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Article: Graduate School: To Go or Not To Go

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Graduate School: To Go or Not To Go

When it comes to graduate school, there are two main schools of thought. The first, (led by anxious parents everywhere) says, "Go right away! Otherwise, you'll forget what it's like to be in school, and you won't be able to study! And you'll never get a decent job in the real world anyway!" If this voice is the one currently pounding in your brain, tell it to be quiet and go take a nap. Then, listen to the more rational side of the debate, often specified in small print on graduate school applications: most graduate students are in their late twenties, as schools like it if you have both life and professional experience before pursuing a higher degree.

Of course, not all graduate degrees are created equal. First there are professional degrees (law, teaching, medicine) versus academic degrees (literature, art history). Some programs take only a year, others seem to take the rest of your life. Also, certain professions essentially require you to have more than a B.A. before even considering them (particularly in academia). Other fields are more willing to take a chance on a brash young thing, such as yourself.

Ultimately, the best thing to do is to ask people who are experienced in your chosen field. Ask them if they think you would be best off going to grad school right away, or if they feel you should wait awhile. Ask them about the best schools, and the best degrees for what you want to do. Don't forget to ask them if their companies ever pay for employees to get more education. Frequently, a company will chip in and give an employee flexible hours, in return for a guarantee of work for a certain period of time after he or she has graduated.

One thing graduate school should not be is a last resort. It is too expensive and time consuming to do without really knowing that it's what you want to be doing -- at least for the time being.