Thinking About a Postgrad? What I Wish I’d Considered Before Applying
The other day, my neighbor’s daughter Maya came over with a stack of brochures and a slightly panicked look. She’d just graduated with a decent BA in psychology and was working part-time at a café while “figuring things out.” Her mom had mentioned that I’d done a master’s degree later in life, and so Maya wanted to know: should she get a postgrad? And if so, how does anyone even decide?
We sat at my kitchen table with tea, and she spread the brochures out. One was for a fancy London university, the other two were local programs. She was worried she was already behind, because her friends were all either in law school or had corporate jobs. She kept saying, “I just feel like I should do something.” That phrase—I should—is exactly the wrong reason, but I didn’t say that right away. I’d learned that lesson the hard way.
My own master’s degree happened when I was thirty-two. I’d worked in marketing for seven years, hated it, and went back to study education. A lot of people in my family thought I was wasting money, and honestly, those first few months made me doubt them. Everyone in the course was younger, sharper, and way better at citing Foucault. I struggled, failed one assignment, and nearly dropped out. But the reason I stuck with it was that I hadn’t applied on a whim. I had specific questions I wanted answered about how kids learn to read, and I knew the program would help me answer them.
So when Maya asked for advice, I gave her what I wish someone had given me. Not a checklist, exactly, but a way to think about it.
First, I told her to imagine that she did not get in. Not as a worst-case scenario, but as a real possibility. Would she feel relieved or crushed? Sometimes people apply because they’re scared of the gap on their résumé, and they’re actually hoping someone will say no so they don’t have to decide. If you’re not sure, that’s worth noticing.
Second, I asked her to look at the course outline—not the glossy brochure photos, but the actual modules, readings, and assessment methods. I made her pick one module from each program and explain to me what she thought the weekly classes would be like. She couldn’t really describe them. That’s a red flag. A postgrad is a lot of self-directed reading, writing, and talking. If the content doesn’t genuinely pull you in, you’ll be miserable after the first few weeks of novelty wearing off.
Then we talked about money. That was awkward. I’m not a financial advisor, but I’ve seen enough postgrad debt to know it’s not like undergrad. With undergrad, you get a degree. With postgrad, you get a degree plus possibly a better job—but possibly not. A master’s doesn’t automatically increase your salary, except in certain fields like nursing or engineering. For psychology, Maya would need a doctorate to become a therapist, but a master’s could lead to research assistant roles or a bit of a salary bump. I told her to write down the actual monthly loan payment she’d have after graduation and then ask herself whether that payment was worth the kind of work she hoped to get. She went quiet, which is fine.
I also had her talk to three people working in jobs she thought she wanted. Not her academic advisor—actual people in the field. I told her to ask them two questions: What do you wish you’d known before you started? and Would you have done this degree if you knew how much it cost in time and money? I’ve learned that most people will give you an honest answer over email or coffee. When I was thinking about education, I talked to a primary school teacher who told me to shadow her for a day at a school with mostly low-income kids. That day changed my trajectory. I realized I wanted to work with literacy, not just teach in a general sense. Shadowing someone is low-friction and doesn’t commit you to anything.
Maya said she felt shy asking for someone’s time. I told her to offer to buy coffee and that most professionals are flattered to be asked. Sometimes they say no, but that’s fine. One useful person is worth ten brochures.
We also talked about timing. Maya was twenty-two. She felt this huge pressure to be in school now, because “if I wait, I’ll never go back.” I told her that’s not really true. Around a third of postgrad students are over thirty, and many programs value mature students more because they bring experience. Waiting a year or two doesn’t make you a failure; it gives you money, clarity, and maybe a better application. But I also said there’s a smaller group of people who know exactly what they want and should go straight after undergrad. Their research is solid, their references are fresh, and the momentum is helpful. Those people exist. They just shouldn’t be used as a universal deadline.
One thing that really helped me when I was deciding was making a “go / no-go” list. I wrote down what I would do with a degree, and what I would do without it. For Maya, I suggested she write out two one-year plans: one where she continues working and maybe takes a short course, and one where she enrolls in the postgrad. Then I told her to read both plans aloud and notice which one made her less anxious. Our bodies often know more than our brains, especially when we’re caught up in fear of missing out.
She left with the brochures still in her bag, which is fine. I didn’t push her to decide. The conversation didn’t have a neat ending. That’s realistic. A postgrad isn’t a life sentence, but it isn’t a birthday present either. It’s a serious commitment of time, energy, and money. The best advice I can give is to treat it like a job interview—but interview it first. Ask the hard questions about career outcomes, teaching style, and whether the faculty actually care about students. And ask yourself if you’re running toward something or just running away from a blank space on your résumé.
Maya texted me last night. She said she’s arranged to shadow a psychologist at a local clinic next week. She’s not sure yet if she’ll apply this year. She asked if that meant she was making a mistake. I wrote back: No. It means you’re taking your time. That’s not the same as stalling.
I still don’t know if she’ll do a master’s, and honestly, that’s okay. Some decisions need to remain open for a while. The good decisions usually do.
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