Is Graduate School Right for You?

Is Graduate School Right for You?

Evaluate your strengths

The first step is to make an honest evaluation of your strengths, both intellectually and in terms of personality
  • What do you enjoy doing and why?
  • Are you intellectually curious?
  • Do you succeed through hard work and attention to detail?
  • Do you enjoy arguing about ideas?

Qualities for success in graduate school

  • Intelligence
  • Initiative
  • Self-discipline
  • Strong motivation
  • Persistence
  • Ability to establish good working relationships

Evaluate your career objectives

  • What work do you hope to do?
  • What are your chances of success?
  • What are your abilities and interests?

Deciding to go to graduate school because you do not know what else to do, and spending years and thousands of dollars is not a good idea. It is too much work and too hard to keep going if you aren't really interested. If you don't have a clear idea, wait until you do.

Questions to ask yourself

  • What are my career goals?
  • Can I achieve my goals with a Master's or do I need a Doctorate?
  • Am I interested enough in a the subject to stay with it for two or three or six years?
  • Do I have the energy and commitment to work hard for as long as it takes?
  • Can I take the pressure?
  • Can I find the money to pay tuition, living expenses, and books?
  • Can I make satisfactory arrangements for my family?
  • Can I go without working full time and give up the income in order to remain a student / return to college?
  • What do I want my life to be like a few years after completing the degree?

"If you enjoy reading, problem-solving, discovering new ideas, you should consider going to graduate school. Your ideas become your major asset. You can decide what you want to do and make it happen. Graduate education gives you the chance to learn more about the things that interest you most and to develop your own interests and skills into a full-time career. In that sense, graduate school can give you the opportunity to take control of your life."

-The Council of Graduate Schools

Is graduate school right for you?

Only you can answer that question. Don't take the decision lightly. Consider your interests, goals, dreams, and abilities. Assess your skills, competencies and weaknesses with brutal honesty. In-depth soul-searching is unpleasant, but vital to making a choice you can live with for the next two to seven years. Consider the following questions:

  • Why do I want to go to graduate school? Is it for the right reasons?
    Students choose graduate school for many reasons, including intellectual curiosity and professional advancement. Some choose grad school because they aren't sure what to do or don't feel ready for a job. These aren't good reasons. Graduate school requires an intense commitment of time and money. If you're not sure that you're ready, then it is best to wait.
  • What are my career goals? Will graduate school assist me in meeting my career goals?
    Some careers, such as those in medicine, dentistry and law, require education beyond the bachelor's degree. A job as a college professor, researcher or psychologist also requires an advanced degree.
  • What will I specialize in? What are my interests?
    Whereas an undergraduate major is a broad introduction to a given field, graduate school is very narrow and specialized. For example, grad school in psychology requires choosing a specialization such as experimental, clinical, counseling, developmental, social or biological psychology. Decide early because your choice determines the programs to which you'll apply. Consider your interests. What courses did you especially like? On what topics have you written papers? Seek advice from professors about the differences among the various specialties in a given field. Inquire about existing employment opportunities for each specialization.
  • Do I have the motivation for another two to seven years of school?
    Graduate school is different from college because it requires a higher level of academic commitment. You must enjoy and excel at reading, writing and analyzing information. Speak with professors and graduate students to get a better idea of what's involved in graduate study. Most first-year graduate students are overwhelmed and remark that they had no idea of what they were getting into. Seek a first-year student's perspective for a reality check.
  • Do I have the academic and personal qualities to succeed?
    Generally, it is expected that students will maintain at least a 3.0 average during graduate school. Some programs deny funding to students with less than a 3.33 average. Can you juggle multiple tasks, projects and papers at once? Can you manage time effectively?

Going to graduate school affects the rest of your life. There are both pros and cons to continuing your education. Seek information from multiple sources including the career or counseling center, your family, graduate students and professors. Take your time with it. Most importantly, trust your judgment and have faith that you'll make the choice that's best for you.

*Adapted from Council of Graduate Schools

 

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