On Nov. 14 at the Academic Center, the final presentation in the three-part “Focus on Your Future” series took place. 

Titled “Graduate School: Right for You, Right Now?,” the session attracted a group of students hoping to gain insights from experts about how to take the next step toward graduate school.

As attendees arrived, each received a raffle ticket and a TRIO goodie bag containing sticky notes, pens, pencils, a highlighter, and a stress ball. A raffle drawing also offered one last bit of excitement to the presentation, 

Following the distribution of apple cider and donuts, Doe Dahm, the Director of Writing and Communication, introduced speakers; Deborah (Debbie) Warnock and Brit Green from the VTSU McNair Scholars Program. 

Dawn gave thanks to two of her academic support mentors, Tiara Robinson and Erin Forkin, saying they were “instrumental in getting this series off the ground.”

The presentation began with a question for the audience: “What are some reasons one would go to graduate school?”

Tiara Robinson responded, “To broaden the spectrum of what I’m learning now.” Rachel Mark, the director of Academic Support, added, “For certifications, licenses to teach, to receive a higher pay grade.”

The presenters also discussed reasons some may choose not to attend graduate school, citing factors like delaying the inevitable, cost, and avoiding the job market.

“It doesn’t have to be [expensive], though, and we’ll talk about that,” Green added, aiming to debunk some common concerns.

Warnock offered her perspective on attending graduate school just to delay entering the workforce. 

“So, you don’t want to go just because you don’t know what else to do. That’s not a good reason to go to graduate school,” she cautioned.

Erin Forkin, who is currently applying to graduate school, shared advice on choosing a program. 

“Something important to note is that your master’s does not have to be the same degree type as your bachelor’s,” they said.

The presentation then outlined the different types of graduate degrees. According to Green, options include professional degrees, PhDs, and MAs.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all for graduate school, and there’s no path that you have to take,” Green emphasized. “You can still get to where you want to go.”

Warnock reflected on her own graduate experience, highlighting the role of mentorship. 

“What’s really important is the relationship you develop with your faculty mentor and the work that you do with them. I thought it was just like undergrad, in terms of taking courses, writing papers, and getting through classes, but that’s not the case,” she said. “Developing a relationship with a faculty mentor, publishing, and doing research together is really the most important part.”

Green gave her own advice. 

“You have to find out, by reverse engineering, what you want to be when you grow up. Figure out if you need to go to graduate school and what kind of track you need to go into,” she said. “You’re going to have to learn how to prioritize this long list of responsibilities, and it will be scary and daunting at first. But at many schools, there are Resource Centers specifically for graduate students. Utilize those. Utilize your resource centers, time management—all the things we’ve worked hard on in undergrad.”

As the presentation ended, both Warnock and Green encouraged students to consider the McNair Program and explore scholarships available to low-income students, first-generation students, and students from underrepresented demographics.