Apologies if youβve discussed this elsewhere, but I was wondering why you chose to go to grad school? Were you hoping to have a career in theatre? Or did you figure that any graduate degree would give you a boost so you chose the most interesting one you could find? I am once again experiencing the urge to remake my entire life, which happens every couple of years, and Iβm wondering whether βIt would be fun!β is a common motivator for advanced degrees.
(No obligation to answer if you donβt want to, of course! Iβm just curious. π)
I hope it's okay if I post this publicly! I think it's a point of view the readership might appreciate.
At the time it was a combination of things. I do think "It would be fun!" is actually a great reason to go back to school, and I would if I could swing it financially -- when I was in grad school I lived on my stipend, which was less than $10K/yr, which is absolutely not possible for me now. And while I could probably live on whatever a Ph.D student gets, I would Not Enjoy It.
I did want to have a professional career in theatre, and obviously that didn't pan out, but the reason I went was primarily financial: I knew I could get a full ride with a stipend and the job market even outside of the arts looked super bleak (this was 2005 and while the economy would really hit the shit in 2008, it wasn't GREAT in 2005). It wouldn't cost me anything, it would give me three years to figure out my life, it would prevent me from having to move back in with my folks for at least the time being, and there's better data now but even back then there were a lot of studies coming out about how even if you're not working in your field, just having a Master's degree improves your earning power over your lifetime. And the first real paying job I got in Chicago, I got because I had a Master's in theatre and the guy hiring me had a wife in a Master's program for theatre. Like, I had other skills, don't get me wrong, but it was very evident that I was partly a sympathy hire. :D
If you're thinking of using the degree to change careers, the biggest tip I would give is to make use of the time you're there to network, to make yourself visible to the professional world you want to enter. Post about your studies on your linkedin, do projects and write papers that give you reasons to talk to professionals. While there are certainly many professions where the learning part of the degree is necessary, the biggest mistake I made was focusing on the education and neglecting the opportunities I might have had for connecting with potential future employers. My final semester in grad school, it became very evident that I was prepared for the "having a job" part but not the "getting a job" part. It all came out fine, I like my life, but there are a few points in my past where I would go back and course-correct if I could, and that's one of them.
Anyway, good luck! And try not to cry when you see how much tuition can cost. :D
