Average Student Reaches For Above-Average Success :: Interview Essay

Average Student Reaches For Above-Average Success With her curly hair pinned up and her leg shaking nervously, Tricia searches for both potential employers to work for and Master’s programs on the Internet. In the midst of her psychology textbooks lay piles of GRE practice tests and Graduate school applications. For the past year this has been a daily ritual. As she clicks around, her eyes glaze over and a headache sets in; but she tells herself to stay focused. Graduation is quickly approaching, and she feels a lot of pressure to figure out what she is going to do next year. In May, Tricia will graduate from King’s College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. â€Å"My options are limited, especially in today’s world. Four-year degrees don’t matter anymore; higher degrees are what’s expected. With a four-year degree in Psychology I could be a Guidance Counselor at a High School or teach Psychology classes at a Community College. But as for what I want to do- Forensics- I need Graduate School, specifically in Forensics and there are only ten schools that have it. It’s very competitive,† says Tricia Buchanan. Tricia has spent the last year researching Graduate schools to prepare for next year. â€Å"I started looking in July for Graduate schools. I had my mind set on going to Graduate school in August after graduation and that I wasn’t going to work. So, I spent the majority of this school year taking GRE practice tests, studying, getting applications, meeting with the career planning and placement office, and talking to teachers,† says Tricia. Average Student Discouraged by GRE’s Tricia’s plan changed in December. Suddenly all of those visions of getting into a Graduate school and moving ahead towards her goal, Forensics, were wiped away. All those hours studying seemed like wasted time. â€Å"In December I decided I was going to go the job route. I changed my mind because I got discouraged. I felt I needed a break from school and some time off. The GRE’s were a lot harder than I thought they were going to be. Also, I realized how competitive Graduate schools are. I am an average student. I don’t have any experience. Graduate schools in my program rely heavily on GRE scores, your cumulative GPA, and work experience,† says Tricia.