How To Guarantee Grad School Is Worth Your Time & Money

I recently shared my super painful debt story on Chain of Wealth Podcast. This interview inspired me to create this series: Rise From Rock Bottom. It tells every story from my failure years - and how I overcame each one. 

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After college, I struggled (probably more than most people) to find a job.

In fact, after achieving straight A's through college, I was rejected from every medical school I applied for, fired from my first job in a doctor’s office after only two weeks, and was swiftly sent an "unfortunately we don’t think you’re a good fit” email from every company I sent a resume to.

I decided to go to grad school to give myself a second chance at "getting it right" because I was drowning in my own depression, inundated in my growing insecurity and suffocating in my steadily increasing credit card debt.

Why Go Back To School At All?

I'm often asked how in the world (after my first trial at higher education was such a huge fail) could I go back to school and take on more student debt to get yet another piece of paper. 

Yes, I know. It doesn't seem to make sense.

There was no guarantee that the degree would get me an interview, much less a job.

Why was I so willing to take that chance? 

Because I wasn’t taking a chance at all. 

The first time I went to school because that was expected of me. The second time I went to school with a clear head, a clear motive, a focused outcome and a hell of a lot of research. 

In this post, I'm going to walk you through every step of my decision-making journey, and show you exactly how I decided on which industry to pursue, which Master's Program would be worth my money and how I planned to make ever dollar of my student loan debt worth it. 

The Research

I choose to go to business school to get a degree in marketing analytics after A LOT of research.

A few months prior to enrolling, I had stumbled upon an article about how big the data industry was growing. Exponentially. Which basically means the need in the industry for analysts was going from 1 Million, to 10 Million, to 100 Million very quickly. But there were not enough experienced people in the industry to fill all the jobs that were rapidly being created.

Then, I researched the salaries in that industry and learned they started off at $75K+ at entry level. 

That piqued my interest (a lot!) and I decided to do more digging before making a commitment.

Here's the research I went through before officially deciding to go back to school:

 

The Industry

I looked for an industry that was growing rapidly and undergoing a lot of innovation. 

Competition for Jobs

Your competition would be the other people fighting for the same jobs that you're applying for. Are there tons of people fighting for these jobs? Or are the jobs fighting for people?

Entry Level Salary

Will it be enough to cover your student loans? Will that salary make the time you spent in school worthwhile? How long would it take you to pay off your loans? Could you live a decent lifestyle while still paying off your loans?

 

The School’s Career Services & Employment Rate

When I left undergrad, I realized getting a job wasn't a cake walk like I thought it would be. To help with my post-college job search, I called up my school’s career services office. I told them that I was a recent grad who was struggling to get a job. The career services worker pulled google up and gave me a link to a job event in DC because they didn't have any school job fairs on campus. 

I could’ve done that from the comfort of my own home.

I decided right then and there that I would never attend a school that didn’t have an amazing career services office, with a great reputation and recruiters from top companies who visited the school frequently.

When looking for the school you'll be going to, ask yourself:

• Is the name recognizable?

• Do big name companies fight to come here?

• How frequent are the job fairs? Which companies attend?

• Do they have an active career services office?

Alumni Recommendations

Graduate school can cost A LOT of money. Many people have to take out tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt in order to afford an education.

Talk to alumni about their experiences. (Alumni will tell you whether their school did anything for them or not! I NEVER talk about where I went to undergrad. If someone happens to ask me about the school on their own, I tell them to RUN!)

 

The Program & Opportunities

The program you ultimately choose will be a huge decision point. Make sure that the coursework is comprehensive and covers all of the basic knowledge you'll need to start working right away after graduation.

Look to make sure that classes are taught by professors who also have working or consulting experience with large companies that you'd be interested in working for.  

Additionally, look through the website to find different hands-on opportunities that exist there.

Is there a way that you can gain experience while in school to show that you're proactive? Some school also offer opportunities to provide research or write your own white paper. These are great opportunities to show how your hard work can make an impact on a company. Look for a school that has a lot of these opportunities available to you. 

The Graduating Class Employment Rate

How many graduates get jobs when they leave?

With all of those things working in my favor, I was confident that a Marketing Analytics Master's Degree was the right investment for me. 

The Money

I chose an accelerated 9-month program which gave me two advantages: 

1. The accelerated program cost less than the other program options. (It was $40K.)

2. I would be out of the workforce for a shorter period of time.

I then turned my focus to other opportunities that I had to either save money or make more money:

• I moved in with my Mother to reduce my financial burden.

• I worked on campus in exchange for a stipend, which I applied to my student loans.

• I worked as a freelancer while in school for a few hours a week.

I used my freelance money to pay my phone bill, transportation costs and for networking happy hours. Any additional freelance income was applied to my student loans. By the time I graduated, I only owed $25K on my loans. 

Side note: Networking is very important, especially if you're trying to switch industries. I ultimately landed my job because I clicked with someone at a networking event who helped me get an interview.

The Jobs

Before I graduated, I had over 10 in-person interviews lined up with top companies. (I had zero interviews before that... and they definitely were not with top companies.)

My first offer out of grad school was $75K. I lost that offer because of my bad credit.

My second offer was $65K and I was too afraid to negotiate any higher. I probably could've pushed for $70K, but I didn't want to call any attention to myself after losing my first offer.

Side note: No matter how afraid you are, you should at the very least ask for a raise, especially as a woman. The worst that can happen is that the recruiter says no and then you’re no worse off than what you were initially offered.

The Debt Payoff Strategy

I've been working for officially 2 years now.

I had $42K in loans when I started my job. $17K of that came from my undergrad that I was never able to pay off because I never made enough money. The remaining $25K came from grad school. In the first six months, I paid off my consumer debt and was ready to tackle my student loans. 

I had a 2-bedroom apartment with a $1600/month rent bill, which made it difficult to pay off my student loan debt. I took an opportunity to let my friend's grandfather who was visiting from Africa live with me for 6 months. He paid $500 in rent, which I put directly to my student loans. 

Once he moved out, I decided to use more drastic measures. I lowered my expenses by getting rid of anything I didn't need to survive: 

• I sold my car (which meant no more gas, car maintenance or car insurance payments).

• I moved in with an Aunt who charged me less than half of what I previously was paying for rent, and I didn't have to pay for internet or utilities.

• I only allowed myself $150 of “fun money” to spend from each paycheck - everything else went towards my loans.

It's been 17 months so far, and I've already paid off $18K in student loans! 

I plan on paying off the remainder by the end of the year. I also have accumulated over $19K in savings and investments - while paying off my debt. I am currently $5K away from a positive net worth. (I started off with -$38K net worth in January of last year so this is HUGE!)

Related: How This 28-year-old Increased Her Net Worth By $20,984 in 13 months

Going back to school is a difficult decision because it's a large investment that can eat up your time and money (and possibly put you deeper into debt). However, if you do your research and make a solid plan, you can put yourself in a position to positively change your life forever. 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

How To Create A Couple's Vision Board

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

I've been single for pretty much forever.

If you ask my grandmother, it's because I run away from all the good guys who are chasing me down the street. Recently, I decided to take my “running shoes” off and settle down with a great man.

As an avid vision board creator, I knew that I wanted to carry that practice over into my relationship so that me and my new beau can get aligned (and stay aligned) right from the beginning.

Benefits Of Creating A Vision Board As A Couple

UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER’S GOALS

A relationship is a union between two individuals with different backgrounds, perspectives, personalities and goals attempting to grow together for the foreseeable future. (A little scary, if you ask me.)

A vision board will help both partners understand each other’s needs and desires in a fun and engaging way.

FUN WAY TO COMMUNICATE NEEDS

As people grow and life changes, many turn to their relationship as a place for comfort, nurturing and support.

The vision board creation process is an effective medium through which both members of a couple have the space to talk about how the relationship will play a role throughout all of life’s changes.

NAVIGATING YOUR RELATIONSHIP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Creating a couples vision board requires the couple to spend time reflecting on what they've done and where they want to go. That activity of choosing what direction you want to go in together will ensure that you both have input in the goals you set for the long term.

When you build your vision board, you create a safe atmosphere for each partner to share their thoughts openly without making assumptions or judgement.

Deciding What To Put On Your Couples Vision Board

Reflect on your year as individuals and as a partnership.

Each of you have had different experiences and have gone through different things over the last year. Your vision board is the time to communicate with each other about the feelings you’ve been experiencing.

Ask each other what changes you'd like to make going into the new year.

I'm sure you've reflected on your year and come up with some things that you want to change.

Whether you’d like to change yourself, the house, your job, your family dynamic or something else entirely, it's common for things to fall out of place over time or for people to take a look at their lives and want something different.

Spend some time talking with your beau about changes you'd both like to make. It's very interesting to see what the similarities and differences are in each of your desires.

Make sure that you both take time to listen and write down the other's wants. Try repeating your partner’s needs back to them to make sure you understand exactly what they’re trying to achieve.

Decide on the big goals you want to accomplish

Earlier you talked about the goals you set for yourself, now it's time to take a moment and think through the goals you want to set as a couple.

Maybe you want to work on repairing some damage that has been done to the relationship.

Maybe you want to save up for a large purchase such as buying your first home or acquiring an investment property.

Talk about the big goals that you would like to work on as individuals and then decide together which goals you'll work towards as a couple.

Think about all the other areas of your life and what can be improved

Now that you've set one goal, it's time to think about the other areas of your life.

All work and no play can make anything dull - even the most fun and vibrant relationships. There are several important areas in your life where you can choose to set goals:

·         Family / Friends

·         Spirituality

·         Fun / Adventure

·         Finances

·         Health and Fitness

·         Education / Career

You don't have to set a goal in each one of these areas.

In fact, you definitely shouldn't. Being pulled in too many directions takes your eyes off the prize and you might not be able to do what really matters most in your life. Only set goals in the areas that you really want to focus on this year.

You can always choose other areas of your life to focus on next year.

Creating The Vision Board

Once you have your ideas ready, it's time to look through some magazines and build your vision board! I’ve talked about creating your vision board several times on the blog, you can find all the technical stuff on vision boards in these posts:

1. 5 Things To Do BEFORE You Make a Vision Board

2. What Materials Do You Need To Create A Vision Board

3. Everything You Need To Know About Creating A Vision Board

4. What Magazines Should I Use For My Vision Board? Effective List of Do's and Don'ts

What To Do With The Vision Board Once You Create It

Place it somewhere that you'll see it everyday

Once you create your vision board, you want to make sure it's visible for both you and your significant other. That way you could both continue to be inspired by it over time and always have daily exposure to the things you want to create together.

Schedule a monthly couple's finance date

For financial goals, (like big purchases or travel plans) you and your partner should spend some time thinking through exactly how this goal will come to life. Some good places to start are:

• How often will you contribute to this purchase

• How much will you contribute

• When will you contribute

Decide who will be responsible for the tracking of this goal.

Have an action planning date

For other large goals, it might make more sense to sit down and come up with a real action plan.

If you want to eat healthier (for example) you might want to talk about what changes you're going to make to your diet, who will cook those meals and how often. Will you do any meal planning, who will do the shopping, can you meal prep together for the week ahead.

Breaking your goals down into smaller milestones will make them easier to achieve.

Set a date for monthly check ins

Now that you've spent time chatting with your partner about your goals large and small, make sure that your goals don't fall to the side when life gets in the way. Become each other's accountability partner.  

Set a date that works for you both each month to sit together, grab a glass of wine and chat about progress towards your goals. Do you need to do anything different next month to stay on track? Do you need to tweak the plan that you made?

Maybe it’s time to celebrate crushing your goals!

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

How To Create A Vision Board To Love Your Damn Self

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

After several years of terrible dates and a few kinda-dating-but-not-really situationships, I completely gave up on any hope of finding love.

I was 98% sure that the problem was me…

• I was too sweet and nice girls aren’t taken seriously in relationships.

• I was too driven and guys were obviously intimidated by me.

• Guys just want to talk to me because I’m fun and positive, but they never really see a future with me. (Sad, right?)

I couldn’t help but to give up.

I truly believed that I’d just end up alone. I envisioned myself sitting on my couch with a glass of wine, watching Netflix, always longing for the next Girls Night Out where my married friends would swear my guy was out there and it was only a matter of time. (Yes, this is actually what I was thinking!)

I felt defeated by love… unworthy of love… unwanted.

Giving up was my way of convincing myself that being alone was my choice. In reality, I would’ve settled for anything at that point (and sometimes I did).

I needed to pull myself out of that slump and re-learn that I am a valuable human. I have a lot to contribute to anyone in my presence, whether it’s friends, family, acquaintances or love interests. I am enough.

Somewhere along the long, winding road of rejection I’d forgotten that.

That’s when I decided I’d create my vision board in a way that reflects self love.

What is A Self-Love Vision Board?

A vision board is a tool that helps people envision what they want out of their life. The goal is to manifest (or command that the universe deliver) the future that you want to achieve. You can create a vision board for love, money, relationships, career, education and any other area of your life that’s important to you.

Related Content: How to Create a Couples Vision Board

Related Content: How to Manifest Real Love with a Boyfriend Vision Board

A self love vision board specifically focuses on your ability to love yourself. This will include:

• Tools you use for self care

• Activities and people that bring you joy

• Steps you take to release self-doubt, self-sabotage and limiting beliefs

• Affirming quotes and images that represent your definition of loving yourself

Why Does A Self-Love Vision Board Work?

Your self love vision board is your tool to remind yourself that you’re worthy of love from yourself and that self-love is available to you 24/7, 365 days a year.

When I gave up on finding someone to love, I wasn’t giving up on love all together. Instead, I wanted to feel love; I didn’t want the feeling of anxiety around love.

I didn’t want to wonder if someone out there would discover me, be enamored by me and deem me worthy of love. I found myself lingering in limbo waiting for love to come to me.

The self love vision board gave me all the tools I needed to re-discover all of the things that make me happy as an individual. Through happiness, I re-discovered my ability to love myself.

How To Create Your Self-Love Vision Board

Creating your self love vision board requires you to ask yourself the tough questions and be honest with yourself about what you need to be happy with yourself.

What things make me happy that don’t cost any money?

What is that thing you can do without spending a dime and it immediately lifts your spirits and energizes you?

For example, I enjoy bubble baths by candle light and listening to jazz music, reading with tea in the mornings or spending time with my daughter playing video games.

In the last 7 days, what activities brought me joy?

When most people think about joy, their mind jumps to some extravagant moment: family trips, extended vacations, world travel. But the reality of your life is made up of the every day moments: going to the grocery store and heading to work.

Self love is about finding joy and love in your life in the every day. This question allows you to pinpoint the moments of your every day life where you find happiness and joy.

When can I schedule in more of these activities?

Happiness increases when the things that bring you joy and the way you spend your time are aligned. Can you schedule in more time for the things that make you happy on a daily, weekly or monthly basis?

What do I love about myself?

Self love can also come in the form of appreciation for your individual qualities. What makes you special or different? What is that thing only you do that makes you smile?

What are my 5 biggest accomplishments in the last year?

When you’re feeling insecure or that pain of not-enough-ness, it helps to remind yourself of the things that prove you’re an amazing human on this earth.

For example, when I fail at my day job, I feel insecure about my skills. However, I have a list of amazing things that I’ve done that reminds me that I’m not a terrible person who sucks at her job (I really do think that sometimes). I’m simply a human who made a mistake.

What is an affirmation I can use to strengthen my mindset when I feel fear?

Think about the reason you need self love in this moment of your life. Is there something you fear that’s giving you anxiety? If so, take account of all the negative feelings you have around love.

In my example, I was afraid that I wasn’t worthy of love and I’d end up alone.

To counteract that, I asked myself: “What would my life look like if I did end up alone?”

I would still kick ass at work. I would still build a supportive and powerful community around me. I would still enjoy my time with family and friends. 95% of my life would be exactly the same with or without a partner.

I started to use the affirmation “My life is meaningful with or without a partner. My happiness is not contingent upon finding love.”

This one affirmation helped me to release those fears and allowed me to fall in love with myself again.

Once you have the answers to these questions, it’s time to create your vision board.

1. Gather all the materials you need to create a vision board: poster board, magazines, scissors, glue

2. Page through the magazines to find the images and quotes that match your self-love goals

3. Glue your selections onto your poster board

4. When you finish you vision board, place it in a common area you’ll see it every day.

It’s time to take action. Make sure that you’re not just dreaming about caring for and loving yourself - you have to make the space to do it!

xoxo

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

Four Ways Adults Can Create A Meaningful Social Circle

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

There is something about adulthood that makes it incredibly difficult to make new friends.

In elementary, middle and high school, you’re forced to see a particular cohort of folks a few times a week, forced to do activities and projects with them. Inevitably, some of those people you’re forced to interact with become friends.

I wasn’t always the best at making new friends. In fact, I was always the lonely-looking girl standing awkwardly by the punch bowl at every conference or event. I didn’t know what to say so usually, I said nothing.

Even when someone would come up to me (you know, after you accidentally make eye contact for 5 seconds or more) and start small talk. They’d ask me about my day and on the inside I’d start to panic.

I wanted to be the person that always said the right thing… the cool thing… the witty thing. I wanted so desperately to make a connection that I often said nothing.

Through sheer stubbornness and persistence, I kept putting myself in these awkward situations (re: punch bowl, eye contact) until they started to feel normal and I mustered up the courage to start makin’ some friends.

The followings tips come from lessons I learned on my journey and some of the best practices I’ve ever received to build deeper, more intimate relationships with other women as an adult.

Send Handwritten Notes... for any reason.

I met a young lady at a networking event and she asked to follow up with me on a call later that week. We talked about her business and what she could do to grow. At the end of the call she asked for my address. I gave it to her and completely forgot about the ask, since no one ever really sends anything in the mail.

A week later, I got a postcard thanking me for my help. I couldn't believe it! I honestly felt warm on the inside.

She immediately set herself apart from anyone else I've ever met in my entire life. To this day, we've done two partnerships and we've become great friends. 

I started to send handwritten notes to friends and family at least once a year. I notice they’re always just as surprised as I was to receive that first note.

Handwritten notes are cool because you can be authentic, personal and long-winded (if that’s your thing). It’s also a keepsake that they could hold onto for years.

Call, Don't Text

I know, no one uses the phone anymore… and that’s exactly why you should be! Instead of sending a text to check up on friends, call them up. Listen to their problems and be fully present in the activity of catching up.

When Facebook sends that daily email letting you know it's someone's birthday, call them instead of writing on their FB wall. They'll remember that phone call for the same reason that people remember a letter. Most people aren't doing it.

You can call for any reason:

• Birthday

• Promotion

• Life event (wedding, family death, kid’s baseball game, etc.)

• Invite them out for drinks/coffee/lunch/dinner/hangout session of some sort

• Just to say hi! (gasp!)

Calls are highly underused these days. That’s why you should be using them to deepen your relationships.

Join Social Groups (where people meet in person) 

If you have a hobby, try to find groups of people that enjoy that same hobby.

When I was transitioning into analytics, I joined every meetup group on meetup.com that talked about the topic. I eventually found 2 groups that I liked and started going to the meetings every month. After about 3 weeks of seeing the same faces, I started to make friends. 

It doesn’t matter what your hobby is, there are usually people nearby that enjoy doing the same thing. When you meet up based on a common hobby, you already have things to talk about and a basis to connect on.

Meet the people you talk to online in person 

I spend a ton of time on the internet (mostly Facebook) talking to the people I meet in groups. If you're in a large group, it could be helpful to announce "Hey guys! I'm in DC, would anyone want to meet up in person for coffee?" You'd be surprised how many people say yes! 

The one common theme I think in all of these is to make an effort to get away from the digital world and talk to folks in more personal ways. The more people you talk to, the more chances you have to find and build a great circle of friends. 

Keep “putting yourself out there”

The phrase “putting yourself out there” typically means taking risks - and that’s what you’ll need to do if you want to make some real friends.

Even if you’re uncomfortable, you’ll have to start talking to people. That’s the only way they’ll get to know you and your personality.

Related Content: How to Push Yourself Out of Your Comfort Zone

You’ll have to ask them to meet up in a social setting. If you want intimate relationships, you must create a space for intimacy.

Finally, you’ll have to keep trying. Sometimes you’ll find someone you think is cool, but they decline every invitation no matter how many times you invite them out. Don’t take this personally. They could have a million reasons (that have nothing to do with you) for why they can’t hang out.

In that case, let them tell you when they’re free (which might never happen) and find someone who does have the time, interest and capacity to spend time with you… because you’re worth it.

I hope the future leads to some amazing friendships for you! (And if you're in the DC or NY area, we should totally grab a drink!) 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!