For those of us who are not going to be doctors or lawyers, the choice of whether or not to go to grad school is often a tough one. Parents are telling you one thing, the economy is telling you another and you are just caught in the middle of an epic battle royale. This is a huge decision that ‘s going to change the rest of your life; you are going to have to live with the consequences of whatever choice you make right now. Are you nervous yet? Don’t worry- we’re here to help you. Here are 15 tips to help you decide whether grad school is right for you.
1. Think about why the subject of grad school even came up. If your school’s career counselor suggests it, it might be a good idea. If you just want to stay in school longer for the sake of being in college, it might be a bad idea.
2. Don’t let your parents make this decision for you. You’re an adult now. Your parents aren’t going to be the ones doing your homework and research papers for you, so don’t let them boss you around.
3. Do some job searching first. Grad school should really be an option if you can’t get a career. Do some serious job searching in your career field for at least a year. If you are still unhappy, then consider grad school.
4. Think about your 20’s- which will be gone after you get out of grad school. Do you want to live most of your 20’s slaving away in front of a computer screen in a library? Do you want to be emotionally distraught at least 5 nights of the week? Both of those scenarios are definite possibilities at grad school.
5. What will you be learning? If you will be learning something that you can’t find in a book, then by all means go to grad school. If you can gain this knowledge in an MOOC or by doing research online, grad school is not for you. Look at the course offered for your degree and make sure that you will be practicing the things you’re being taught.
6. Think about the monetary impact long term. Are you willing to be in serious debt for a very long time? Will this degree help you make more money that you ever thought could be possible? Are you the only one paying for your education or will you receive help?
7. Do you really need this degree? This goes back to #1 and #5. Do you need this degree in order to get your dream job or are you just going to grad school because you want to learn more?
8. Think about what life would be like without grad school. Most of your life will be dedicated to school, so it makes sense to think about how your time could be spent otherwise. If you don’t continue your education, would you like to travel? Would you start a family or a career?
9. Research which schools offer the best resources for your major. If you’re going to spend a lot of time and money on this degree, you want to get the most out of it. Find a school that not only offers the best library and professors, but also the school with the most successful alumni.
10. Are you willing to move anywhere to continue your education? If the school you chose from #9 is out of state, think about your housing, food, transportation and tuition costs.
11. Think about an internship and grad school at the same time. One of the best ways to get through grad school is to pick up an internship so you can practice your skills. It will give you industry contacts as well as real world knowledge. The best part is that the internship could turn into a career once you graduate!
12. Ask your employer to pay for grad school. If you already have a job and are thinking about grad school, the first thing you should be doing is asking your employer to pay for it. Your employers will love that you have a highly trained skill set that will benefit their company. You might even be asked to help train your fellow employees!
13. Talk to someone actually in grad school. The best way to figure out if grad school is right for you is to talk to someone actually in grad school. They can tell you why they chose it, how their experience is so far, and how their career will benefit from it. This is valuable knowledge that you need to hear before you make your decision.
14. Look for scholarships. Do you want to be in debt? My guess would be no. There are thousands of scholarships out there that can help you graduate debt free- which is a very, very rare thing. However, if you search hard enough, you can do it.
15. Think about the amount of caffeine you will consume per day. Don’t like coffee, tea or energy drinks? Grad school is not for you.
Grad school is a huge step for everyone. In some cases, the choice to go to grad school is more important than where you attended undergraduate college. Have you already started the internal grad school debate? Do you have any unanswered question? Ask them here!
Flashnotes 