International Human Rights at the Josef Korbel School

What I’ve learned in Grad School

April 13, 2011 at 6:31 pm (Uncategorized)

This will be my last post, and sadly, my last day of work in the Admissions Office. I am leaving this Sunday for Boston. I am really going to miss working here, taking classes, living in Denver, wallowing in self-pity with my fellow graduate students, etc. Things happen fast, and I’m not convinced that I’m entirely prepared for this major life change— but I guess I just have to roll with the punches! I am so excited to start my new job and move to a new and exciting city.

I won’t officially receive my MA until June. I still have two independent study courses to complete, for which I’ll be writing the final papers from Boston. It’s definitely going to be a busy couple of weeks. I’ll need to get settled into my new apartment, start a new job, familiarize myself with a new city, and finish my independent study coursework.  Yes, it’s stressful, but it’s the type of stress that I’m thankful for!

We just had our annual Discover Korbel event for admitted students last week. It’s a great opportunity for them to see the campus and learn more about the program before they make such an important decision. At the wine and cheese event at the end of the day, one admitted student asked me a simple but extremely important question: “was it all worth it?” Without hesitation, I answered, “yes.”  Not only was I able to secure a great job, but this was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I’ve had thus far! I have learned more than I ever thought possible and made some amazing and lifelong friends. I know that my fellow students will go on to pursue incredible careers and I will be able to network with them in the future. The staff gave me the individual attention I needed to ensure that I had the best experience here possible. The faculty have inspired me to challenge myself and step outside of my academic comfort zone, and to identify and develop my own passions and interests and work towards them.  I could not be happier with the decision I made to attend the Josef Korbel School. In short, it was all well worth it.

I thought I’d just compile a short list of some things I’ve learned in graduate school (or wish I had known!).

1. Cancel Netflix. It only makes it easier to procrastinate, especially when every season of all Law and Orders are available.

2. Don’t assume that you know exactly what you are going to study here, or exactly what you are going to do after graduation.  For many students (like myself), their plans completely change in the first few weeks of school!

3. Expand! Maybe you came into school determined to study Africa and nothing else. But trust me, when something historic happens (such as Mubarak’s resignation) and you know nothing about the region, you feel pretty dumb in class. I’m interested in Latin America, but I’ve written papers on child labor in Morocco, education in Cambodia, and health care policy in the EU. Don’t get too specialized!

4. If you have time, do more than just one internship. The experience definitely made a difference for me.

5. Make the most of your time here! Use work experience in whatever you are doing to learn a new skill that you could contribute to a potential employer. I work in the admissions office which has little to do with my career plans of working for an international NGO or nonprofit, but I learned valuable skills here, and I am confident my experience here helped me secure a job.

Thanks for reading, and I wish you all the best of luck in graduate school!

Joanna Miller
MA candidate, International Human Rights
Josef Korbel School of International Studies