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Positive Vibes Please!

Well big news... I applied to grad school! It was a pretty spontaneous decision within the last couple weeks, so if you're surprised, believe me, I am too. I've applied for the Master of Public Health program at SF State.


I've always had it in my head that I would go back to school, but years went by and it never seemed like the right time. I continued to stumble upon good work opportunities, I was embracing a more relaxed pace of life, and of course most recently, I was focused on starting my new role as a mom. There were many times when I was close to applying. I took the GRE in 2011 while living in DC, and began to look into programs. I researched my options again in 2015, but once I found out I was pregnant I put those plans aside. GRE scores are only valid for five years, so I figured the window for grad school had closed for now, and that I'd revisit the prospect later down the road.

I'm not sure why, but I was looking at the ETS website and clear as day it said that scores from August 2011 (the month I took it) are valid until June 2017. It seems they changed from academic year cycles to exact five year cutoffs, and I happened to just slip into the old system. Somehow seeing that my scores were still valid lit a fire under me. It felt like a sign that I had to apply. It would either be NOW, or much much later. 

Yes, it will be a major feat to work full time, go to grad school, and be a parent. Any of those two things in combination are challenging enough. But I want this. And for once in my life, I'm acting first, and thinking later. I already missed the priority deadline, so I really had to be decisive and jump into this. I scrambled to get all the application pieces together-- essay, reference letters, CV, and all. And now it's in! I should hear back by mid-June. I'm a little anxious, but if it doesn't happen, life will go on exactly as I had planned for it to a month ago. No harm, no foul.

Whatever happens I'm glad I had this chance. I'm glad I studied for the GRE all those countless nights at Tryst. I'm glad I did the research years ago so that I could know exactly what program I would apply for. I'm glad I've challenged myself to take a risk. I'm also glad to put this out there so that people can send positive vibes into the universe for me as I await my acceptance or otherwise. I can't do any of this without support and encouragement! 
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  1. UnknownMay 1, 2017 at 9:45 AM

    Best of luck Mai in your academic endeavor, I, too, recently decided to go back to school (SF State as well), but still trying to figure out what program. I started off in the MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), but it wasn't the right fit so I'm looking into the MA in Spanish....We'll see...Robert...

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    Replies
    1. MaiMay 1, 2017 at 10:50 PM

      Wow Robert, that's great! Maybe I'll see you around campus if things work out :) I hope you find the right fit soon.

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