Hello, Science! + writing

How to Decide if You are Ready for Grad School

As your time as an undergraduate winds down, graduate school can seem like the natural next step. And there are definitely careers that determine this decision for you. If you plan to be a doctor, lawyer, or the like, you have already chosen to forge ahead into the next academic level until you finally reach your goal.

But there are many more degrees that allow students to make the decision of whether grad school is the place for them to be right now. While now-a-days, it seems anyone who wants to move up in the world eventually needs to access higher education, many career fields offer the ability to choose when to go. Before you begin filling out those grad school applications, consider these questions to decide if you are really ready to move onto your next college degree.

Do you want to go because all of your friends are doing it? This is usually the worst reason to do anything! If you have no real focused outcome that you are ready to work towards, you are asking for a great deal of work with no real benefits. Your friends aren’t going to have much time for you anyway…grad school is very demanding and more expensive than the first four years, so their free time will be spent working.If you aren’t sure how more schooling will fit into your career goals yet, it may be better to hold off. On the other hand, if you have a solid career goal and are excited about venturing on, go for it!
Are you going to avoid paying student loans or avoiding “real work”? If you don’t think you are going to do real work in grad school, think again! Classes will require more time and critical thinking than your undergrad program. And, since grad school is more expensive and typically offers fewer financial aid opportunities, many grad students find they must work at least part-time just to stay afloat. Just know that you are not going to graduate without more student debt unless you are independently wealthy. Then again, if you see this move as an investment in your future, then the work and possible loans acquired may be worth it.

Are you financially ready to attend? It is surprising how little financial aid is available to those seeking degrees beyond the 4-year variety! Added to that, the cost of tuition is much higher for grad school. The time commitment grad school takes can also limit how much time you have to work to keep those student loans paid down. Though there are often Teaching Assistant positions available, many students aren’t teacher material, which means they hate every minute of the job and do a poor job of preparing lower-level students for their future classes. If you feel overwhelmed with the price of the next step in your educational goals, you may want to consider taking some time to pay off your undergrad loans and/or save up for the cost of grad school before you start applying.
Are you excited to attend? If the thought makes you want to curl into the fetal position and weep, you aren’t ready! Many serious students work extremely hard during their first four years of college, and simply need a break before moving onto grad school. There is absolutely no shame in waiting a year or more before applying. In fact, if you aren’t sure yet what you want to specialize in or if you already feel overwhelmed with student loans, you may find it very beneficial to your emotional, physical and financial selves to take some time off. You want to be ready for the challenge. Sometimes practical experience in the “real work world” clarifies how you want to spend the 40+ years in the work force.
Do you truly understand how different it is from undergraduate school? I have often said that I wish I had known how much different grad school was from undergrad school! And I have offered much advice along these lines to friends who were considering going back to school. The time commitment, workload and level of critical thinking required is double to what I experienced in my first four years at university. But you know what? I’m still glad I stuck it out! Why? Because I wanted to be there! I took time off and worked quite a few years before I went back to school. But by then, I was ready emotionally, financially and intellectually to give it my all.
There is no right or wrong answer as to when to attend graduate school. Everyone is different. But it is worth the time and thought to consider what is best for you before you make your choice. It truly is worth it…when the time is right.

Jacqueline Myers has been guiding college students through the murky waters of writing and research for many years. And she can be your personal English instructor if you visit her on her blog Nitty-Gritty English: The complete site for tips, tricks and techniques for the UN-enthusiastic English student. Jacqueline is a proud member of the AEGC writing staff.

advice, art, Education News, For Students, research, and more:

How to Decide if You are Ready for Grad School + writing