Sequencing My Future: The Graduate School Dilemma

Do you remember when you started your undergraduate degree and graduation felt like a distant thought? At the moment, the idea of life after graduation felt like hazy and far away, never crossing your mind. After four and a half years, the concept of graduation is no longer foreign to me. I've booked my graduation pictures, have an outfit picked out and even have inspiration for my hair and shoes. These past years at the University of Toronto have moulded me in ways I never imagined, but still a thought lingers. What will my life be like after graduation? This prospect still remains foggy. 

This is a common experience; those before and after me have gone, and will go through, the same ordeals. But does that make it easier? As the days get shorter and the cold settles in, the thoughts about what I will do after graduation become more prominent. Over this fall semester, I've found myself at a crossroads: do I attend graduate school? Do I find a job? How do I do either of those? 

To even attempt to answer these questions, I have to bring it all the way back. What do I enjoy about my current undergraduate degree? I'm a Biology and Psychology double major, so there are many specifics I can choose from and many directions I can go in. However, one prominent moment sticks out to me. I took an advanced genetics class in the second semester of my third year. I needed an upper-year Biology course, and I had taken a class with this professor before. With it being one of my first in-person classes post-pandemic and at 9 AM, I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary--but this course shaped the rest of my undergraduate journey. I became fascinated with anything related to genetics. I sought upper-year courses focusing on genetics and genomics, trying to take anything from cellular and molecular biology to bioinformatics and genomics. Taking these courses deepened my interest and passion in genetics, solidifying my instincts to pursue a career within this field. Knowing this, why was I still so confused about where to go next or what my future in genetics looks like? 

Well, I know I want to have a career in genetics, but my issue was figuring out how to go about that. And what do you do when you're faced with a hard problem? Research, research, research. I spent countless hours researching what career paths I could take, how I could get there, and who I could talk to about this. I tried to consult with career counsellors, academic advisors, alumni and faculty. As an undergraduate student, the amount of information and advice you get can almost not be enough—the possibilities are so vast, and you can feel so overwhelmed. Researching and talking to others was especially useful in attempting to untangle the ball of strings I had. 

With all this research, you may wonder if I found an answer, and I did, more or less. For me, graduate school was becoming more and more a reality. It allows me to explore what exactly I like about genetics in much more detail than I've been exposed to in my undergraduate career, and will enable me to explore different pathways. My decision may have been more complex if I didn't know what I wanted to study, at least generally. But with genetics, there's still so much to learn and so much to discover, and doing so in a graduate program specialized in this area is pertinent. Deciding on graduate school as my next step gave me something to work toward—the next step being to decide on a school and program(s). 

This leads to more targeted research. I decided to start small and look at U of T programs first, since that’s where I'm most familiar. I researched in-depth into the department of Molecular Genetics and the programs they offered. I also connected with current students and alumni from the department to understand their journeys. The department of Molecular Genetics consists of an abundance of faculty with niche and unique specializations. The department's connection with extensive hospital networks and professionals and its strong establishment within the field of genetics creates a supportive environment where students have significant industry connections. The flexibility of the MSc in Molecular Genetics with lab sampling allows students an opportunity to network and discover where their interests lie. The novelty of the MHSc in Medical Genomics also enables students to pursue a professional master's in genetics along with a practicum placement. Along with these two, the department also hosts the MSc in Genetic Counselling and the PhD in Molecular Genetics, both renowned programs. Each program has a different set of requirements, but the good thing is that they all have the "basics" in common for applications: a personal statement, 3 letters of recommendation, and transcripts. Getting all these documents before the deadline can be daunting, but knowing where to start can help ease the process.

After learning how developed, unique, and distinguished the department of Molecular Genetics at U of T is, I was confident in choosing it for my graduate education. The ability to be flexible, explore, and grow while receiving the support and resources I need to succeed reaffirms my decision. This brings us up to speed in my journey; I've decided on the department and school I see myself thriving in, but choosing between the programs feels almost as challenging as deciding on a field. 

With such distinct programs, not only is making a decision hard, but it can also be intimidating, at least for me, that is. I find myself doubting if I'll "fit in" within the department or if I'll be able to keep up in such a fast-paced environment. Will I even get in at all? Sometimes, I still feel like a first-year and graduate school feels like something far, far away and for when I'm much older. Obviously, that's not the reality, but seeds of doubt never needed much water to grow. To combat these feelings, I found turning to my personal and professional community to be a huge asset. It's what I recommend to all prospective students reading this—not only are your peers people who can relate to you, but career counsellors and advisors are there to help make these decisions and transitions smoother. Something that helped me was not only to talk to advisors at my current faculty, but also to those at my target faculty. 

It's not easy to plan out so much of your future when you don't know what could happen and how it will all work out exactly. My journey throughout my undergraduate career was trying, and going from not even knowing if I was going to graduate school to deciding on a specific program has been filled with highs and lows. I anticipate that the next part of this process will follow the same path, especially with my next steps being to connect with program advisors, faculty, and students at the department of Molecular Genetics, and also to gather application materials. I'm excited to bring you all along this journey—it always helps to know others are going through it all with you.

With exam season and application deadlines fast-approaching, I think we can all benefit from the reminder to schedule our time wisely, and include moments to step back from academics and take a breather. After all, your academic pursuit is not just about the destination—it's about the growth, resilience and self-discovery that unfold along the way.