Concentrate on what you love. Honestly, there is too much focus on getting into "great" or elite programs. Every school has advantages and disadvantages, and graduate programs function VERY differently than undergraduate programs.
The best thing you could possibly do for the next two years is hone in on a specific area of interest. Try to be as introspective as possible. Are you fascinated by the physics of gaming? Do you want to improve human-computer interaction? Are you an expert code-monkey who just wants to create a useful and intelligent program with new tools?
If you can establish yourself as an expert, more or less, graduate schools will take you on without question. They will evaluate you on your ability to be successful. Everyone knows that the GRE (and sometimes a GPA) are horrible metrics for success in graduate school, but sometimes they are the only pieces of information a school has to evaluate you. The worst thing that can happen is that they hire you (for a PhD program) or offer you a scholarship, and you end up flunking out, quitting, or never finish.
However, if you follow your heart and show your competency in one or two specific areas, you will be a gem. Then you will also get the most out of graduate school. You will have access to so many excellent resources like free journals, experts in the field, and open up doors for future careers.
Graduate school can be an incredible opportunity or somewhat depressing. What I've found is that those who are most ready, emotionally and academically, do amazing things, but those who are not tend to flounder.
You want to be ready, so do yourself that favor.
Please feel free to contact me if you want to chat a little bit more about the experience.
If I could respond to my own comment, I would also like to offer one other piece of advice:
If you're learning towards graduate school, research the GROUPS and not the schools. Even within departments you will have a variety of experiences, and knowing what you want well in advance is key. Here are some observations about advisers (if you change your mind and end up applying for a PhD program):
- Young professors generally are trying to build their name in the community and will work you like no other. You will probably publish often. Stress is common.
- Middle-aged professors at the height of their career will generally be not available to you. This is when they travel to conferences and meetings. Your real adviser will probably be your Post-Doc.
- Retirement-bound professors will be freely available and have a wealth of experience through which you can draw upon. They generally care less about department politics and more about your personal happiness and success. However, they probably won't pressure you as often to get things done (may be good or bad).
The best thing you could possibly do for the next two years is hone in on a specific area of interest. Try to be as introspective as possible. Are you fascinated by the physics of gaming? Do you want to improve human-computer interaction? Are you an expert code-monkey who just wants to create a useful and intelligent program with new tools?
If you can establish yourself as an expert, more or less, graduate schools will take you on without question. They will evaluate you on your ability to be successful. Everyone knows that the GRE (and sometimes a GPA) are horrible metrics for success in graduate school, but sometimes they are the only pieces of information a school has to evaluate you. The worst thing that can happen is that they hire you (for a PhD program) or offer you a scholarship, and you end up flunking out, quitting, or never finish.
However, if you follow your heart and show your competency in one or two specific areas, you will be a gem. Then you will also get the most out of graduate school. You will have access to so many excellent resources like free journals, experts in the field, and open up doors for future careers.
Graduate school can be an incredible opportunity or somewhat depressing. What I've found is that those who are most ready, emotionally and academically, do amazing things, but those who are not tend to flounder.
You want to be ready, so do yourself that favor.
Please feel free to contact me if you want to chat a little bit more about the experience.