From the article: Should You Go to Graduate School?
Deciding to go to graduate school is probably one of the biggest decisions you will ever make. Why did you choose graduate school? How did you make the decision? Share Your Thoughts
Not QUITE right...
- You should not EVER have to pay for grad school. If you are going for a PhD, colleges will pay you to get that degree with them. You are generally given a stipend. It may not be a big one, in fact I can garuntee you it won't be, but it'll be enough to live on and your tuition is covered. I have been told by numerous grad students, professors, and undergrads that you should NEVER pay for grad school. Now, med school is another boat entirely, that can and will get expensive quickly, but to get your PhD (especially for research) schools will pay you.
- —Guest Tessla
Broadening opportunities
- Getting a masters or a Ph.D. facilitates things in life for you, Usually salaries get better as your education level increases. It might take more time and effort but it pays back. The range of opportunities when you have a Ph. D. or a masters degree is larger than having a bachelors. In my case I want to work in academia; I want to be a professor so I have to go to grad-school. Bachelors degree are less and less competitive as the time pasess by.
- —Guest David Galban
Took a Detour
- I knew around my junior year of high school I wanted to major in Art History. When I got my undergraduate degree, I got a lot of encouragement to go to grad school right away. I was sure I didn't want to do that. At least not at that point in my life. I loved college, loved being in school and after about a year or two as an undergrad I didn't have any illusions about being able to get an interesting job in the Art History field without an advanced degree. I thought academia would be okay but I was unsure about having to publish my work, I'm okay at modern art but it isn't my forte so I wasn't sure a gallery setting was right for me, an auction house sounded cool but I wasn't ready to move to England or New York City so I thought working in a museum would be the best fit for me. During junior year I did my internship and I didn’t think I got it right. I loved the work but I quickly learned there was so much politicking. I wasn't sure I could handle it. So in my 22 year old So in my 22 year old naivety, I thought I could be happy with a job that paid the rent. Going for my Master’s or PhD if I wasn’t going to like where I worked didn’t seem like a good idea. I got a good job for a large corporation making more money than anyone I knew of from my graduating class. Not an exorbitant amount, but I was totally independent from my parents and comfortable, not scraping by or being underwritten by Mommy and Daddy like a lot of my friends were. I quickly learned the politics, gossip, brown nosing and backstabbing were not the mysterious affliction of only museum employees but totally permeated the workforce. So I figured if I was going to have to deal with it anyway I might as well like some aspects of my job. It took me about two years of working in a cubicle before I decided I was ready to walk away from a steady paycheck and good benefits to confront the inevitable mounds of debt and sparser lifestyle I'd encounter to be a student again. And I’m excited about it. Grad school is definitely a brighter prospect to me then working in a grey cube staring at black and white documents all day. Bring on the twin beds and Ramen Noodles!
- —Guest Rachel Smith
