This summer I will begin an online, part time Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering program through the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am currently working full time in an engineering rotational program at John Deere, but I made the decision to pursue this graduate degree during my senior year of undergrad. Although I had spent four years gaining the knowledge that has allowed me to work as a professional engineer, I knew that there was still so much out there to learn. In order to grow, develop, and advance in my career, I was eager to take more courses in cross functional skills in engineering and business/management. For me, there were two stages of understanding and embracing my road to grad school. Going back to school after completing four years of rigorous coursework is not an easy decision. There are so many big choices that need to be made before it actually begins: what type of program to choose, what to specialize in, where to apply, when to start. I plan to explore some of these decisions further in future posts as I start my program. As I worked through these choices, I encountered several unexpected, internal roadblocks.
Throughout the process of choosing a program and applying, I constantly asked myself, “Is this the right program?” “Should I wait a few years?” “Why am I choosing to pursue this degree?” These questions took me almost a full year to work through. Knowing I was limited to an online and very flexible program because of my commitment as a full-time professional, I researched a variety of program options. I found that a Master of Engineering program was ideal to allow me to focus on my priorities of technical and professional development courses. Although the commitment to hours and hours of rigorous coursework was daunting, eventually, I realized that I found the perfect degree for me that offered the opportunity to learn and gain more skills, both technical and professional development, through a very flexible program. This confirmed that I was making the right decision, so I finally hit submit on my application.
After accepting admission to my program, an unexpected challenge presented itself. The next step was to share my plans with those around me. In theory, this is a much easier step. However, I found myself feeling cautious to share the news with all those around me - friends, coworkers, etc. Residual doubt about my reasons for pursuing this degree lingered from the application process. I projected my own internal struggles on those around me. I assumed that everyone would have the same skepticism as I did and thus felt defensive and hesitant to share my plans with anyone. However, as I began to slowly share my news of beginning this degree, I encountered nothing but excitement and encouragement. These conversations reminded me how eager I was to find the right program and to get the opportunity to explore more topics that would aid me in my career.
Now, as I prepare to start my courses in the upcoming weeks, all I feel is excitement. As I type out my goals and plan out my courses, my eagerness to get started and take control of my learning makes it evident that I made the right decision for me. After overcoming self doubt and fear of others’ perceptions, I realized that I am pursuing this degree for myself - my career goals and my excitement to learn. Overall, the moral of my story is choose everything about your grad journey for yourself and your goals. After that, be proud when you share your plans with anyone and everyone because you should be confident in your choices and proud of yourself.
Everyone has a unique journey to their graduate degree. We all face different struggles when deciding the right path for us. Although all paths are different, there is always something to take away from what others have learned. To start, we want to hear your story. If you are willing to share, please take a few minutes to answer this survey and share your journey.
Throughout the process of choosing a program and applying, I constantly asked myself, “Is this the right program?” “Should I wait a few years?” “Why am I choosing to pursue this degree?” These questions took me almost a full year to work through. Knowing I was limited to an online and very flexible program because of my commitment as a full-time professional, I researched a variety of program options. I found that a Master of Engineering program was ideal to allow me to focus on my priorities of technical and professional development courses. Although the commitment to hours and hours of rigorous coursework was daunting, eventually, I realized that I found the perfect degree for me that offered the opportunity to learn and gain more skills, both technical and professional development, through a very flexible program. This confirmed that I was making the right decision, so I finally hit submit on my application.
After accepting admission to my program, an unexpected challenge presented itself. The next step was to share my plans with those around me. In theory, this is a much easier step. However, I found myself feeling cautious to share the news with all those around me - friends, coworkers, etc. Residual doubt about my reasons for pursuing this degree lingered from the application process. I projected my own internal struggles on those around me. I assumed that everyone would have the same skepticism as I did and thus felt defensive and hesitant to share my plans with anyone. However, as I began to slowly share my news of beginning this degree, I encountered nothing but excitement and encouragement. These conversations reminded me how eager I was to find the right program and to get the opportunity to explore more topics that would aid me in my career.
Now, as I prepare to start my courses in the upcoming weeks, all I feel is excitement. As I type out my goals and plan out my courses, my eagerness to get started and take control of my learning makes it evident that I made the right decision for me. After overcoming self doubt and fear of others’ perceptions, I realized that I am pursuing this degree for myself - my career goals and my excitement to learn. Overall, the moral of my story is choose everything about your grad journey for yourself and your goals. After that, be proud when you share your plans with anyone and everyone because you should be confident in your choices and proud of yourself.
Everyone has a unique journey to their graduate degree. We all face different struggles when deciding the right path for us. Although all paths are different, there is always something to take away from what others have learned. To start, we want to hear your story. If you are willing to share, please take a few minutes to answer this survey and share your journey.
