Balancing Work, Education, and PGRE Applications: My Story

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges and experiences of balancing full-time work with academic commitments in physics and engineering, particularly in relation to the Physics Graduate Record Examination (PGRE) and graduate school applications. Participants share personal stories and inquire about the impact of their circumstances on their academic performance and admissions prospects.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes working full-time while completing an undergraduate degree in Physics, noting the trade-off of forgoing research experience for financial stability and avoiding student loans.
  • Another participant shares their experience of working night shifts at a wastewater treatment plant while maintaining a high GPA, highlighting strategies for managing coursework and the potential for summer research opportunities.
  • Some participants propose that relevant work experience may outweigh grades in importance for graduate school applications.
  • A participant mentions their struggle to maintain a GPA while working long hours and taking summer courses, which prevented them from engaging in research opportunities.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of experiences and opinions regarding the balance of work and education, with no clear consensus on the relative importance of grades versus work experience in the admissions process.

Contextual Notes

Participants' claims are based on personal experiences and may depend on individual circumstances, such as specific programs or institutions. The discussion does not resolve the implications of work experience on admissions outcomes.

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I worked full-time (upto 47hrs/week) while completing my undergraduate degree in Physics (basically to support myself).

On the negative side, I've had to forgo any research experience while focusing all my effort to keep up with my full course load.

On the positive side, I have no student loans (tuition assistance from my company) and a strong work experience in the field of electrical engineering.

I was curious as to how many students are/were in the same boat. What are your experiences in the PGRE/Admission application process? Are situations such as this considered in terms of 'not-so-stellar' grades?
 
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I operate a wastewater treatment plant 11PM - 7AM Monday to Friday (40 hours), and attend school full-time as well (EE, with lots of extra courses in the Civil and Chemical Engineering programs related to water/wastewater). I have about 70 credits and a 3.9 GPA.

I've found that I can handle four courses maximum per semester while maintaining grades in the 90-100 range. Most nights I can get an hour or two of homework done at work provided nothing breaks or there are no major projects being completed - this has been key in my ability to complete everything and understand it. I still have to dedicate all day Saturday to homework though, and I usually average 4-6 hours of sleep a day during the week. I plan to start dedicating Sundays as needed when I hit my 400-500 level courses as well.

I'm planning to get my masters in Environmental Engineering with a focus in advanced water/ww treatment at the school I'm getting my BS at, so being in contact with the professors that teach in the masters program along with my excellent grades and hands-on operations experience (work) are my cards to play when seeking acceptance to get my MS.

Working nights may also allow me to do a summer of research with one of these professors in the environmental engineering department as an undergrad as well, which would certainly help in entering the MS program there.
 
I feel experience can be better than grades sometimes if your experience is related to your career path.

lets see what other say
 
Nick M: It's impressive that you have a 3.9. I've been able to keep mine at 3.5. My shift was 6:00AM - 6:00PM (Wed - Sat) until last Summer when I was able to get a promotion (and therefore better work hours - 3:30PM - 12:00AM - Tues-Sat.)

I was never able to do summer research as I had to take courses during summer in order to graduate on time.
 

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