The grad school debate

If you’ve heard that a college degree is the new high school diploma, you’re not alone.
According to the United States Department of Labor news release from 2007, 67.2 percent of high school graduates went on to attend two- or four-year college programs. That’s 11.3 million American youth – your peers – a portion of whom will leave college with the same degree you’ve earned, looking for the same job you want.

I think the fact that roughly two-thirds of graduating high school seniors are pursuing higher education is fantastic. Of course, I would love those statistics to rise, because the United States needs new and brilliant minds to fix the endless political, economical and social issues we are facing (but that’s for a whole other day).

However, as these numbers rise, and more people have the opportunities that everyone should have, it makes the competition stiffer for those of us proudly toting around our IU degrees.

So what’s the next step?

If you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, you’re going to medical or law school. And if you go into the education field, odds are you will pick up another degree or two. Certainly, many others with varying majors will venture into the world of graduate school, as well.

After all, haven’t you heard that graduate school is the new college?

Sure, there are people who are simply done with the educational environment and want to get out into the real world. There are also people who need some time off before heading back to a graduate program. But, if you feel you can do it, you should attend graduate school at some point in the near future, since other obligations often curtail obtaining a professional degree.

Here’s why:

A. You will most likely have more opportunities and connections established because of your years at the graduate school you attended. It’s not a guarantee, but prospective jobs might be easier to come by with a graduate degree. Plus, you set yourself above many others with that degree framed on your wall.

B. You will make more money. (OK, fine ... you will most likely make more money). While it is possible for a person with a third-grade education to grow up to become a multi-millionaire, the odds are that your career opportunities and potential are strengthened because of the graduate degree you hold.

C. You will enrich your mind. I know it’s cheesy, but you will learn so much more than you already do and hone your skills to make you a better (insert job title here). So, if you don’t care about the job or money, make it about the education.

D. You will figure out exactly what you do – or don’t – want to do for the rest of your life. Though many people have this answer when they’re 5 years old, most of us don’t make it to the moon or to Broadway. Instead, we find a field we think we could be good at once we have to pick a major following our sophomore year of undergrad.

Graduate school, on the other hand, allows you to decide that you want to focus on property law in a medium-sized firm, for example. Job satisfaction is never overrated.
While the list of positives for attending graduate school are virtually endless, it is most definitely something you have to want to do. And you have to want to do it enough to foot a rather large bill.

$150,000 might seem like a lot of money to owe for a graduate degree, but haven’t you heard that it’s worth it?