I did ok as an undergrad, does this mean grad school would be harder?

Question

I will be the first to admit that I really did not devote myself as much as I should have as an undergrad, I graduated with a slightly lower then B- gpa. I have nobody to blame but myself, but the fact that I did finish at all, and how little time was spent on school, I believe that if I were to attempt to get into grad school in the future and REALLY apply myself, and omit my life of all the distractions that were plauging me, I think I would be ok. I am sure that there are many students who were great as an undergrad but poor as a grad student, and vice versa. What are your thoughts? Despite the dismal gpa, education is very important to me and I always will aspire to learn more and more. Thanks. I reside in California and would consider purusing an MBA, despite only minoring in business. How about Cal State San Jose? I must get out of Southern California, my outlook on humanity is declining.

What is considered to old to be a grad student? I have known others who pursued it later in life, but by the time they are done, its really not worth the cost in terms of what they will make for income on a short period of time. Eventually I want to get into business for myself, and even if its for 25 years, I would still be in my mid fifties upon retiring.

Answer 1

Lots of questions!

You're certainly not too old to be a grad student; there are grad students who are already approaching retirement age as well as folks still in their early twenties. Grad school will be worth it to you - go for it!

My undergrad grades weren't the greatest either, because I spent so much time enjoying the social aspects of college - wow, great years! :) But I did apply myself in grad school, did well, and thought the work seemed easier than most undergrad courses.

San Jose?! Maybe you aren't far enough south. How about San Diego State?

Answer 2

I think you might have a slightly harder time than someone who was a great undergraduate student only in the sense that people who apply themselves in college learn valuable learning skills that you may not have fully acquired. I also did not do very well in undergrad (2.9 gpa), and after working full time for 5 years decided to go to grad school. I was not able to get into a PhD program with my GPA, so I did a MA program first. I feel like I had to work harder than other students because i did not learn much in undergrad, but it was worth it, it felt great to know that if I apply myself i can do well in school. not only that, but i did so well in my MA program that i was finally able to get into a PhD program. The other thing you should consider is that with a lower undergradute GPA, you're going to have a harder time than other applicants to get in.
Most importantly, though, make sure that you know what you want to study in grad school before applying, I think that with a not so great academic record you really need to find a subject that you are passionate about and willing to devote several years of life to studying.
I think you sound really motivated to succeed in grad school and wish you the best of hope!

Answer 3

Yes, it might very well be harder for you. Grad school requires a huge devotion to your studies, excellent time management, and the ability to focus and get results done.

Did you REALLY change between now and then? It's easy to say that you will be more focused and devoted, but you need to think long and hard about how you actually plan on changing yourself so that you can succeed in graduate school. It's easy to think about it, it's a whole other ball game when it comes to executing.

I have a feeling from your description that you might not have changed as much as you think you have. How long as it been since you graduated? What plan do you have in place to show that you can focus this time around?