What if I end up not liking my chosen field in grad school?
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What if I think I like a particular field, but I end up not liking it after already enrolling in a program. Graduate school is a big commitment and I want to be absolutely sure before I commit. Many times in life, our passion dies out as we engage more and more with an interest. How can I be sure while applying this will not happen?
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This is a great and very practical question.One way to navigate this is to treat your Bachelor’s program like a buffet table. This is your biggest opportunity to get a taste of a wide variety of fields. Use your electives very wisely. Your Bachelor’s program is not designed to give you too much depth, it is designed to give you a lot of breadth. So please get a taste of a fair share of courses before you find your calling. Once you have, look at different research opportunities with faculty at your institute who have worked in your domain of interest. By the end of senior year you should have a much clearer idea of what you want to pursue further. You can also use your masters as a stepping stone before you commit to a niche in a PhD. Even within master’s you take some fundamental coursework before finalizing your stream and you can shift and gravitate towards what you like better.
Broadly speaking, even in academia, many professors keep shifting their niche interests overtime. Explorers will be explorers, no matter where they end up. All you need to ensure is that if you are aiming for a PhD, you should be invested enough in a field to invest at least 5 years of your hard work and time commitment while enjoying the process.
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Another avenue I would like to share is that if you are not sure enough to commit to a field for 2 years, you can consider doing a research assistantship for 6-12 months to better assess if you can and want to delve deeper into a field with a master’s or PhD commitment.
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Building on my colleague’s comments, I believe students should give a research orientation to their final year projects. Choosing a project with a research component can help you decide if a research career is right for you. Many universities offer undergraduates the chance to enroll in advanced graduate-level coursework, which often includes semester-long research projects. This experience can help you understand the level of work and commitment required for graduate studies in your field.
Participating in these projects will enhance your appreciation for the research process and its unique demands. It's important to recognize that research is not for everyone, and that’s perfectly okay. However, it’s crucial to be certain about your interest before committing to a graduate program.
I also encourage students to reach out to professors to gain independent research experience and engage with the academic community they aspire to join.
