I went straight from undergrad to graduate school--historic preservation is one of those fields that you can't advance very far in without an advanced degree; I can't even get licensed as a building conservator without my MS. If I had gone to work right out of undergrad, I would have been making $22K a year--in NY or SF. The decision to wait might have been a good one for you, but some people have a very strong idea about what they want to do and waiting does nothing for them.

Basically, each person has a reason behind why they did what they did. There are people in medicine, law, engineering, architecture, and all sorts of fields who would have been doing themselves more of a disservice (financially as well as professionally) by following your advice than by just going straight through.

Like Rudey said, if you go to a good school for your MBA, the debt will be easy to pay off. I've read in a few places that you shouldn't even have to pay for your MBA, because if the company you work for wants you to have it, they'll pay for it. If you have to take out loans, your advance should be more than enough to pay your debt. It just depends on the quality of your grad program.

I agree with Munchkin. Waiting may work for some people. But it certainly isn't for everyone. For one thing, if you are planning to go all the way to a PhD, which can take upwards of seven years, waiting even one year is a big deal.
Also, if you are a woman and are hoping to have a family eventually, it is oftentimes better to get your grad school education finished and get a few years of continuous work under your belt before you start thinking about a family. If you take a year or two off and then go and get your PhD, you'll be 29 or 30 before you really start working on your career.
I just think there is more to it then I want to experience the "real world" and not get in so much debt. Also, since when did graduate school become easy and not part of the "real world"? A lot of graduate programs are very competitive, and unlike law school and MBA programs, they often require that you do research, teach, and complete classwork. I think that kind of workload pretty much weeds out the uncomitted.

I would've regretted waiting to start law school. In no way would it have been beneficial, especially b/c I had no debt from undergrad. No use delaying school for a year or more so I can have some entry level job in a field i'm not interested in making me miserable. I'm glad to have my education nearly finished, I'm 24 and graduating from law school. I have plenty of time to get my life in order, get a good job, and start a family without feeling rushed. Whereas someone, like my roommate, who took 5 years off and is 29, is going to be a little more rushed.

I just had a looooong talk with one of our new professors about delaying school and I am SO conflicted now. The only people I know in law school who have remotely similiar personalities to me each took a semester off - one wishes he wouldn't have, the other wishes he would have taken more time.

I'm hoping I'll reach some sort of an epiphany on this by April. :)

I got an invitation today to interview at Appalachian State! I'm applying to their Masters program in School Counseling :)

The program I applied to has said I have made it passed their admissions committee... so now it has to just go through the university itself.. which is really a technicality...

Oh and the program is through the Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences to get my phd in planetary science.

I am so so excited...

great guide to grad school
 

Best book to read about this ---

Getting What You Came For : The Smart Student's Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D. by Robert Peters

It answered a lot of questions.
Is graduate school right for you?
Should you get a master’s or a Ph.D.?
How can you choose the best possible school?


Review - “This is an excellent book. I don’t know how Robert Peters was able to assemble all this highly relevant and valuable information after only one pass through the system known as graduate school, but he has produced a definitive piece of work.” – Dr. Gene Woodruff, Dean of the Graduate School, University of Washington, Seattle, President of the Association of Graduate Schools, Chairman of the GRE Board


This classic guide helps students answer these vital questions and much more. It will also help graduate students finish in less time, for less money, and with less trouble.

Based on interviews with career counselors, graduate students, and professors, Getting What You Came For is packed with real-life experiences. It has all the advice a student will need not only to survive but to thrive in graduate school, including: instructions on applying to school and for financial aid; how to excel on qualifying exams; how to manage academic politics—including hostile professors; and how to write and defend a top-notch thesis. Most important, it shows you how to land a job when you graduate.

Re: great guide to grad school
 

Have you read it?

I read it, and it's definitely geared more towards those going to grad school for a career in academia--not so much for those in professional programs like law, business, education, architecture, public administration, international affairs, and the like.

Re: Re: great guide to grad school
 

Yeah I read it a couple years ago, found it in B&N when considering getting a degree in Higher Ed. Maybe that is why I thought it was good -- instructions on applying to school and for financial aid; how to excel on qualifying exams; how to manage academic politics, and making sure an advanced degree is what you really need --- maybe also because I had been out of school for a few years so it was also a refresher.

Yeah... I'll be 28 or 29 when I grduate from med school and at least 31 before I have a "real job" after residency. It's kind of scary to think about putting all that time into an education. But, it's a journey, not a destination. It should be fun!

I recieved an acceptance today to Appalachian State's School Counseling program :D

Congratulations!! :)

Congrats! :D

Just found out that I need to go back to graduate school for my teaching. I am in gifted education, and will have to get gifted certification, which means a whole new Master's degree. Unfortunately, I don't think any of my other Master's classes could go towards the degree :(


I have 2.5 years to finish a 33 hour minimum program.

I will be taking the MAT soon ( ARRRGGGHHH) and applying for USA's online program.

It stinks when you live in a city that has 5 universities around it, and the only two colleges in the state that offer the classes are 70 miles and 300 miles away.

Online Programs
 

Does anybody know and accredited online programs for Masters in Social Work and Master in Gudiance Counseling Education?