My Application to Master Program(Distance Learning)
4 years of experience in publication taught me a title like that will never sell. If I am under the pressure of page view (which most of the social writers do), I’d change the title into something more gripping, such as “The Secret of Studying in a Top University While Working My Way Up the Cooperate Ladder” or “Career and Education, How I Manage to Have It All”. In fact, this article does not in any way, intend to be a success story. But rather, after almost 2 years of incubation, a mere review of the experience and the lessons I’ve learned (and the struggles with it).
How it all started.
Admittedly, I wasn’t big on labels. I know a master degree is part of glorious identity, but I don’t believe you have to go to school in order to do things you like, or break into any community. What I do believe in education, given my own experience, is that education is a life-long journey of pursuit, of self-realization,as well as, a representation of your own potential and capacity.
The idea geminated about 3 year ago. When I told my friend I really love to write, she said “Writers usually experience for the sake of writing, you should go experience life more.” And just like that I decided to purse one thing that I thought need the most – a master’s degree and the experience that comes with it. I’d love to tell you more inspirational stories, how not having a master’s degree has hampered my life. But the truth is, one friend thought I ‘haven’t really lived,’ and this is my way of ‘living it.’
I started to prepare the exams without the concrete idea of what I want to learn or what a master’s education will entail. At some point, I did write down all the possible majors I would like to study: journalism, creative writing, art management, art education, psychology. I know how clueless I sound. Lots of people are born with known talents, writing, painting, math or music, etc. but it took me a long time to find my own ‘calling’, which I need come back to in my next article.
Those were the fastest 2 years in my life, and it can be distilled into the lessons I’ve learned during the application:
Lesson No.1
Plan your test.
I started the preparation from 2013. I was never good at planning, and I was too easy on myself not to create any time tables or deadlines (it’s a shame deadlines are a huge part of my career). I took the first TOEFL exam on March 24th with only one week of preparation. I was writing for a bilingual magazine at the time, I made expat friends, I’ve worked as the only Chinese in the office for my previous magazine, I read David Sedaris and I’ve watched Friends over 20 times. What more practice do I need? I thought to myself.
However, when it comes to language exams, techniques and methodology matter. If you don’t know what the structure of the speaking test is, you are very likely to fail. The same is with writing, there are certain rules to follow, logic, argument, angles, examples and even word count. I know there are people who pass TOEFL or IELTS without any preparation, I have no doubt about it, but for most none prodigies out there, here is my most cliché but honest advice: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Lesson No.2
Follow a Time Table.
After my third attempt at language test, which rendered me with an ok score, I decided to move on to the ultimate test – GRE. GRE is like an Loch Ness Monster we’ve all heard of, but never met. She is gruesome, incompliant and extremely hard to tackle. Before it all started, I was determined to make it fun. I followed an Instagram account called Wordinaire, in which they combine GRE vocab with beautiful images, and the legendary RED BOOK, where all the GRE vocab are put into funny contexts which supposed to make the vocab more memorable and the experience less painful.
But I still didn’t have a timetable. The magazine I worked for is a bimonthly issue, and the slow work pace provided me with enough time to lay back and do my vocab. I started the preparation from November 2013, and by June 2014, I was working the most challenging job in my whole career life. It was a start-up company where I was constantly challenged with overtime working, midnight meetings, and endless business travels. By October, I was relocated to Beijing to help the team build up the Beijing office. My 3 hours daily GRE study had been squeezed into lunch time, studying on the train or late night. At one point, I was taking on a trip for 2 weeks from Beijing to Nanjing to Hebei and my study is diminished to almost none.
Looking back, it was impossible to plan it worse. By the time I took the exam, I have only prepared the vocab, and didn’t do anything related to issue writing or math which are critical to the exam.
Lesson No.3
You don’t have to put yourself into debt for a master’s degree. (The biggest lesson so far)
The year 2014 is the year of change, by June I’ve finished all the exams required for the application, got my translated transcript and graduation documents ready, and all it left were choosing the major, school and, yes, the tuition.
From the very beginning, I know that tuition will be a big issue. After graduation, I was all about the free life style, I followed my parents’ instruction for a minute, then quit my very first mediocre but stable office job with great benefits, found an entry level publish job and moved out. The pricy rent and low paid job made it impossible to save up for the tuition.
Fast forward to December, the coldest days in my memory, I was working in the start-up in Beijing like a dog, working both Beijing and Shanghai office job and tormented by never ending projects and tasks, in the meantime my application to grad school seemed to be put on hold forever. At that point, I feel I’ve done the best I could. I was away from home, feeling consumed by the soul crushing job, and my last attempt at ‘taking fate into my own hands' didn’t end up well either.
One night I met my mentor, a Persian American lady for a group gathering and the topic came up. I told her I’ve decided to quit my job, move back to Shanghai and maybe find something related to my passion. And for education, I’ve almost lost faith since my options are between “putting it on pause till I’ve saved enough for being unemployed for 2 full years” or “immediately put my family in debt so I can go back to school.” To my amazement, after hearing all my negative remarks, she answered,
“Coco, maybe it’s a good thing that you can’t afford to go. You need to understand what education means to you, just the same as what a job means to you.”
“A job is for you to expand your capacity, to make a contribution and to put your energy, talents into good use. It’s good that you know where your talents lie, but you need to hang on to a job a little longer, it doesn’t take much time to quit.”
She continued “I don’t think your pursuit of education is over. There are plenty of people who are doing master through distance learning, while keeping their jobs.”
It dawned on me that 2 of my friends were doing the distant programs from overseas and it never even occur to me as an option.
Lesson No.4
The biggest challenges are yet to come.
It’s been 7 months since I came back to Shanghai, and 2 years since the first thought of joining master program application started. I researched thoroughly on distance learning programs and soon after, started to apply.
March 2nd, my new job started, I was first working as a Senior Copywriter for marketing, and later moved to PR for 2 prestigious fashion brands. April 22nd, I received an offer from the one and only school I applied for. Next month, I’ll embark on the new journey the 30 months distant master program on Marketing Msc.
A bit about myself:
I am a freelance writer and translator. I write mainly in Chinese on the creative community. But it is my English emails at work that kick ass.
I have a bachelor degree in English literature.
I appreciate good stories, the beauty of words, and I admire anyone who is a story teller.
I like books, but I am a slow reader.
My parents don’t speak a word of English, but I think I get my language sensibility from my Dad, who can imitate almost any dialects within China.
I am sensitive to sounds, voice, and speeches. I am a sucker for good voice.
How it all started.
Admittedly, I wasn’t big on labels. I know a master degree is part of glorious identity, but I don’t believe you have to go to school in order to do things you like, or break into any community. What I do believe in education, given my own experience, is that education is a life-long journey of pursuit, of self-realization,as well as, a representation of your own potential and capacity.
The idea geminated about 3 year ago. When I told my friend I really love to write, she said “Writers usually experience for the sake of writing, you should go experience life more.” And just like that I decided to purse one thing that I thought need the most – a master’s degree and the experience that comes with it. I’d love to tell you more inspirational stories, how not having a master’s degree has hampered my life. But the truth is, one friend thought I ‘haven’t really lived,’ and this is my way of ‘living it.’
I started to prepare the exams without the concrete idea of what I want to learn or what a master’s education will entail. At some point, I did write down all the possible majors I would like to study: journalism, creative writing, art management, art education, psychology. I know how clueless I sound. Lots of people are born with known talents, writing, painting, math or music, etc. but it took me a long time to find my own ‘calling’, which I need come back to in my next article.
Those were the fastest 2 years in my life, and it can be distilled into the lessons I’ve learned during the application:
Lesson No.1
Plan your test.
I started the preparation from 2013. I was never good at planning, and I was too easy on myself not to create any time tables or deadlines (it’s a shame deadlines are a huge part of my career). I took the first TOEFL exam on March 24th with only one week of preparation. I was writing for a bilingual magazine at the time, I made expat friends, I’ve worked as the only Chinese in the office for my previous magazine, I read David Sedaris and I’ve watched Friends over 20 times. What more practice do I need? I thought to myself.
However, when it comes to language exams, techniques and methodology matter. If you don’t know what the structure of the speaking test is, you are very likely to fail. The same is with writing, there are certain rules to follow, logic, argument, angles, examples and even word count. I know there are people who pass TOEFL or IELTS without any preparation, I have no doubt about it, but for most none prodigies out there, here is my most cliché but honest advice: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Lesson No.2
Follow a Time Table.
After my third attempt at language test, which rendered me with an ok score, I decided to move on to the ultimate test – GRE. GRE is like an Loch Ness Monster we’ve all heard of, but never met. She is gruesome, incompliant and extremely hard to tackle. Before it all started, I was determined to make it fun. I followed an Instagram account called Wordinaire, in which they combine GRE vocab with beautiful images, and the legendary RED BOOK, where all the GRE vocab are put into funny contexts which supposed to make the vocab more memorable and the experience less painful.
But I still didn’t have a timetable. The magazine I worked for is a bimonthly issue, and the slow work pace provided me with enough time to lay back and do my vocab. I started the preparation from November 2013, and by June 2014, I was working the most challenging job in my whole career life. It was a start-up company where I was constantly challenged with overtime working, midnight meetings, and endless business travels. By October, I was relocated to Beijing to help the team build up the Beijing office. My 3 hours daily GRE study had been squeezed into lunch time, studying on the train or late night. At one point, I was taking on a trip for 2 weeks from Beijing to Nanjing to Hebei and my study is diminished to almost none.
Looking back, it was impossible to plan it worse. By the time I took the exam, I have only prepared the vocab, and didn’t do anything related to issue writing or math which are critical to the exam.
Lesson No.3
You don’t have to put yourself into debt for a master’s degree. (The biggest lesson so far)
The year 2014 is the year of change, by June I’ve finished all the exams required for the application, got my translated transcript and graduation documents ready, and all it left were choosing the major, school and, yes, the tuition.
From the very beginning, I know that tuition will be a big issue. After graduation, I was all about the free life style, I followed my parents’ instruction for a minute, then quit my very first mediocre but stable office job with great benefits, found an entry level publish job and moved out. The pricy rent and low paid job made it impossible to save up for the tuition.
Fast forward to December, the coldest days in my memory, I was working in the start-up in Beijing like a dog, working both Beijing and Shanghai office job and tormented by never ending projects and tasks, in the meantime my application to grad school seemed to be put on hold forever. At that point, I feel I’ve done the best I could. I was away from home, feeling consumed by the soul crushing job, and my last attempt at ‘taking fate into my own hands' didn’t end up well either.
One night I met my mentor, a Persian American lady for a group gathering and the topic came up. I told her I’ve decided to quit my job, move back to Shanghai and maybe find something related to my passion. And for education, I’ve almost lost faith since my options are between “putting it on pause till I’ve saved enough for being unemployed for 2 full years” or “immediately put my family in debt so I can go back to school.” To my amazement, after hearing all my negative remarks, she answered,
“Coco, maybe it’s a good thing that you can’t afford to go. You need to understand what education means to you, just the same as what a job means to you.”
“A job is for you to expand your capacity, to make a contribution and to put your energy, talents into good use. It’s good that you know where your talents lie, but you need to hang on to a job a little longer, it doesn’t take much time to quit.”
She continued “I don’t think your pursuit of education is over. There are plenty of people who are doing master through distance learning, while keeping their jobs.”
It dawned on me that 2 of my friends were doing the distant programs from overseas and it never even occur to me as an option.
Lesson No.4
The biggest challenges are yet to come.
It’s been 7 months since I came back to Shanghai, and 2 years since the first thought of joining master program application started. I researched thoroughly on distance learning programs and soon after, started to apply.
March 2nd, my new job started, I was first working as a Senior Copywriter for marketing, and later moved to PR for 2 prestigious fashion brands. April 22nd, I received an offer from the one and only school I applied for. Next month, I’ll embark on the new journey the 30 months distant master program on Marketing Msc.
A bit about myself:
I am a freelance writer and translator. I write mainly in Chinese on the creative community. But it is my English emails at work that kick ass.
I have a bachelor degree in English literature.
I appreciate good stories, the beauty of words, and I admire anyone who is a story teller.
I like books, but I am a slow reader.
My parents don’t speak a word of English, but I think I get my language sensibility from my Dad, who can imitate almost any dialects within China.
I am sensitive to sounds, voice, and speeches. I am a sucker for good voice.
