Last winter I received acceptances from two different graduate school programs. Little did I realize when I was applying that choosing which one to attend would constitute the real work. Each school would have set me on a different career path. I feared making a mistake and screwing up my future. I made my decision, but I had to learn that making too big a deal of the process can hurt more than choosing the wrong school.

For a long time, I believed that I had little choice but to go to grad school. These days, bachelor degrees fail to impress. They used to be a sign of intellectual maturity, now they’re just the minimum that most employers expect.

For years I wanted to be a journalist and pursue a master’s of journalism degree at Ryerson. Since my second year at U of T, I diligently studied the program’s website to make sure I understood every detail of the application. For nearly three years I planned what I’d say in my statement of interest.

I worked hard at school to make sure my GPA would be on par with those I’d be competing with for one of the 25 spots in the program. I also carefully built a portfolio of published work. Every article I wrote for the school paper, every test I studied for and every essay I wrote was done with the hope that it would help me gain admission.

In my fourth year, when I was finally ready to apply, I started having second thoughts about where I wanted to go to school. Journalism was an uncertain field with few jobs, no security and low pay. While I knew all these things before, they felt more real when I started filling out the applications.

It’s easy to plan your future without having to worry about money or job security while your parents are paying for university. In my case, the romantic notion of being an international correspondent outweighed the practical considerations of having to earn a paycheque.

My perspective changed after getting a taste of the job market. I started researching and studying the journalism job market, and began second guessing my career choice. I decided to apply to U of T’s School of Public Policy to give myself another option. Why not see if I could get in? It would be a good degree, especially in a struggling economy: something to lean on in tough times.

To my surprise, I was accepted to both the journalism and public policy programs. It was an exhilarating experience. I had expected that my career path would be determined by whichever school accepted me. But now that both had, the power to decide my future was in my hands.

Suddenly, I had two weeks to make what felt like a life-changing decision. It was one of the toughest choices I ever faced. Do I turn my back on a direction I’d set for myself three years earlier? Investing two years of life and $20,000 to $25,000 for tuition was another point not to be taken lightly.

I consulted everyone I knew and heard plenty of differing advice. Some told me to follow my journalism dream and take on the risky job market. Others said I shouldn’t give up a chance to study at the best public policy school in Canada.

I felt paralyzed. I couldn’t make a decision. I was on the verge of giving up grad school all together. I just didn’t want the responsibility of choosing something so important.

Luckily, someone very close to me offered some very useful advice: I was taking the whole process too seriously. I didn’t need to choose my career path right now.

I was looking at things the wrong way. Grad school would not determine the rest of my life. Instead, it would be an opportunity to challenge myself, to help me realize what I’m made of intellectually, and make me the best person I can be.

At first, when debating which school to attend, I asked myself whether I wanted to be a journalist or a policy analyst. What I should have asked myself is: which program is going to challenge me the most and make me the best person?

After two weeks of painstaking consideration, I realized the answer for me was public policy. I did some research and was most impressed by the public policy school’s curriculum. I couldn’t imagine the journalism degree challenging and stimulating me in the same way.

While I admit I was swayed by the better job prospects available to graduates with a master’s degree in public policy, the career opportunities were not the most important part of my decision. The best journalist, policy analyst, or whatever, is only the best if they’ve fully realized their potential. Only the master’s in public policy was going to push me hard enough.

Also on my mind was the fact that you could go into journalism after doing a public policy degree but it would be difficult to go into public policy with a journalism degree. I felt a journalism education was too narrow, and would not teach me as many marketable skills.

I’ve arrived at the conclusion that developing your potential is the most important factor when choosing a good grad school. As long as the program is within your main interests, you shouldn’t worry so much about where exactly it will lead. The best thing you can do is to make sure that you’re the best you can be. Finding the right career path will come later.