The all important idea of fit. We've all heard it when we started the search for something in lives.. whether it was our undergraduate institution, our first job, or the city where we settled. It's important to find a place that "fits" people said.
I knew it was important.. but I didn't exactly understand what it meant. I had the joy of finding a college that I loved during my first visit.. so I didn't even bother with other visits. I applied, got accepted, and attended my school on the feelings I got (I know now that it worked because it fit.. but I didn't know that back then)
When I started searching for my grad program everyone said you need to find a place that fits... So I looked at the two schools I wanted to attend.. I didn't necessarily look at the "fit" but rather the bits and pieces. BW offered me an internship that I wanted and the chance to go back to small school. CSU offered me a fast path to the degree and a much cheaper option...
As we all know I chose BW (and I'd never look back) but I've recently gotten the chance to take a class at CSU. In doing so.. I've discovered just how important the fit of BW is to my experience. At BW I'm on the older end of my cohort. I've got much more experience in Higher Ed than most of the people I learn with, and I enjoy that. We also have a cohort which I LOVE because I've gotten to know and learn with the same group in such a dynamic environment over the past year.
At CSU I found a class that was a mixture of people who'd been working on completing their degree for any number of years.. some who were going full time.. some part time.. and others.. well I'd say part-part-time (only 1 class a semester). There isn't a sense of community among the people in the program, everyone was new to everyone else (for the most part).
The differences to these programs were staggering, and by no means am I saying that one is better than the other. The people who are in the CSU program have specific reasons for why they are in that program. While going around the room they talked about them: full time work, family obligations, the need for part-time, the focus of the program, the faculty, and the location. Those are all GREAT reasons to choose that program.. it's just a matter of finding the program that fits for you!
If you are considering a graduate program I would highly recommend spending some time on campus at the institution you plan to attend, go to lunch with people, attend a class, ask tons of questions, and get to know the place. After all you'll be there for at least two years and you don't want to be stuck in something ill-fitting for that long!
No comments:
Post a Comment