Monday, April 9, 2007

On Being A Grad Student (oh the misery)

Yet another Monday has come and it's a gloomy one. The chill is starting to leave the air and grey clouds are hanging out in the sky. I really don't like Mondays. I wouldn't mind them so much if it weren't for school. I enjoy going to work on Monday mornings. I look forward to working with my clients every day. But going to school for 6 hours in the afternoon just plain sucks after working in the morning.

I've gotten a lot out of graduate school and it's been a decent experience. It's just so damn stressful. I think for the first time in my life, I will not miss school after graduating in May. I don't understand how they expect us to work 40 hours a week at an internship and still fit in 6 hours of class on Monday and 3 hours of class on Tuesday. It just doesn't add up. But somehow, I've been making it work. I'm just really sick of it. By the time Wednesdays come around, I feel like I've literally just been hit by a truck. I'm a 25 year old guy...I'm not supposed to feel that way! But alas, I don't think anyone is immune to graduate school.

I also find that the degree I earn is just never good enough for me. When I got into graduate school, I was so excited that I was going to have a Master's degree. I never dreamed as a child that I'd have a Master's. Now a Master's doesn't seem to mean that much. It's sort of required in this field if you want to work in it. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of myself for making it through and to be graduating with honors, but now I find myself saying.."well it's not a PhD."

So I do plan on going for my Doctorate. I just don't think I'm going to be jumping into a program right away. Time to get out into the real world. Loyola is actually developing a PhD program in counseling with an LPC (licensure) program built in. So you can kill two birds with one stone. I may wait for that one to open up. I've always wanted to go to Loyola. It was my first choice as an undergrad but even with the scholarship, I still couldn't afford it. Hopefully a grant could pay for my PhD. program.

OK, enough rambling...time for school *twirls finger around with fake enthusiasm*

8 comments:

Bookfool said...

Chris,

Andi of Tripping Toward Lucidity is going through exactly the same thing - about to get the master's and totally burned out. I think that's pretty common.

Are you getting a master's in psychology? I have a friend with a doctorate in psychology and his practice is mostly with children; he's written several books about violence, abuse, etc., that are really good (and one about parenting).

Carl V. Anderson said...

I don't blame you for your lack of enthusiasm. I did really well in school, but when I was done with my BSW, I was done. I still think 'one day' I'll go back for my Master's, but I have no plans to at this point. I've been blessed with the opportunity to be in an administrative role, usually reserved for Master's level staff, with a Bachelor's degree and I enjoy my job. Going to school as an adult is rough, and I don't blame you for wanting to take a break.

chrisa511 said...

Bookfool, thanks for the link, it's always good to relate to others.

I'm getting my master's in Rehabilitation Counseling which is basically counseling people with mental illness or physical disabilities. It's like social work with an emphasis on disabilities. I plan to work with children and adolescents when I graduate. I'm working with children and adolescents now at a psychiatric hospital and I absolutely love it. Who's your friend? His books sound right up my alley!

Carl, Y'all hiring over there? ;) School can just be such a burnout. I love the practical aspect of it, but boy is it tempting to skip class at the end!

Bookfool said...

Chris,

Thanks for elaborating on what you're doing. My friend is Greg Moffatt. Here's a link to the site that shows his books (on his web page):

http://gregmoffatt.com/media/books.html

I've read A Violent Heart and Blindsided; both are excellent. I'm a little afraid to read his child abuse book and I'm beyond the parenting guide, but I have all of his books. He's a great writer and a wonderful friend.

BTW, I found that migraine stuff at Walgreens - don't need it, right now, but I've got it handy!!!

chrisa511 said...

Great! Thanks so much for the info. Can't wait to check out his books.

I hope the Head On works for you! It seems to be doing the trick so far.

Bookfool said...

Chris,

Just a hint - Greg's books are kind of expensive, but you can sometimes find them decently priced at places like half.com. :)

In case you're interested, I posted a few of the pics I took off the TV (of Firefly), today, at this site:

http://bookfoolishlist.blogspot.com/

I just added that blog, last night, since my books-read list was getting too long to leave in the sidebar at Bookfoolery. I really just wanted to see what they looked like at a size where you can't see the pixels.

Carl V. Anderson said...

Definitely, I can put you to work!

chrisa511 said...

OK Carl...Don't be surprised when I show up on your doorstep ;)