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Email ThisWhy am I going to grad school right after undergrad? Because it’s the right decision for me.
I know that grad school is not a get-rich-quick scheme. In fact, that has nothing to do with why I am going.
I believe that the graduate program I am attending will challenge me in ways that undergrad didn’t. I realize that a job would do this as well, but they would do so in different ways.
Graduate school is a personal decision that must be thought through extensively. The program, people and practical experience accompanied with the program are what drew me. While deciding between work and grad school, I thought through many questions. Here are a sample of the questions I asked myself when I applied:
- What and where is the program?
- How long does the program take?
- What are the benefits of the program versus the benefits of working?
- What are the costs? How will I cover them?
- What would be the difference if I went to graduate school now versus after working for a couple years?
I only applied to one grad program. I was fully prepared to enter the working world until the end of the summer before my senior year when I stumbled upon my program online. The summer before my senior year I started networking for potential jobs at my internship, throughout the city and at school. After visiting the school of my program, I fell in love with the program’s one-year intensive class structure, the professors and the students from all over the world. The program combines theory and practical application from marketing, public relations and advertising into a curriculum. It matched everything I wanted to get my hands in.
I see this program as more of an experience than another year of schooling. Just as getting a job or creating a start-up would be an experience, I believe that this graduate program will build different but just as valuable professional skills. And I am fully aware and prepared that this experience comes with a price tag.
After much thought, discussion, and reading (mostly in the blogosphere grad school debate), I realized that each professional decision is a personal decision. Professionals, colleagues, parents and friends may advise you- but you make the right decision for you. For me, it’s moving to a city where I don’t know anyone and giving my best shot at grad school. 
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Carla,
First let me wish you all the best in your pursuit for your advanced degree.
I am currently getting my MS in Marketing, and couldn’t be happier with my decision. It’s like an MBA without the clout, but enables me to focus solely on my passion, marketing, without having to dabble in finance, accounting, etc. (I think you get plenty of mgmt along the way).
The thing is that I graduated from a small liberal arts school where I played collegiate baseball and was a communication studies major. I liked the versatility, but I wanted to learn the nuances of business, specifically marketing. This all happened after I dabbled in online marketing, was semi-successful and was like WHOA, I have a lot to learn and this is fascinating.
Perhaps my program is one of the exceptions, (you’d certainly think so from reading the blogosphere), but we get TONS of real world consulting experience that DOES help our resume’s out immensely, and give us valuable experience. This is in addition to all the theory you learn in lectures, albiet you get what you put in.
And the bottom line. It DOES help me get paid more, provided I want to work a 9-5 in the corporate marketing world. All the numbers and recent graduates are testaments to that — regardless of whether or not others would say that logic is flawed. Now is that the path I’m going to take? Doubtful, but the point is that’s the facts.
Anyhow, rant aside, I really enjoyed the read. Looking forward to your other posts.
Respectfully,
Ryan Stephens
Hi Ryan,
Thank you for your support! I am glad your decision to pursue an advanced degree is benefiting you. It seems as if I am in a similar boat with you- I am currently a Communications major but want to learn more about business and specifically marketing. I think this program will expand my knowledge-and experience-in ways that an undergrad program can’t. Good luck with finishing your degree!
I enjoyed the read Carla but I have some grips about grad school, B-Schools in particular.
I am working on my masters, one class at a time, while I work full-time in my career. Maybe you will notice this in your grad class or maybe you wont, but when your grad class is made up of mostly professionals going part-time to grad school, it brings the class to a whole other level.
By having just a year experience in a Field you can contribute and absorb so much more. The lectures become more useful, concise, and interesting. I just don’t believe a full-time grad student right out of undergrad can’t contribute in the same way as a full-time professional.
However, everyone is different. This was the option for me and these are only my observations. Best of luck to you in your grad school endeavors. Thanks for the good read.
Hi Brandon,
I see your point- and working for a bit was something I had definitely thought about before applying. Luckily in my program there are a large portion of students that come from a couple of years of experience and some that come from undergrad. I will probably learn a great deal from people that have worked in the field and have come back to school.
Like you said, it is a choice for each person to make individually- especially when it comes to career advancement, finances, and important relationships.
Carla, I think it’s good that you emphasize the individual nature of this decision. There’s no one size fits all.
I’d like to throw another option out there - look for a job at a university after you graduate. It’s an easy transition to move from student to employee in a familiar sort of setting and many universities let you take classes for a substantial discount if you work for them. So you can get a gentle introduction to the working world and take part-time grad classes without having to take out tons of loans to finance something your might not be sure about.