How will a graduate degree affect my future career goals?
What do you plan to do after you receive your degree?
Do you need graduate school to do it?
Will the benefits of a graduate degree exceed the costs?
How prepared are you for graduate school?
Do you have the personal qualities that are necessary?
Most important, are you excited by the idea of studying your particular field?
Be absolutely sure that you are deciding on graduate school for the right reasons. If you don’t know what you want to do with your life, or are trying to postpone other decisions by going to graduate school, it is probably not the right choice.
Be aware that graduate school is a whole new experience. There are more demanding expectations and amount of work required of you than your undergraduate years. Reading and writing loads will probably be much heavier. In many graduate programs classes meet at night, so that students can work during the day. You will have a lot of unstructured time, and it will be yours to manage.
Graduate school is a huge commitment of time, money, and effort. You need to think your decision over carefully. Knowing the reasons why you chose this path will help you evaluate programs wisely and improve your personal statement in your application. It can also help during those not-so-great moments in grad school when you’re not entirely sure why you are doing this!
What is grad school like? Generally there are three pieces. The first is your coursework. Second is the integrative portion, the practical hands on experience you get during grad school. This would include internships, practicums, fieldwork, and research. The third portion is the summative portion, which comes into play at the end of your experience with your thesis or research project, comprehensive exams or a portfolio.
Should you attend full-time or part-time? This is up to you. Some programs may require that you attend full time. Full-time would be more intensive and you will finish in a shorter amount of time. You also need to attend full-time to be eligible for some types of financial aid. Attending part-time allows you to gain experience and earn money, but it also means that it will take longer to finish and may not allow you to take advantage of all the opportunities for involvement.
Should you work first, then go back to school? Some programs may require a certain number of years of work experience before you can be admitted. If not, it is up to you. Working first may help you to “recharge you batteries” and find the motivation to return to school. It may help you to develop confidence and an adult perspective that will help in the classroom. If you do decide to work first, be sure to get recommendations from your professors before you leave your senior year. If you wait and come back to them two years later, it may be difficult for them to remember you as well, and therefore write the strongest letter for you that they could have earlier.
