Hey everyone! Today I wanted to share my graduate school experience since my graduation is coming up in 2 weeks! First, I am so excited to be graduating and to be done with school after 13 (including Pre-K) grade school years, 4 undergraduate years and 2 graduate school years; 19 years total!! So, here is my experience of graduate school and how I got to this point in my life.
A little History
I graduated high school in 2014 and was accepted to Kennesaw State University for the fall of 2014. My major going into college was chemistry and I thought I was going to be a pharmacist. Well, little did I know, God had other plans. I changed my major 3 more times and landed in Psychology, a subject I am very passionate about. I knew I ALWAYS wanted to work with children, but it took me a few years to really figure out what I really wanted to do as a career. So, once I changed my major to psychology, I had to figure out what I was going to do with that degree. I knew I wanted to go to graduate school and had been planning to go further in my collegiate career ever since I knew college was an option. I took a few classes on lifespan and development and careers you can use with a psychology degree. I was very interested in counseling. From there, I had to choose if I wanted to work with students full-time in the school setting or if I wanted to work with a wide range of people in the clinical setting. I chose school counseling and started doing my research on graduate programs. I took my entrance exams and applied to 3 schools and got accepted to one, but this was the school I knew I needed to be at, it felt right. I was accepted into the University of West Georgia for the Summer semester of 2018. I graduated from KSU May 9th, 2018 and started my graduate program May 30th, 2018. It all happened so fast, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I was ready to push on through and get my second degree.
My Time in Graduate School
The Professional School Counseling graduate program was set up a 1/3 hybrid, 1/3 on campus and 1/3 online. They made the program this way to accommodate all different types of students and their work life and personal life. Our first semester started in the summer for 3 classes. Our cohort was made up of 12 students who all entered at the same time. I made some amazing friends and colleges through this program. The most challenging part of the program was learning how to balance the new set up of classes and how to study the content. Once I got that part down It was easy to understand. Some semesters were more challenging than others but the professors in the program are amazing and they actually care about you and how you do in their classes, I mean they are all counselors so it’s part of who they are to care about their students.
I learned so much more than just the content required in the courses through my graduate program. It was definitely better than my undergraduate program. I have an amazing advisor and mentor and I met some really great people who I know will be people I can go to through our entire careers. We are a support system. This program taught me so much about my values and what I want out of life and my relationships, it helped me step out of my comfort zone and it helped give me the confidence to be who I am to and to what I love for the rest of my life. Although two years sounds like a long time, it went by so fast and I’m going to be a little sad when it ends but I am sooooooo ready for this next chapter and journey in my life.
I am so thankful to the University of West Georgia and the professors in the Professional Counseling department. They have supported me and encouraged me to be the best version of myself and to be the best counselor for all my future students. This program has given me experience working in the field of school counseling and I have made so many connections through every phase.
Finally
Now that this chapter is closing its bittersweet. I am happy and proud of myself for getting it done and for pushing myself through tough times. I am ready to work with children on a full-time basis and I can’t wait to get started! Thank you, West Georgia! I couldn’t have done it without the support from God, my fiancé, my family and my friends. I am so thankful. And, that’s my experience of Graduate school. If you can find a program as great as mine was, go to graduate school, you won’t regret it!
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed hearing and learning a little bit about my journey through graduate school. It is finally coming to a close and I wanted to share my experience. I hope you subscribe and tell me if you’re in graduate school or if you were or are planning to go! If you’re in it or about to start, good luck to you and I wish you the very best! Just keep pushing and moving forward! You got it!
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