5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Applying for Master's

Hello friends!

In this post, I would like to talk about things that I wish I have known when applying for a master's. I had to learn them the hard way, and it caused me a lot of anxiety. They may be relevant for you as well.

1. If it doesn't work out the first time, you can always try again

We are taught to believe that you have to go big or go home. That if you don't succeed the first time, there is no point in ever trying again. That if you don't get in now, or into this particular university, your future will never be bright, and you are a loser.

I certainly experienced the pressure of this mindset. With self-confidence close to zero, I used to take rejections ohh way too personally, as if each and every one of them was a testament to my worthiness as a human being.

Now, years later, I am happy to report that it doesn't have to be this way - not for me, not for you, not for anyone.

When I was applying for a master's, I initially chose universities in Europe, among them the University of Oxford. I spent months preparing the applications, pouring my soul into them, and desperately wanted to get in.

I got a rejection. I was devastated, to say the least. I felt like I just got a letter explicitly saying that I will never amount to anything. Ever. In my entire life.

Still, I decided to reread my application and see if there was anything I could improve. And you know what? Upon this read, the application did not seem to be good enough. I would not have admitted myself, if I were on the admissions committee.

Next year, I applied again. This time to the United States. This time, I significantly improved the quality of my applications, and among other universities got into Harvard. Looking back, I think: Thank God they did not accept me at Oxford!

The bottom line here, as you may have guessed, is that you don't have to 'go big or go home.' You really don't. Even if you don't get what you want now, that's OK. You can still get it later - or get something better.

2. Age is not as important as people think

Last summer, I with met some of my former university classmates during a visit to Moscow. We haven't seen each other in a while, and there was a lot to talk about. One thing that came up often in our conversations was surprisingly consistent though: They would tell me that they wish they had studied abroad, but now it's too late and the ship has sailed.

Hearing this always makes me incredibly sad, because I know how much study abroad change my life for the better, and I want it to be accessible to as many people as possible.

One of the things I've seen during my studies abroad is that people do this at all ages. There are always some people who do a master's immediately after their first university degree, people who do it after a few years of working, and people do it mid-career when they already have family and/or kids.

It truly doesn't matter how old you are - there will always be people you can relate to on the program; you will not be alone. (I should mention, though, that age may influence your eligibility for scholarships - but that's a different, and separate, matter.)

For instance, in my class at Harvard, there was a big group of people well into their 30s. Some of them were doing their second master of laws, with a view to improve or change their career paths. Some of them came with a kid (sometimes two). We even had a single mom (I don't have a clue as to how she did it - but the important fact is that she did it).

We are programmed to believe that we have to achieve certain milestones by certain age, and if we don't, it means that we missed the train. But this could not be further from truth. What if each and every one of us has a special train? After all, we all have different destinations. A personal train would only make sense.

I had to think hard about that when applying for a PhD at the European University Institute. By that time, I had already spent 5 years doing another PhD in Russia and working in various places as a lawyer. Was it too late? But then I thought - I really don't mind being a bit older that some students in the cohort. What I do mind is missing my chance to build an academic career. I had no regrets since.

So what if you missed the train that other people took - who said it was going where you needed to go? Most probably, you just need a different train.

3. You can change your mind along the way

I wish someone told me that it's OK to change plans. That you are not bound by what you thought you wanted out of life when going back to school.

Don't get me wrong - it's good if you have a clear idea of what you want to do after you graduate. But the thing is, most people don't, and that's OK. People change their mind, and it's normal.

Here is what the author of one of my favorite books, MBA Admissions Strategy, says about it:

If you are like most people, your career aspirations coming out of ... school will be different to your stated aspirations going into it. Most people don't really know what they are going to do when they have finished their [degrees], and many change direction various times while at school.

No one is going to hold your personal statement at the graduation (I mean, unless you signed a binding agreement). So don't beat yourself up if you change your mind. It's human.

4. The value of master's is in the people, not books

Haha, this one sounds obvious, right? Or so one thought.

Over and over again, I hear people say they don't know if doing a master's abroad is worth it. When I ask them what they think the value of a master's degree comes from, they usually point out at the study itself and the knowledge they would gain.

Don't get me wrong. Study is important. And there is a LOT of study involved. But it were the only or even the main takeaway, people would read books at home - why submit yourself to the painful application process and go overseas for a year or two?

Here is the catch: Study abroad is not about the study. It's about the people. It's about immersing into the melting pot (mosaic? choose the metaphor you like) of personalities and cultures and learning from them. It's about the live interaction with professors. It's about being in the midst of it.

What I'm saying is it's so important to understand this and set your priorities accordingly. You can always do more study at home. But you can't recreate the experience of actually being on campus and soaking it all in. So enjoy while it lasts!

5. Understand the filters of your past experience

This one may sound strange, so let me explain.

By the time I decided to do a master's, I've already had a fairly wide range of experiences as a lawyer. I had a clear, evidence-backed knowledge of what areas of law I liked and enjoyed working in.

And so, in the US, I took a lot of classes that I knew I liked, such as civil procedure, international arbitration, private international law, because I knew that I liked it and I understood what it was.

The thing was that this mindset turned out to be quite limiting. The approach to law in the US was dramatically different what what I had ever seen before in Russia and continental Europe, but because of the filters I had due to my prior experience I did not take other, less conventional classes, that might have been much more interesting to me and have expanded my understanding of what law and lawyers could be and do.

What I'm trying to say is this: Listen to your past experience but don't be a slave to it. You don't have to limit yourself to something just because you've done something before. Who knows what other gems you can find and add to your experience?

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These are the 5 things I wish I knew someone told me when applying for a master's. Hope you enjoyed it and good luck!