- How would you describe your undergrad
program (where did you go and what was your experience there like)?
My undergraduate program was similar to the program here. I
went to a University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, another big state school
with some really stellar faculty. The majority of my intro classes were taught
by TAs but this actually ended up being great because they gave me really
useful advice about applying to grad school and what grad school was actually
like. I was really glad that I reached out to some of my senior faculty as
well. It is really cool being in graduate school and hearing people reference
your undergraduate professors.
What made you decide
to apply to grad school?
I was pretty sure at the beginning of my senior year that I
wanted to work and go out into the “real world” after I finished undergrad.
Then I went to a career fair and was completely underwhelmed. All of the jobs
that I wanted, even at the entry level, seemed to require years of experience
or were focused on selling things. Around the same time I was doing an
independent study as research assistant on a dissertation. The research was so
cool and interesting, but I really wasn’t sure if I could imagine doing more school. The grad student I was
working with told me that things worked very differently in grad school and
told me I’d love it. Classes are smaller, there’s less busy work and you get to
pursue areas that particularly interest you. Not to mention, a lot of programs
in Communication will fund you so you get paid to teach and go to school.
Do you have any
advice on the application process?
Give a lot of thought to the faculty you want to work with
and where you want to live. It’s important to try to clarify what areas you
might be interested in. Finding a program with the right fit is really
important. How big of a program do you want to be in? Do you want to be with
only Masters students or a mix between Masters and PhDs? Email professors you
are interested in working with. Get in touch with grad students at programs you
are interested in. The most helpful thing for me was going to the National
Communication Association Conference as I was applying. I could shop a bunch of
different schools at the same time. Schools have receptions so you can chat up
professors at different programs (and often get free drinks and food). Plus,
when I went it was in New Orleans so that was a good time anyway. NCA also
gives you a good look at the kind of research that graduate students do and
what areas of interest you might have.
Now that you’ve been
in grad school for a year and a half, is there anything specific from undergrad
that you feel prepared you well?
Learning how to read properly. I know this sounds weird, but
being able to efficiently pick apart an article is a real lifesaver in grad
school. You just don’t have time to read everything word-for-word so getting
good at skimming and speed-reading is huge. Having my professors assign me
academic/foundational stuff really helped me going into grad school because I
was already familiar with these kinds of arguments.
Can you tell us
something brief about what you’re studying here?
I’m studying the communicative constitution of compliance in
the Organizational Communication area of the department. This pretty much means
that I am studying how people communicate and how that communication creates
organizational compliance (or making people follow the rules). Even though on
the surface it can sound kind of dull, but the theory behind it is pretty
interesting. At the root of it, I’m studying issues of control, power and
authority, which I think is pretty cool. I was drawn to Org Comm because
organizations are things we deal with everyday and, when you start thinking
about it, it is really cool what organizations do. It doesn’t hurt that it also
lends itself well to some good jobs outside of academia.
Do you have any
advice for how to get the most out of your undergraduate experience?
Balance things. You are here for school but you should
definitely take the opportunity to get to know the people around you. College
campuses bring together a bunch of cool people and offer a lot of opportunities
to try new things and get out of your comfort zone. Also, take the time to talk
with your professors and TAs, especially if you are interested in what they do
and might want to get into that area. I know I got a lot more out of my classes
from talking with my professors. Finally, study something that interests you.
There are always going to be assignments that are huge pains, but if you study
something you enjoy, fewer of them will suck and things will stay with you
longer.
