Grad School - How To Know Where To Go

            So, you're well on your way to graduating with your BA, but then the question dreaded by undergrads everywhere is raised: What next?

            If you're anything like me, you likely have no sweet clue what you're doing or where you're going after graduation. However, that's no reason to despair! If you want to follow your aspirations as a writer, but don't feel your work is strong enough to make it in the world of publishing just yet, you can always look into taking a masters in creative writing at grad school. Grad school offers not only the chance to improve the skills required by a professional writer, but also to make contacts within the industry. That being said, if you're simply trying to stave off having to make any actual decisions in what you're doing with your life by hiding in school for another few years, I'd recommend against it. Grad school will run you hard in order to make sure you're up to snuff. If you're just trying to avoid responsibility, this should not be your plan.

            If you're still interested though, the first step is clearly to start looking around for universities that offer creative writing programs. A simple google search will turn up plenty of results, and you can find lists of potential schools all over the place. Now, chances are, your initial search will look something like this, which will prove to be utterly useless unless you filter through it. You'll want to look through articles like this, this, and maybe this, which are far more helpful. However, it's worth noting that these sorts of articles often only consider American universities. Not only are American schools generally fairly pricey, but there's also the issue of travel. For those of us who don't want to abandon our maple syrup and free healthcare to go and live in the sweltering southern heat of Boston or New York, it helps to look into Canadian options as well. This handy list shows us the options for schools north of the border.

            One of the most promising schools on the list (in my opinion, anyways) is UNB. Not only is it just down the hill from where you're currently studying, but the testimonies we've received from graduates of the program have spoken very highly of it. Besides, Andrew Titus took it when he was in school. You want to be like Titus, right? Of course you do. As you can see in the description of the program on the UNB website (scroll down a bit to find it), the program offers small, focused workshops of your peers and respected writers, as well the opportunity to help edit for The Fiddlehead and QWERTY, providing both skill-building and professional experience.

            While this is only a brief overview of options for grad school, hopefully it should serve as an excellent starting-off point for prospective students looking to find the right school for their needs.