Should Students Jump Straight into Grad School?

By Vivian El-Salawy on July 17, 2016

College students are always thinking about the “next step” in school, whether they are a first year or about to walk at graduation. While many go on to pursue a career in their desired field of work, others consider options such as graduate school. The big question lies here: should you go to graduate school straight after undergrad or should you take a few years to work in a specific field and then consider going? The truth is, there is no wrong or right answer – it all depends on your specific circumstances and often times your field as well. Here are a few general reasons that might help you decide how to take that next step and in which direction.

Why You Should Wait On Grad School

It’s expensive.

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Many people take a gap between undergrad and grad school – and by take a gap, I mean work. Often times, graduate school can be more expensive than undergrad and so it takes a few years to save up in addition to what you already paid for undergrad. In some cases, tuition for graduate schools correlates similarly to that of out-of-state tuition. However, there are many exceptions depending on the field you are intending to study. If you are in a really good position, there are circumstances in which your employers can offer to pay for a portion of your tuition. Be sure to check out any potential programs that would financially assist you in your studies while you are working. According to an article written by staff on Peterson’s, over the course of a lifetime, a person with a master’s degree typically earns $400,000 more than a person with a bachelor’s degree. However, expenses such as tuition and fees, living expenses, and opportunity costs are all something to consider, as a master’s degree doesn’t come cheap.

Work experience is important.

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Graduate school, unlike undergrad, greatly focuses on the idea of work experience. Having said that, certain areas actually require for you to have some kind of work experience before applying. According to Robert Farrington, a contributor to Forbes:

“Getting an MBA isn’t just about the degree – it’s about combining the degree with work experience. That’s what makes it extremely valuable. When I went to grad school, I was the youngest in my class. While this was amazing from a networking and learning perspective, I couldn’t contribute as much as others.”

Are you ready?

So, we have already covered the fact that it is expensive and in most cases, work experience is required. Having said that, graduate school is a huge commitment. Are you going because you are looking to expand your knowledge in an already familiar area from undergrad or are you going to open yourself up to a knew, but still applicable area for your career? Are you going simply because you do not have a job in your desired area lined up right away or because you have no obligations in terms of a spouse or children? Make sure you are making your commitment to graduate school for the right reasons, whatever they may be.

The Idealist provides several “actions steps” to ask yourself in order to help determine whether or not you are ready for graduate school:

What experiences have led you to choose this degree path?

What experiences would you like to gain before selecting a specific degree to pursue?

Do you have a Plan B?

What are your career goals?

Idealist.org has their own Career Center that will help you answer any questions you are unsure about to help you take that next step.

Are you worn out?

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Regardless of what kind of degree you pursue in college, there is one thing that almost any student can agree on – it is stressful. Often times, students’ physical and mental health are negatively affected in a college environment due to the amount of stress they deal with on a day-to-day basis. It is completely normal for a student to need some kind of break between undergraduate and graduate school, even if they are certain they want to apply for grad school. Although it is recommended to work within that time, a work environment greatly differs from that of a learning environment and that might be necessary for certain students to be both physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue the next portion of their educational path.

Why You Should Go To Grad School After Undergrad

Similarly to how you need a solid reason to decide when not to go to graduate school quite yet, you need just as solid of reasons to decide when you should fly straight into graduate school.

You can afford it.

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If the price is not an issue and you are in a financial position that supports you every step of the way throughout graduate school, then by all means – go ahead! In addition, even if you personally do not have the funds, there are many programs or employers that offer to help pay for it (if not partially, then completely). The Fortune 500 is “an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks 500 of the most largest U.S. corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years” (US Pages). Many of these companies and corporations offer some form of education assistance to all kinds of employees, including cashiers at retailers. In addition, if you decide to attend graduate school and double up as a teaching assistant in your department, many universities will offer to cover a portion of the costs. It’s all about finding the right program and the right support system.

Joint programs

Some universities have a joint undergrad and graduate school program where you can complete your undergraduate and graduate studies in one program. In this case, it would make sense for you to jump straight into grad school considering the process is expedited and in the long run, it would end up saving you money because the university would have you committed to them for a longer amount of time. However, this would be something to consider in your earlier years of undergrad, or even prior to undergrad, as many younger students tend to miss looking into these programs until they are close to being graduates.

If you are positive it’s worth it.

By all means, if you know exactly what kind of degree(s) you need for exactly the type of career you want to pursue, then shoot for the stars. Perhaps the most important thing to consider is the return on the cost. For what you want to do, is it worth spending the amount of money that grad school costs? How much will your degree cost (amongst other expenses) and how quickly would you approximately be able to pay it off provided your expected career? Are you okay with carrying student loan debt on your shoulders (if that will even be the case)? If you can confidently answer these questions in a direction that points you toward grad school, then better now than never.

Motivation.

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Different students have different ways of thinking. Are you an individual that needs to consistently be in a learning environment to stay efficient and productive? In some cases, students that take a break between undergrad and grad school do not end up building the motivation to go back to school. If you are one of these people and you are certain that you want or need to go to graduate school for your desired career, maybe it is best for you to jump right in.

Image via Virgil Wong

All in all, it is not about the number of reasons but rather the quality of the reasons. Graduate school is not for everybody and in some cases, students may not even need it to pursue their dream career. However, if that is the path they want to follow, it is important to understand what graduate school asks of you and whether it is the right time. Above all, students should always feel comfortable regardless of the decision that they make. Do something you love, and you will not work a day in your life.