10 questions about going to grad school, answered

A prospective NYU student reached out to me for advice regarding whether or not to go to NYU’s Integrated Design & Media MS program, so I sent them an email with some of my responses. I realized it’d be valuable to share this information with others. Several other folks have reached out to me over the years, but this was the first time I’d thought to compile my opinions into a shareable piece! Below is the Q&A from our digital conversation along with some extra questions I compiled from other prior exchanges about grad school (and, more specifically, NYU’s IDM program).

Why did you decide to go to grad school?

After barreling through pre-K to an undergrad degree, I spent four years in the workforce. That’s four years of shipping products, focusing on growth, and being metrics-driven. I eventually yearned for a space to create without worrying about business constraints. I also wanted the weight that a master’s degree might bestow upon me.

I didn’t go into IDM with the goal of getting a job, though many of my fellow students did. Some of my cohort were transitioning into design from other roles while other were fresh out of undergrad. The program definitely had classes to support those kinds of students, and I’ve seen some of them go on to be successful. However, I am not a person…