I have somked an joint in my life is deplorable, plus I don’t have interest in going to he far reaches of civilization, but I will check it out.
I do not mean this to sound as harsh as it is going to, but you give the impression of a very immature person. I mean that in the literal sense, as in not yet mature, rather than in the pejorative sense. You seem to be sincere in your beliefs and want to act in accordance with them. That is great.
What seems immature is that almost every student at your stage of schooling, if they have serious plans to go on to graduate studies, already know where they would like to go, how they are going to pay for it, and certainly know what a teaching assistant is all about. In other words, you seem to want to go to graduate school to avoid other things (suburbia, wage slave) rather than out of a desire to advance your studies. This means two things - 1) your motivations will become exposed, if not by the admissions office, then by the faculty within a few weeks. If you are willing/able to pay full fare, this may not be a problem, but if you expect to TA a professor’s sessions, you had better be serious. 2) You will be at a huge disadvantage to the other students who have a genuine passion for their field of study. Graduate school is every bit as competitive and political as that for-profit business you disdain. Oh, and the 50-60 hours for something you don’t care too much about? Get used to it. You don’t know what being a slave is like until you’ve been a professor’s lackey.
OK, I admit a few generalizations there, but in summary, I think you’d be much better served hanging out in Europe for a few years until you have found some real motivation to devote your life to a subject. Better always to be late and motivated than early and aimless. Aimlessness is what your early 20’s are made for.
Yup, your choices are the Peace Corps, Department of Homeland Security or the military. Downsizing is taking place in just about every other federal agency. If the Prez gets his way, our agency will be down 50 percent in two years time. When added to the first three years of his term, downsizing will be almost 80 percent.
Merkwurdigliebe, I thought I’d pop in because you stated that you are interested in economics and are thinking of grad school. You might not realize it, but economics at the graduate level is very different from economics at the undergraduate level; it’s all math.
If you are serious about pursuing a graduate degree in economics, I would recommend at the very least that you take 3 semesters of Calculus (differential, integral, & multi-variate), Linear Algebra, Statistics and Probability, and Differential Equations. It would also be helpful if you had some experience with Linear Programming.
Yeah, the “clearance” issue was always a problem with me too. I don’t think Uncle Sam would take too kindly to some of the riffraff I have been around. Let alone the smokin’ a doobie problem …
But hey, you never know, in this day and age they are going to run out of applicants to fill their positions. And you never know, you might land some gravy job in Tahiti
Here we go with my boring anecdotes …
A friend of mine tried to get into the Marines. They asked him the “doobie” question, he said yes, they rejected him. The next year he applied to the Army. Now whether they didn’t ask the doobie question, he lied when they asked, or he gave them a sob story about it (like he didn’t inhale or something), I’m not sure. But he got into the Army, they sent him to law school, and today he’s a DA somewhere in the great midwest.
I went to grad school straight after finishing my BA. My subject was English literature, and I never paid for grad school because I got a tuition waiver and (barely) liveable stipend in exchange for teaching composition classes. My goal at the time was to do a PhD and become a tenured university professor of English literature. I never got that far, but in my years in grad school (about 7, off and on) I enjoyed myself and learned a lot. It is possible, even in America. Plenty of perfectly marvelous women don’t care what kind of car you drive.
But as a consequence of jumping into grad school right away, I sacrificed a chance to travel, learn languages, broaden and deepen myself. I like to think I’ve made up for this since; by age 36 I’ve learned a second language, lived in wonderful places, met interesting people and so on. But I could have done with being less provincial (“American sludge,” version universitaire) when I was younger.
If I were in your position, here is what I would try to remember about grad school:
Never pay for it, not even with loans. There are fellowships and assistantships all over the place.
Don’t go until you’ve been out in the world for at least a couple of years. The added maturity serves very well. In your particular case, stay abroad awhile longer, perhaps long enough to become really fluent (not just résumé-“fluent”) in one or more of the languages you like. (In the US, as you know, Spanish is a welcome skill in many jobs.)
If you enter a graduate program, it should be in a field you love and have significant experience with…not only through undergraduate study but also by reading a lot in primary and secondary sources, and talking with (perhaps volunteering to assist) people already in it. And please research the quality of programs thoroughly before applying.
Have a plausible dissertation in mind. You can change your mind later, but the mental and research exercise of coming up with a topic will serve you well when it’s time for the real thing.
Ugh, I can’t believe that this happened, but somehow my last post got eaten :smack: I had it all typed out nicely. Well thanks everyone for the advice. I am getting a little bit better of an idea of what I’d like to do. If I live in America somewhere I think I’d like to live in NYC. I’m trying to figure out how to live there at the moment. I would really love to work for some sort of Intergovernmental agency or possibly a German company that has a big operation there. I’m trying to figure out a way that I can use my skills at German and Spanish to my benefit. However, I don’t want to be a “Peter Gibbons” style wage slave that works 60 hours a week. I know that NYC is expensive, but hey not everyone there is rich, I know. Maybe I’ll live there for a while and recieve in-state tuition to a university there? Who knows? Anyone know of a good way for me to use my skills in German and Spanish? And my degree as well? Is it possible to work in your early twenties in a way that actually leaves you with some free time? Or am i just being a little pessimistic when I see all young twenty-year-olds working deathly hours with little enjoyment?
The Peace Corps has already been suggested, so I can only second it. I was in the Peace Corps, and while it was difficult at times, I really enjoyed myself and have never regretted it. Another option is to teach English in Japan, Korea or China It would also be demanding, I imagine, but you could live in a new culture and learn another language. You would be paid well enough to live on though wouldn’t become rich, but it seems like becoming rich is not all that important to you anyway.
Graduate school: You can get tuition waivers and a monthly stipend for graduate school. Most of this support is reserved for PhD students. For a terminal master’s degree, you’ll probably have to pay and support yourself. If you do intend to get a PhD, you’ll need to really love the subject that you are studying.
And above all make everything you do enjoyable, including choosing where you are going to live and work!