Coming Up for Air After Grad School
At the end of June, I finished up grad school. It had been such a rigorous experience that it actually took me 2-3 weeks to feel convinced it was finally over. I earned a Master of Science in Marketing at Florida International University which focused on digital marketing, branding, and analytics.
One of the things that I appreciated the most about the program was the diverse mix of people with varying backgrounds within my cohort. Together, we methodically navigated through complex material and projects (ok, at times we were more like rabid bulls in a china store). Connections were made, and friendships were forged. It’s remarkable how extreme circumstances can unify people. There’s a lot of power in that.
It was never my intention nor not my intention to get straight As. My goal was to absorb as much as possible and to always do my best. Although not always easy, I learned to give myself grace when what constituted my best one week differed the next. In turn, I ended up with a 4.0 GPA, straight As. What makes this more special is that the group of classmates (now friends) I became closest with also achieved outstanding academic scores. Success is a lot more fun when you have people to celebrate with.
Would I suggest grad school to other people considering it? Maybe. Here are some of my takeaways.
A huge reason why this program was so intense was that it was the 10-month version of a program that typically takes 16 months. So rather than focusing on 1 class at a time, you took 2 at a time. While this rapid timeline was important to me, I would say if you can afford to do your degree within the standard 14-24 month range, it might be worth it. Had I had more time to think through the material, I think I would have absorbed even more. Not to mention the decrease of stress along the way and a better balance.
On a similar note, I would say that the shorter and more intense your program is, the more you need to prepare yourself (and your friends and family) that you won’t be able to participate in as many activities as normal. This program owned my weeknights and weekends. Due to COVID-19 and with things being shut down this was less of an issue for me.
I am really glad I had professional experience in the field I was studying. We had some people in our cohort new to marketing, and I honestly think they were at a tremendous disadvantage without knowing business and marketing fundamentals. Plus, having the experience made the material much more engaging and applicable.
Know your learning and work style. While online learning allows you to skip the inconvenience of commuting, not everyone learns well that way. Fortunately, I do. But others struggled.
I had specific goals for what I wanted to get out of obtaining my Masters. Education is a hefty investment and I pondered about it for a few years before making the decision to go for it. The turning point was when I reached a point in my career and in my life where I knew where grad school fit in and exactly what I wanted to get out of it. As in, I wouldn’t advise anyone to go through grad school just to be able to add a few letters to your resume.
No program is perfect. While some may disagree, I thought our curriculum was on point. On the other hand, I felt that there was an unnecessary amount of disorganization and chaos. For example, materials, modules, and assignments were not often not uploaded in advance. At times there was confusion around assignments due to conflicting directions. That may not seem like much, but when you’re juggling a demanding job, and other “life” responsibilities, it makes a huge difference. The other issue was that many of us were given an inaccurate expectation centered around how much time we needed to put into the program on a weekly basis to be successful - we quickly learned that the number is given to us essentially needed to be doubled. I would recommend reaching out to people who completed the program you’re interested in to cross-reference everything you're told. Still, every program will have its quirks.
All in all, I’m very glad I completed this degree. At some point, I’ll share more highlights. For now, I’ll be reading a book that has nothing to do with business or marketing. ;)
