Should I Stay or Should I Go?

 

Monica Schnapp

University of San Diego

Dear Future SA Graduate Students,

            Welcome to the road to higher ed! It will be filled with bumps and bruises and it may not always go the way you expect, but it will most definitely be some of the best years of your life! The road to graduate school can take many different routes.  For me, it began when I was a junior in college and decided that I wanted to pursue Higher Education.  I was a single-subject English Education credential candidate and I started to realize that while I loved teaching and seeing students learn, I had a passion for the learning that occurs outside of the classroom as well.  So, I started to really consider going to graduate school and studying Student Affairs.  

            My undergraduate campus has a wonderful Student Affairs M.A. program and I knew many of the graduate students in the program because of their graduate assistantships (many of them advised areas of campus that I was involved in).  So, to me, it seemed natural that I would just stay at my university and pursue my masters degree.  

            Fast-forward to my senior year.  I applied and was accepted to my university, but after going through the interview process for graduate assistantships, I was not offered a position.  When I first found out that I didn’t receive a position I was devastated, I immediately went into “fix-it” mode and tried to come up with any options I could to make it work. 

            After weeks of trying to “make it work”, I had a revelation.  I was trying to find a way to stay at a university that had said no to me.  They had given me an out.  This is where I learned a very important lesson that rings true throughout my entire graduate school process! “The right program wants you!”

            So, a week before I graduated college I made the choice to take a year off and find a program that I really wanted and that really wanted me.  I moved back home and worked three different jobs for the year, one within the Student Affairs community, and applied to graduate programs in Washington, Arizona and California.  I was accepted to all three of the programs I applied to. After my interview with University of San Diego, I received an e-mail saying that I had not been offered a graduate assistantship.  That was fine, I decided to focus my attention on the other two programs.  One program told me they were still deciding on positions but I hadn’t been chosen in the first round.  A week later, the Asst. Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life at USD called me and asked if she could interview me over the phone.  Two days later, I accepted my current position! “The right program wants you!” 

            If I could give anyone applying to Student Affairs programs advice it would be to keep steadfast to your values and not be afraid to go off the “normal” path.  I never would have imagined I would take a year off, but I can honestly say now that it was the best decision for me.  Also, remember how valuable you are.  There is a place for you at a university that will honor and treasure the valuable skills you possess.  Don’t settle for something that feels comfortable.  Take a risk and see where you end up!