|
There are pros and cons both ways. Yes, come majors require work experience to be admitted to graduate programs (an as a nurse, I firmly believe that the 1-2 years most programs require is insufficient). If your field of study doesn't mandate it, I think you're better off starting right away. You're in the student mode still (study skills/ time management) and haven't gotten yourself into the real world financial constraints such as a house and mortgage that necessitate working full-time and studying part-time. I went back for a master's 8 years after obtaining my BSN and it was rough. Simply to relearn the math for the GRE (those quadratic equations and geometry formulas are NOT things that stay with you!) was a struggle. While the classes and intellectual stimulation were great, forcing myself to do the readings was a bigger issue than when I was an undergrad. That isn't even mentioning the prejudice that faculty had against part-time students (we weren't serious enough about our studies, I was told). Financial aid and faculty support is more readily available for full-time students.
Karen
|