UC Santa Cruz
May. 14th, 2003 11:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
danaerisWell.
I just spoke with John Wilkes, who runs the UCSC program. He said that based on what I've told him, I'm basically where most of his students are when they graduate from the program. That isn't to say that I won't get anything from it, but he didn't seem to believe that I NEEDED the program to move forward with my career.
I told him that I was weak on the Idea Generation side of things, and he said that was one of the most valuable skills a writer brings to a magazine either as staff or a freelancer. He said that the program would help me with that but isn't guaranteed to turn me into an idea machine or anything like that.
I told him that Wired had expressed an interest in my work and that I was concerned that it was out of my league and he said that if a magazine expresses interest then they clearly feel that I write well enough for them.
He's going to put me in touch with three graduates of the program, of my choosing, so I can chat with them about it (and in general). But given all this, I'm thinking that the program might not be worth the trouble.
Thoughts? Opinions? Random unrelated comments?
I just spoke with John Wilkes, who runs the UCSC program. He said that based on what I've told him, I'm basically where most of his students are when they graduate from the program. That isn't to say that I won't get anything from it, but he didn't seem to believe that I NEEDED the program to move forward with my career.
I told him that I was weak on the Idea Generation side of things, and he said that was one of the most valuable skills a writer brings to a magazine either as staff or a freelancer. He said that the program would help me with that but isn't guaranteed to turn me into an idea machine or anything like that.
I told him that Wired had expressed an interest in my work and that I was concerned that it was out of my league and he said that if a magazine expresses interest then they clearly feel that I write well enough for them.
He's going to put me in touch with three graduates of the program, of my choosing, so I can chat with them about it (and in general). But given all this, I'm thinking that the program might not be worth the trouble.
Thoughts? Opinions? Random unrelated comments?
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I say
Date: 2003-05-14 11:47 am (UTC)Everyone is unqualified. You'll be "qualified" as you do more work, but you'll need this opportunity to do more work.
Good luck!
no subject
Date: 2003-05-14 11:56 am (UTC)Educational programs really are worth it for the experience IMO. As you spend more time away from school, anything that appears on your resume becomes less and less important, because its the most recent things that your employers want to see and also a bit of background.
If you think you will enjoy the experience of grad school, and learn something useful there, then go. Another program on your resume won't absolutely guarentee instant job acceptance, unless its a Harvard degree with a job in daddy's company or something silly like that. So if you won't learn anything in school that you won't be learning at a job, then stick with job hunting. That experience and its references will be more just as useful for landing your dream job, maybe more so...plus you can always take interesting classes part time through continuing ed or something.
*hugs* miss ya my dear :)
-S
no subject
Date: 2003-05-14 12:03 pm (UTC)Sometimes, I wonder about the value of upper-echelon of graduate & doctoral academia and its necessities in certain professions.
One may argue the intricacies realated to biological, chemical, and medical sciences requires such extended education, and I think I would have to agree. But sometimes, I wonder if the people that end up becoming Doctoral candidates and such were given the opportunity to learn, research & develop, and everything else required without the temporal and financial constraints of college, and be recognized, given credit, and rewarded with work, publication, and all the other trimmings, would those same people invest so much in going to a university?
I'm not saying just learning things on your own without a collegiate backbone is any easier. In fact, I'm sure there are plenty of arguments that would say such an undertaking could be even more difficult. It's just such a value is placed on where you studied before judging the value of what you studied, it really fouls the taste in my mouth on the idea of going somewhere to get a Master's from such-and-such because if people are going to care a little more about where I went, I would feel awfully used by that whole experience.
I feel I have the goods to be in the workforce, and if I want to do anything more, I'll do it on my own. Grant you, that's a luxury of my industry, but also can't fathom going back into debt again for another piece of paper to layer on my bachelor's. I think I'm brilliant enough in what I love that I know I'll get the successful rewards I feel I deserve.
If you got the skills already, why go back? Reputation for quality of production shines far more brightly than purchased academic accomplishment.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-14 01:16 pm (UTC)You'll be taking classes with lots of other people who are in a field similar to yours. It will give you a network of people to check in with about possibilities, to compare notes with, and also just sympathize with about common experiences, as well as learn from each other. Plus, the professors are often great networking opportunities. It’s not the only reason to go, but to my mind it’s a huge plus.
each other.
*hugs and good luck, whatever you do*
-Urbanbard