“There’s so many choices! How can I choose?” I laid my head down on the desk out of frustration. The simple task of finding a graduate school seemed daunting. No matter how many databases I looked at or websites I searched, new programs kept popping up on the screen.
I have to admit that I have been putting off looking at grad schools because of this very reason—on top of trying to ignore the fact that at some point I’ll have to study for the GRE, I’m now faced with attempting to narrow down my various interests into one program. Coupled with the pressure to focus my interests, is the fact that my choice of schools will also mean serious discussions with my partner about where we’re both willing to move.
Layer upon layer, the stress is building. The fact that I cannot seem to narrow down my list into a manageable size is making me question grad school at all. I mean, after all, who wants to spend money on a specialized grad program just to discover their true love later on and have a worthless degree? My wandering thoughts tell me that maybe I would be better off waiting for a few years.
For those of you who have mastered the process, how did you narrow down the many options and get through the stress of grad school applications?