Is Graduate School Right For You?

Class Location: The Internet.

Description: This course is designed to help students determine if graduate school is really the right choice for them.

Objective: Find out if graduate school is worth your while.

Before investing a huge commitment of time, effort, and money into graduate school, examine the real reasons you want to go. Consider several issues:

• Determine what you expect to gain from graduate study. Are you trying to advance your career or switch to a different one? Do you want to contribute to research or theory in your field? These are all valid reasons for going to graduate schools, and the answers to these questions can help you select the right program. Some less valid reasons are to delay entry into the job market or to do what everyone else is doing. If these are your true motives, you really need to reconsider.

• Decide whether you have the dedication to do all the work involved in a graduate program. The quantity and intensity of the work will be greater than during your undergraduate days. You’ll have to participate more actively in your classes, carry out much more research, and produce more original work. You need the discipline, self-motivation, and ability to manage your time so that you can complete all your work. And you need the people skills to develop mature relationships with professors and fellow students. If you don’t feel up for all this, grad school may not be for you.

• Figure out how you’ll pay for graduate school. Determine how much you’ll need in loans and how long you’ll have to repay them. Look into grants or other financial aid. Find out whether your employer will help pay for your schooling and, if so, what kind of commitment you’ll have to make to the company. Weigh these costs against what you expect to gain, both professionally and personally, to decide whether grad school is a smart investment.

• Determine whether now is the right time to go to grad school. Is this a good time to delay your career, or will you miss out on professional opportunities? Figure out what in your life you’ll need to put on hold, and then decide whether now is the best time to do that.