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genie
Master of Prissface
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Joined: 14 May 2002
Posts: 16194
Location: Finding serenity one day at a time
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 Posted: 08/12/04 - 08:33 Post subject: Poll not poll: changing focus?
OK, so this is more of an opinion survey, but....I wanted to see what you guys think-just for additional points to ponder here. I had my choices narrowed down to a few schools based on the specific type of research I wanted to do, but as I continue to examine others, I am finding slightly different options at altogether different places. AND my heart still lies in Madison, which if I pursue my current topic, chronic disease and health psychology, I will not be able to do because their curriculum does not support my program. I've eliminated a couple schools from my original list, for various reasons, and am now wondering:
Do I choose the school/city where I'd really like to live and alter my research/program decisions to fit what they're doing?
Or do I stick with my program and just settle for the schools that have it, which may not be where I really want to live? Like, I'd adjust but given my choice, I wouldn't have ended up there if it wasn't for school type thing.
My advisor basically says: you can do your dissertation on anything you want, it doesn't have to be the area you are actually going to specialize in, although I can't see why that would be helpful.....at this level of education you want to narrow focus somewhat, I would think. But I still have an interest in forensic psychology which is totally out of the realm of chronic disease research, and I did some really interesting work in gender based research and found large gaps in it for one of my other classes, so I could do that too. There's a lot still to be done there and I have a pretty clear idea of where I'd go with it if I chose that path.
Just collecting general opinions at this point, and points to consider, what do y'all think?
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megawill
Member
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Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1552
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Posted: 08/12/04 - 09:29 Post subject:
You need to consider both. (Easy for me to say but here is what I'd do):
Put together a list of places where it would be acceptable for you to live. If you don't like the summer heat, scratch off hot and humid areas from your list. On the other hand don't limit yourself here, list the things that you really must have in a place you live. Do you want to live in an urban area? How big? How small is too small? Don't make assumptions about a place you've never been too. The franchising of America means that there is going to be a certain amount of sameness wherever you go. (i.e., You can find a Starbucks near almost any decent sized campus in America).
Look for schools that have your focus area as an option. You will be in school for a long time. This isn't picking out where you'd like to go to band camp. There will be rough times when you'll question what the hell you are doing back in school. If you aren't pursuing what you set out to do academically, it could make it that much harder to finish the program. Don't settle! It'll make it that much easier for you if you can find a place that has faculty and students who share a common research interest as you. They'll challenge you to think in ways that maybe you haven't even considered before. Put out feelers to places that have a program that you are interested in (U of Iowa?  ) but may not be located in a place where you would ever have considered living before. You may hit it off with a faculty member enough to visit and fall in love with the place that you would never have considered. Or, maybe the faculty of that program can give you insight into other programs that are located in a geographic area where you would be more comfortable, a school that maybe you'd never considered.
Don't make the list too long. Settle it down to 3-5 schools. Make sure that you could be comfortable at anyone of those schools academically and socially. Choose the one that offers the best research opportunities and graduate assistantship package.
(ready, set, go!)
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megawill
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