Graduate School Advice for Xavier Comm Arts Students
February 11, 2016
If you're a senior, it's that time of the year. You're one day closer to graduation and one day closer to having to figure out what you're going to do or where you're going to go. If you're a junior, you're just trying to figure out what the options are post-graduation. Making a decision about grad school can be tough and sometimes confusing. It's like going through the whole college experience all over again! If you are planning on going on to graduate school and don't know where to start, here are a few words of wisdom from the faulty of the Communication Arts Department!
Your decision. You have to make sure that you're going to graduate school because you want to and not because of peer or parental pressure. You have to be excited and want to go. Go because you want to further your education. Do it for yourself.
Have passion. Find a program that sparks your interest. Ask yourself what do you want to learn and do and why? In turn, passion will motivate you. Graduate school is a completely different world. It will challenge you and push you to your limits but as long as you love whatever it is you're studying, you're going to learn so much and be happy!
Go where the experts are. Figuring out what you want to study will also help with narrowing down schools. Pick a school that has what you are passionate about. Don't pick a school because of geographical location. Sure moving to a new city can be scary but that shouldn't stop you from chasing after what you want. Go for it!
Ask questions. Don't ask the kind of question where you ask a question just to ask. Ask the kind of question that challenges what you know. Ask questions that allow you to learn more. Ask questions for the purpose of learning. Ask questions because you're genuinely curious. Keep asking and challenging yourself. In the end, you're only stretching what you already know.
Read. In grad school, you're no longer a student, guided by a professor. You're a mentee, an apprentice, learning how to be a professor. That means that you will have to be the kind of learner who is independent, focused and self-motivated. Make sure that you don't fall behind. There are students who go to graduate school because they want to be there, to learn. Be that student!
Have fun. Always have fun. True you go off to grad school to study and learn but you also have the opportunity to connect with new people. You may have heard that grad school can be hard but keep in mind that you're going to be okay. Take everything in a little bit at a time. You'll be fine. Don't stress yourself out. Keep calm and carry on.
Graduate school is different for everyone. Each person has their own interest. However, if you're unsure about where to start, the department has made a few recommendations of schools you can check out.
- University of Santa Barbara - Communication
- Ohio University - Communication Studies
- University of Iowa - Communication Studies
- The University of Texas at Austin - Journalism
- SMU Temerlin Institute - Advertising
- University of Miami - Public Relations
- The University of Wisconsin-Madison - Digital Studies (Combined with Communication Studies, Advertising, or PR)