And I’m Right Back at College:

Two Students and Their Path to a

Master’s Degree

By Jennifer Ramos

Many college students typically aim towards a bachelor’s degree; however, a question that haunts many of them is: what comes after? Many students that graduate college flock toward job applications and internships, making it a competitive process. With these concerns in mind, a master’s degree becomes an alternative path for graduates before officially joining the workforce.  

Obtaining a master’s degree can give you an advantage with career advancement since companies tend to hire people with the most advanced degree, giving them higher-paying positions. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020, median weekly earnings for people with a master's degree was $1,545, compared to $1,305 for people with a bachelor's degree. 

Deciding to invest time in a master’s degree can also help people figure out their career direction if they were still uncertain where they were going to go after college graduation. This was the case for Nicholas Mellott. When Mellott graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a bachelor’s degree in Cinema and Television Arts in May 2019, he struggled to find a job.

“I kept striking out trying to find jobs. I was job hunting and then January 2020 happened [COVID-19 quarantine]. There was a year lost of not being able to find work at all because there was just nothing happening. Then I would finally get small interviews and I was either doing stuff for free or I was doing things like reading and recommending scripts for competitions and that’s like, maybe you get $50 a script if you’re lucky. It was really bad,” said Mellott.

After many attempts of applying for jobs, Mellott decided that he wanted to focus on a master’s degree instead. With financial support from FAFSA and emotional support from his wife, Mellott applied to CSUN. He got accepted into the graduate program in August 2022.

“I was sitting in my car, having just got my third rejection letter, and I called my wife. She would never want me to come back to school. She was like what’s the point? But then we talked and she was like, ‘Okay if you really feel like going back to school is the best option for you I’ll back you up 100%.’ So I went back to school,” said Mellott.

During his time as an undergraduate at Fullerton, he majored in Cinema and Television Arts and found a passion for it. “I always loved movies. I was actually going to be a history teacher when I started college but I decided to give film a chance instead,” said Mellott. When he started his master’s at CSUN, he decided he wanted to hone his writing skills and major in screenwriting. 

“I’m doing this because I want to broaden my knowledge. I focused on writing in my undergrad but I wanted to focus on it even more, I wanted it to be perfect,” said Mellott.

For many students like Mellott, a master’s program supported their desire to improve their writing skills and gain more knowledge on their career choice. 

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES),  approximately 25% of students entered graduate school after completing their undergraduate degree in 2021.

It’s never too late to seek opportunities. If graduating didn't give the right answers, going into graduate school could be the one that leads people to a path they’re happier with.

Another student at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), Nikitha, relates to that. Nikitha graduated from Christ University, Bangalore in 2012 and immediately got accepted into Manipal Academy of Higher Education in that same year to complete her master’s degree in English. Both universities are in India.

However, Nikitha wasn’t done there. After completing her first master’s degree she applied for a television network and worked as a sub-editor. She worked there for six years which piqued her interest in screenwriting. 

“I worked for six years at a television network. When I was there, I started to write and I felt like okay, I want to write movies. And I needed to learn how to do that. So I came back to college now,” said Nikitha.

After working for a television network in India, Nikitha took time off to focus on studying before she went to University for her second master’s degree. She wanted to study in the U.S. to broaden her knowledge but she knew screenwriting in the U.S. would be different from what she studied in India, so she wanted to prepare herself. 

“I felt the need to study this craft before I got into it, which is why I have come back. Though I had experience writing for television in India, the movies and web series there had a much different language than the one I was used to, the pace was different. So when I got to the U.S., it was a skill that needed to be honed,” said Nikitha.

Nikitha started her second master’s degree at CSUN in 2022 and she’s happy to be studying. Nikitha stated that if someone were to pay her to study, she would do so all her life. 

However, as much as she loves school, it does get stressful. “I feel super challenged and overwhelmed. I have four courses and four assignments every week. Plus, I have to keep two jobs to sustain living expenses,” said Nikitha. 

She’s currently a research assistant on a project with a professor in the Africana Studies Department. She also assists him in one of his freshman classes. She feels as if 50% of her brain is always occupied with how she funds school while the other 50% enjoys how immersive grad school is.

Mellott also shares the same class as Nikitha and agrees that it’s stressful. To him, graduate school is more intense than undergrad and has less room for mistakes. So he makes sure he takes some time off to take care of his mental health. 

“I’ve watched two of my friends in their graduate program completely shut off their personal life and for me, it felt unhealthy. So one of the things I promised my wife when I got into grad school was that I will cut out a day for just her and I. No school, no work, no nothing,” said Mellott.

Generally, college students will always worry about life after they graduate, even those that are in graduate school. They don’t always know if they are choosing the right path or what’s to come in the future. 

“If anyone tells you to not worry they’re lying to you. You could be the best student with the best grades with the right resources and never get that opportunity. I do feel better about myself. I can say that much,” said Mellot,”Do I worry? Of course, I worry. Everyone should worry. You just never know, everything changes. When I graduated college, the world wasn’t falling apart. Now look at it.” 

What is one thing you would change about your college experience?

Mellott: Not taking it seriously faster. I’ll be 34 when this program ends. I actually think I’m the third oldest person in our class. It’s weird being in the position I am now. I kind of still wish I was in my 20s.

Nikitha: I would make it cheaper. I don't think you should pay this much to study.

Do you recommend going back for a master’s degree?

Mellott: I think it depends. I got the itch to teach again and know with my MFA I can teach. That’s the appeal of coming here for my master’s. I don't think you necessarily need it like if you want to be a high school teacher, for instance, you just need a bachelor’s and your credentials that’s fine. It just depends on what you want to do.

Nikitha: I think it's nice if you ever want to change your field. It makes it easier for you. You go back to college, learn a new skill, and then you can enter that new field much more smoothly than if you were a complete outsider.