Hello!
I’m trying something new as I thoroughly enjoy writing and would like to experiment with different genres. SO, in addition to my weekly blogs, I’ll be writing about a few other topics that bring me happiness—
- Education
- Travel
- Politics/current events
- Health & wellness
And… given that some months have extra weeks, I’ll figure something out for those—suggestions welcome!
This week, I’m going to start with Education, and an announcement! I’m applying for grad school! It’s both so exciting and scary, so I figured these first few education posts could be kinda like a “this has been my experience, it may/may not relate, but here are some thoughts/tips” column. (I won’t name it anything that insanely long though.)
So let’s get started!
My number one tip, whether you’re applying to undergrad or grad school; scholarships or grants; or even jobs, for that matter, is make connections. You never know who you’ll meet who will want to help you in the future. For example—
In my undergrad, I made an impression on some academic advisors who later recommended that I check out a particular scholarship…I ended up getting more than $20K for them and all because of that advisor, graduated debt free.
More recently, I had a bit of a crisis—I didn’t know what I wanted to do in terms of career, school, etc. and hit up an old prof of mine. With her help, I am now applying to a couple of programs that seem like perfect fits for me, fingers crossed I get one!
Tip number two, Google all the things! You’ll never know what you’ll find. Right now, I’ve been searching all sorts of fully funded grad programs (woot woot) and I’ve come up with a bunch of possibilities. Profellow (small plug; not sponsored) has been a huge help in finding opportunities—you do have to give them your email, but even if you don’t drop the big bucks for her seminars etc., there’s still a ton of useful info. I ADORE her “Match-me” formula, it’s been super helpful with my personal statements!
Tip number three, try try try to stay positive. I am so so aware that imposter syndrome is a thing, and for me it was a little extra rough because I’ve never dealt with it at this level (the programs I’m looking at are pretty competitive… eek!), but I just keep telling myself that it’s okay. *Queue the pep talk from The Help*
As for my personal journey, as I said, it’s exciting and nerve-wracking. I’m looking into MFA programs for creative writing and I’m really optimistic, but also hopeful about the whole process. So far, I’ve submitted one application to Virginia Tech and am waiting for the University of Arizona’s application to open. #nervouslywaiting
I’ll keep you posted on the process, but I don’t have a whole lot to report yet. So, in the meantime, I’ll give a couple of real quick bonus tips—
- Don’t be afraid to re-read and re-write your essays. You’ll probably think of new ways to frame it, or think of something great to add (hopefully not before you hit the submit button… sigh). It’s also great if you can find someone trustworthy *hint hint nudge nudge back to my first tip* second set of eyes who can give you feedback. That said, if you feel good, that’s great! At some point, you just have to stop editing… it’s hard, I know
- Get your letter of rec people ASAP! Especially if they’re super busy, you’ll want to have all your ducks in a row!
That’s it for now, feel free to contact me if you have any other ideas about topics for future articles!
A Little Bit of Happiness 