Grad School Truths & Myths
锘匡豢Ask 10 people what they think of grad school, and you杏吧专区檒l probably get 10 different opinions.
There杏吧专区檚 a lot of grad school myths out there, but there杏吧专区檚 also a lot of grad school truths. Here杏吧专区檚 5 of each for you to think through as you consider your grad school options.
Truth #1: You may feel like you杏吧专区檝e started over.
When you get into grad school, you might think you杏吧专区檝e gained all the knowledge that杏吧专区檚 possible to learn about your field. Not so fast! It won杏吧专区檛 be long before you杏吧专区檒l learn that you杏吧专区檝e just scratched the surface. But that杏吧专区檚 a good thing---it杏吧专区檚 a whole new world in grad school! We all have much to learn, so upward and onward!
Truth #2: Your career essentially starts in grad school.
Sure, you may not be able to slap that new job title on your LinkedIn or start contributing to the 401K, but you should definitely think of grad school as your first job. Always go above and beyond, and think of it as your first step toward professional success. Give it your all and start your career off on the right foot.
Truth #3: It杏吧专区檚 lecture time!
Whatever the discipline,l you杏吧专区檒l be doing a LOT of reading and listening in grad school, so make sure you杏吧专区檙e okay with that. Even in more 杏吧专区渉ands-on杏吧专区 careers like art, theatre, and design, you杏吧专区檒l be learning the scholarship and taking in words of wisdom from professors who have put in many years to get where they are today...so take notes and keep those nuggets of knowledge filed away!
Truth #4: Your friends will also be your competition.
Another grad school truth: you杏吧专区檒l likely make close friends, but you杏吧专区檒l also go head-to-head with them for future jobs, teaching positions, grants and awards, and the like. When opportunity arises, you and your peers will likely all want to go after it, so be prepared to get in the ring with those you might have become close with.
Truth #5: Grades don杏吧专区檛 matter (as much).
Now don杏吧专区檛 get all excited too fast, you杏吧专区檒l still need to keep your grades up to get through and graduate. If you杏吧专区檙e heading into academia, you杏吧专区檒l definitely want to nail a solid GPA. But all that said, the work you produce, your research and publishable work, is far more important than squeaking out that 杏吧专区淎杏吧专区 when a 杏吧专区淏杏吧专区 and a top-notch project will give you a greater advantage.
Now on to the graduate school myths. What杏吧专区檚 just not true that you might have heard?
Myth #1: You won杏吧专区檛 have a social life.
Regardless of what I said about competition, you杏吧专区檒l make close friends in grad school, through all that shared effort and common vision. Sure, the 杏吧专区渟ocial life杏吧专区 might be over projects, late-night studying and piles of research, but the bonds you杏吧专区檒l form there could last a lifetime. Embrace your new social life, the friends made in graduate school could very well be your future coworkers, partners, and reviewers---or even your boss or employee.
Myth #2: Grad school isn杏吧专区檛 worth it if you didn杏吧专区檛 get into a top-shelf program.
Sure, maybe you杏吧专区檙e not calling Harvard or Yale home for that next degree, but an advanced degree isn杏吧专区檛 a waste of time just because you might not have been accepted into your top-pick school. When you杏吧专区檙e in that job interview, your future boss will want to see that you have the drive, passion, and persistence to succeed, and what school you went to will likely be immaterial.
Myth #3: In today杏吧专区檚 job market, a graduate degree won杏吧专区檛 do anything for you.
It depends on your field, but an advanced degree will definitely boost your earning potential and employability, and in some career paths, it杏吧专区檚 essential. Don杏吧专区檛 neglect the chance to build your profile, resume, and income potential. You杏吧专区檙e up for it.
Myth #4: It杏吧专区檚 too late to pursue graduate school.
Another common grad school myth: if you杏吧专区檝e waited a few years after undergrad, you missed your chance. Definitely not. In today杏吧专区檚 changing higher ed world, 杏吧专区渘ontraditional杏吧专区 will soon be an obsolete term, as students are studying more and more in part-time, online, or in hybrid approaches. Sure, you might take a bit more ramp-up time after a long hiatus, but it杏吧专区檚 not like you杏吧专区檙e moving back into the dorms. Ease into it and it杏吧专区檒l be worth it!
Myth #5: You can be full-time worker and full-time student.
Not so much. While some graduates degrees are actually specifically designed for working professionals (MBA, Accounting, Nursing), many are not. While you can probably hold down part-time work while studying, combining a full-time job and full load will put you a disadvantage on both fronts. So snag that coffee shop gig, or freelance on the side (or better yet, an assistantship or fellowship), but don杏吧专区檛 plan on working full-time.
There you have it---a five-on-five rundown of grad school truths versus myths. Now it杏吧专区檚 up to you to sort it out, and !