Delaying grad school?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello all. Not exactly my place to be here, seeing as I'm still only a freshman. However, my curiosity has brought me here today. </p>

<p>My plan is to end up at Graduate school (for which area, I'm not exactly sure). I've heard that instead of starting grad school right after undergrad years, some people intentionally wait a year or two, or even more in certain situations. They've explained that this is to build up professional experience in their job fields before pursuing higher level education. I'd say that's a fair point, but there's probably a bunch I don't know about this process. </p>

<p>My questions is this: is it common for people to take a few years off before pursuing grad school? In that respect, is it uncommon for others to immediately start grad school? Does one have greater benefits in the long run as opposed to short term benefits, or would this be left up to the individual to decide? </p>

<p>I would like some insight as to what some of you grad school attendants think about this? </p>

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<p>In 2015, my dad will have been an engineering professor for 50 years. He has mentored many, many students through the years. He always advises them to go straight to grad school, because he seen a lot of people PLAN on going back, and then never making it. And you learn SO much in grad school. Hopefully you can get a research assistantship that will help you take care of the cost.</p>

<p>I went straight through school. My husband wandered around during his 20s and didn’t get to grad school until he was 30. We met when he came to grad school at UT. We joke that he had to wander around for a few years so that I could grow up by the time we met!</p>

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<p>@MaineLonghorn‌ </p>

<p>A bit off topic, but I would appreciate it all the same, what exactly do you do in grad school? I’ve heard many different things, ranging from independent research, working with or under a professor, to teaching classes, and even taking classes as well. I’ll admit, I’m a bit confused as to what exactly one does in grad school. Is it appropriate to say it is undergrad 2.0, or something similar? </p>

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<p>No, grad school is different than undergrad. You take only a couple of classes, and they are very challenging. For example, as a structural engineering student, I learned a lot about the “why” of building codes, not just the “how.” On top of the classes, you would probably work on a big research project under the direction of a professor. My project was to test a specific type of polymer concrete (plastic is added to concrete to make it stronger and more durable). I crushed, stretched, heated, cooled, ETC. that stuff! Then I had to write a thesis about the research. It took about a year and a half.</p>

<p>You can also work as a teaching assistant. I don’t know if people ever teach AND do research - you could call a few schools and ask. </p>

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<p>@MaineLonghorn‌ </p>

<p>I see, thanks for clearing that up. I feel excited for grad school now, but I gotta wait my 4 years until then. </p>

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<p>When I am asked, a lot of undergrads say that they are afraid this will happen. My response to this is always: if you planned to go back but didn’t - that must be because you didn’t need to. You were happy enough with whatever you decided to do instead that you didn’t need to get a graduate degree. If you want go back, you will. One also can learn SO much by working and getting work experience; in fact, in some fields, you might actually learn more on the job than you do in the classroom. Furthermore, in many careers experience is valued more than a higher degree. For example, nobody wants to hire an MBA with no years of experience; virtually all top MBA programs basically require 2-5 years of experience before they admit you. In many other professional programs like MPP, MIA, MPA, MPH, and increasingly JDs, most of the successful applicants have some post-college experience.</p>

<p>So yes, it’s completely normal to take time off in between college and grad school. It is, indeed, an individual decision - that is also partially determined by your credentials and your field. For example, in my field (psychology) it’s common for people to do it both ways. Some people have done enough research in undergrad that they are competitive straight out of college. Others need to work in research for 2-3 years after college in order to be competitive.</p>

<p>Another thing: graduate school is a means to an end. It can be enjoyable and you can learn a lot, but the point of a graduate degree is to help you enter a career field that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to enter without a graduate degree - not just to collect the degree or say that you did it. It’s not an opportunity to explore a new area; it’s a time to specialize and learn skills to move into a career. With that said, I would say if a person doesn’t know what area they want to study, they definitely need to take some time off after college.</p>

<p>First of all, remember that most people don’t ever get graduate degrees. Most bachelor’s degree holders have long fulfilling careers without ever getting one.</p>

<p>Second of all, let your career interests guide your educational decisions, not the other way around. If you are, let’s say, a nursing major and you want to work on the hospital floor as a nurse - you don’t need a graduate degree immediately, and you might not ever need one. In fact, you will have more value with years of experience than you would with an MSN and no experience. But if you’re a chemistry major who wants to be an epidemiologist, then yes, you’ll need to get an MPH relatively soon (although you could still probably benefit from ~2-3 years of work experience).</p>

<p>Third of all, take your time. If you’re just a freshman, relax and focus on getting through undergrad. You can come back to the topic in your junior year.</p>

<p>As for some of your other questions:</p>

<p>1) No, it’s not like undergrad 2.0. It’s quite different. In a master’s program, you will take more specialized courses; all of your courses will be in your major field, and most will be targeted towards a specific area. For example, for a master’s in public health, all of your classes will be public health classes, and if your specialization is epidemiology most of your classes will be in epidemiology. If you’re specifically interested in cancer epidemiology, a good chunk of your classwork will be in that, see? But you won’t have to take PE or English or a foreign language class to full general ed requirements. You only work on relevant coursework. (A PhD is more different still.)</p>

<p>2) Yes, many people teach and do research at the same time. I did; most PhD students do at some point in their programs.</p>

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<p>It also really depends on the field. For example in studio art it is very rare for anyone to be admitted to grad school from undergrad. Most students attend a 1 or 2 year post-bac program which you intensely prepare your portfolio for grad school admission, very difficult to do while in undergrad with other responsibilities and the primary purpose of a post-bac program is the transition from undergrad to grad school. My d went to grad school after 1 year of post-bac and she was one of the youngest in her grad school program. Many others had been artists working in related jobs or had their own studio practice and were over 30 however they needed the grad degree to be considered for any type of teaching position.</p>

<p>Psychology is another field in which you generally need two years of internship or volunteer work in some related capacity before applying. Family friend’s d is just finishing up ph.d in field and had four years of related experience when applying. Her program is 4-5 years. Friend of d’s is finishing up Master’s program now and had 2 years of volunteer/related experience before applying to grad school. </p>

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<p>@bookmama22‌ </p>

<p>What about undergrads in ‘hard’ sciences or engineering? Do they usually requires that much post-bac experience before being accepted by top grad school programs?</p>

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<p>From my experience as a parent and professor, I would say that in physics, chemistry and biology, the normal route is to go graduate school just after college. My impression is that in engineering it is more mixed because engineering programs appreciate their students having had work experience. </p>

<p>All of this is dependent on individual circumstances. My oldest son is a Ph.D. student in evolutionary biology and he took a year off after his B.S. to get field experience and then two more after his M.S. his fiance, however, went straight through from her B.S. in the same general field.</p>

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<p>@xraymancs‌ </p>

<p>I’m a bit troubled now, since it sounds like my intended major (which is in engineering) will likely require work experience. What kind of work experience do you mean? Does researching and/or interning count for work experience?</p>

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<p>I’m not in engineering, so I’m going to let @xraymancs answer the question. (In general, it’s my understanding that research and internships do not count as much as actual full-time, post-college work experience.)</p>

<p>However…don’t be troubled! There’s nothing wrong with getting work experience, and it can be a very enriching experience. You can bring everything that you learn into the classroom with you, which can enhance your understanding of the graduate material.</p>

<p>A lot of undergrads are worried about being ‘old’ after they graduate if they wait to go to graduate school. That was one of the things that motivated me to go straight to grad school after undergrad (which, for me, if I were to do it all over I would’ve taken a few years off in between). My comment on that is that at 21 you don’t really know what “old” is yet - the idea of 30 is scary, but I’m 28 now and I realize how young 30 really is, lol. Even if after you graduate at 22 you work for 3 years and then go back to a 2-year master’s program at 25, you’ll be just 27 when you finish. That’s still quite young!</p>

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<p>No, it does not require work experience. My point is that having work experience (not internship) will not impede your ability to get into a graduate program. It might even help boost your application. It is also possible that just coming out of college, an individual might not be 100% convinced that a graduate degree of a specific kind is the next step. A couple of years of work experience could clarify the situation. I have seen a lot of students come back after working in my field (physics) and they usually do very well because they are convinced enough to leave a job to do so. I would contend that if you are afraid that you won’t be willing to leave a job for graduate school, then maybe you are not ready to make the commitment right now. </p>

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<p>@xraymancs‌ </p>

<p>I see your point, but there’s a bit of a problem for me if I took that route. </p>

<p>Currently, my scholarship allows for up to 10 years of funding. That means it covers all of undergrad and above (grad school, etc.). While I can request deferment to take time off, at most many of the people who do are only allowed a year or two (in extreme cases) of deferment before the scholarship is revoked. That is why I was keen to enter grad school right after undergrad. </p>

<p>Also, another quick question (a bit off topic). What jobs do engineers and physicists with a B.S. get? I assumed that research jobs are given to those with Phd’s and M.S. degrees, so I’ll admit I’m curious. </p>

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<p>@NotYetEngineer</p>

<p>If you have external constraints, then those need to be factored into your decision making process. As i said, I have seen students do it both ways.</p>

<p>As for employment. With a B.S. engineers can find jobs in industry, not in research. The same goes for physics majors. If you want a career in research then a Ph.D. is likely required but is not sufficient. lots of Ph.D. engineers and physicists end up working in non-research jobs too.</p>