Unrealistic proposition

[thepreciouss]

Let's just say that I decided to take a sort of "gap" year between the end of Wellesley and the beginning of grad school.

What should I do during that time??

What would YOU do?

Comments

[rubix1229]

I am doing it for sure.

What I do depends on a lot of things: if I get a study abroad fellowship (unlikely), where I get a job, what happens with Theis, etc.

I think it's extremely important to work at a 'real' job, with meetings and a cubicle and a guy in IT who hits on you and stupid coworkers and annoying people in HR. It gives a lot of perspective and some nifty skills.

If I were you, I would work at Vanity Fair or Harper's for a good mix of haute couture and geopolitics.

[doomsprk131]

I'm doing the same thing and have no idea what I'm doing in that gap year. Some options I'm looking at are internships, perhaps some study abroad grad-program thing, a teachng certificate, and the classic world of employment.Gap years make you very marketaable to grad programs and law schools because it shows you have "life experience." I hope this helps :)

[amantedistelle]

I don't know, since I didn't do it, but I know a lot of people travel or get a fellowship. Lots more work, though I know that some people work between degrees to start paying off some of those loans before they start accumulating new ones.

I'd say use it to do something you won't be able to do once you are in the working world for good. Full-time internship, maybe? Teaching English abroad? Or how about humanitarian work, since you're so into global awareness? If you want to travel the world and make a difference, that year is the perfect time to do it.

[rubix1229]

I forgot to mention this in my earlier comment: there is a huge difference between law school and grad school -- I assume you meant law school, and in that case, a gap year (or two) is an excellent idea.

If you mean a Master's or Doctoral program, it *might* be good to go straight through so you don't forget your subject or how to study it. Then again, if it's a program in something practical (like IR), related work experience could only benefit.

In short:

law school = gap good
grad school in science/IR/econ/etc: = subject-related gap good
grad school in thomistic philosophy = go straight through

=)

[themoralmadam]

Um I'm taking time off to do other things. So I know if I really want to do grad school. I"d really love to travel. You should too!