<p>I am going to begin undergrad this coming fall and I have calculated that by the time I graduate I will have no "extra" money for graduate school. Zip. Will I be able to go? I don't know what I want to study yet, and I know of a few options:</p>
<p>Uniformed Services Med School (if I want to become a psychiatrist)
...</p>
<p>Well, that's all I have off the top of my head. I love learning, though, and I don't want to be "locked out" so to speak just because I can't pay.</p>
<p>What can I do to make the affordable options in reach? Ex. do research/intern/lead clubs/etc.?</p>
<p>Well, you won’t be “locked out.” You’ll just have to take loans out or get a job like most grad students.</p>
<p>I also wouldn’t recommend going to grad school unless you’re completely sure of what you want to study. You should have a clear reason as to why you’re going. Perhaps you should work for a bit after you graduate so you get a better picture of exactly what you want to do (and also make some money).</p>
<p>Also, graduate school (particularly at the PhD level, but sometimes master’s as well) in the physical sciences is typically fully funded. Meaning, they pay your tuition and give you a stipend to live on, generally in return for service as a teaching assistant/research assistant/etc., or if you’re lucky and good, you can get a fellowship just to work on your own research. Often a combination of all three.</p>
<p>Grad school can be very expensive, or it can cost you nothing but your time (which isn’t nothing, of course). Figure this out once you have a better idea of what you want to do with yourself, but know that there are options if you’re interested in careers that require graduate degrees. Agree with johni00 though that you need to decide if grad school is even necessary for your career goals first.</p>
<p>FYI, if you want to go to med school, they are NOT usually funded. Med school is a totally different beast than graduate school (MD v. Masters or Ph.D)</p>
<p>Another option for med school, if you are interested in or don’t mind military service, is the Health Professions Scholarship Program. Three armed branches offer it (Army, Navy, Air Force) and they will pay for your med school tuition plus a stipend in exchange for a certain number of years of service as a doctor in one of the uniformed services.</p>
<p>But I agree that if you don’t know what to study yet, you should get a job and work first. Graduate school is a goal-directed pursuit intended to get you a job in a certain field. If you love learning, you can read a lot of books and attend talks and open fora in your area.</p>