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Like many poor, unfortunate 22-year-old souls, upon graduating from my MA(hons) Business Studies and Law, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do with my life. On top of everything, the economy was not looking great; headlines such as: “5000 applicants Per graduate job ” and “youth unemployment at an all-time high” were flying in from every direction. In truth, it was a pretty depressing time. *Cue tragic violin solo*
As my 4-year degree was somewhere between an undergrad and a postgrad, I put some serious consideration to the question, "should I go to grad school?" I wanted the qualification to help me stand out from the crowd of graduates all desperately in need of a job. Plus, another year of living the student life sounds pretty appealing…
But should I go to grad school?
Here are five questions I asked myself:
1) How are my finances looking?
After four years of accommodation, international student tuition fees and generally not being very responsible with my money (and being too scared to check my balance most of the time), I was going to have to find some funding in order to continue for another year. If I were to take out a loan, how long would it take for me to pay it back? Would I need to apply for a scholarship? If so, where’s the best place to find one?
Whilst I don’t believe anyone’s quest for knowledge should be ultimately hindered by financial constraints, these are practical questions you should be asking yourself to avoid getting into any unnecessary debt.
2) Am I really passionate about the subject? Or am I just looking for something to do for a year?
After four years studying towards a combined degree, the knowledge I gained was very broad, to say the least. My study modules ranged from Medical Jurisprudence and Environmental Law to Advertising and Statistical Analysis. I definitely found some topics more interesting than others, but was there anything I’m particularly passionate about? A master's or a PhD is usually quite specialized and can require a lot of self-directed research. Do you love the subject enough to remain motivated?
3) Where should I go for grad school?
Let’s say you’ve decided on a course discipline, now where’s the best place to go for it? No two grad schools offer identical course material no matter how niche your chosen topic is. Universities often like to retain their undergrad students by offering them a discount for a master's, but does that mean it’s the right place for you? See how university rankings can help with picking a grad school.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I was considering a master's because I thought it could help me stand out from the crowd in a job hunt. Take some time to think about exactly why you're asking "should I go to law school?" Is it purely to pursue a passion? Or are you hoping the extra qualification can help you in your job search/improve salary prospects in the long term?
5) Should I go to grad school now?
A lot of students feel the pressure to continue with their studies straight after a Bachelors in order to avoid a potential knowledge gap; fearing that the longer they’re away from full-time study, the harder it will be to ‘get back into the swing of things’. Others believe some time off academia might help them appreciate the value of a graduate degree more and they will therefore be more motivated to study harder.
If you're still asking yourself "Should I go to grad school?" it helps to speak to some admissions directors or alumni of programs to which you’re thinking of applying. Check out the schedule for the QS World Grad School Tour and see whether your dream school is coming to your city in the new few months.
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Should I go to Grad School?
Vickie Chiu
Updated Oct 13, 2016Save
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Like many poor, unfortunate 22-year-old souls, upon graduating from my MA(hons) Business Studies and Law, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do with my life. On top of everything, the economy was not looking great; headlines such as: “5000 applicants Per graduate job ” and “youth unemployment at an all-time high” were flying in from every direction. In truth, it was a pretty depressing time. *Cue tragic violin solo*
As my 4-year degree was somewhere between an undergrad and a postgrad, I put some serious consideration to the question, "should I go to grad school?" I wanted the qualification to help me stand out from the crowd of graduates all desperately in need of a job. Plus, another year of living the student life sounds pretty appealing…
But should I go to grad school?
Here are five questions I asked myself:
1) How are my finances looking?
After four years of accommodation, international student tuition fees and generally not being very responsible with my money (and being too scared to check my balance most of the time), I was going to have to find some funding in order to continue for another year. If I were to take out a loan, how long would it take for me to pay it back? Would I need to apply for a scholarship? If so, where’s the best place to find one?
Whilst I don’t believe anyone’s quest for knowledge should be ultimately hindered by financial constraints, these are practical questions you should be asking yourself to avoid getting into any unnecessary debt.
2) Am I really passionate about the subject? Or am I just looking for something to do for a year?
After four years studying towards a combined degree, the knowledge I gained was very broad, to say the least. My study modules ranged from Medical Jurisprudence and Environmental Law to Advertising and Statistical Analysis. I definitely found some topics more interesting than others, but was there anything I’m particularly passionate about? A master's or a PhD is usually quite specialized and can require a lot of self-directed research. Do you love the subject enough to remain motivated?
3) Where should I go for grad school?
Let’s say you’ve decided on a course discipline, now where’s the best place to go for it? No two grad schools offer identical course material no matter how niche your chosen topic is. Universities often like to retain their undergrad students by offering them a discount for a master's, but does that mean it’s the right place for you? See how university rankings can help with picking a grad school.
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4) What do I hope to gain from the degree?
As I mentioned at the beginning, I was considering a master's because I thought it could help me stand out from the crowd in a job hunt. Take some time to think about exactly why you're asking "should I go to law school?" Is it purely to pursue a passion? Or are you hoping the extra qualification can help you in your job search/improve salary prospects in the long term?
5) Should I go to grad school now?
A lot of students feel the pressure to continue with their studies straight after a Bachelors in order to avoid a potential knowledge gap; fearing that the longer they’re away from full-time study, the harder it will be to ‘get back into the swing of things’. Others believe some time off academia might help them appreciate the value of a graduate degree more and they will therefore be more motivated to study harder.
If you're still asking yourself "Should I go to grad school?" it helps to speak to some admissions directors or alumni of programs to which you’re thinking of applying. Check out the schedule for the QS World Grad School Tour and see whether your dream school is coming to your city in the new few months.
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