Also, would you prefer to be 24 with a Master’s degree or 24 without a Master’s degree? Either way you will be 24.
@stradmom I wish that were entirely true…
You’re fortunate enough to be that young going into your Master’s Degree. But not just fortunate, it shows that you’re driven to succeed early as well as pick up experience and maturity along the way. I knew a guy who had his PhD at 21 and worked with me at a Big 10 consulting firm. He was extremely immature and nobody took him seriously. It took 10 years before he started being promoted to a position commensurate with his education.
Again, good for you for succeeding at such a young age. I am 50 years old, just completing a few AA’s, and trying desparately to get a final chance at completing my bachelor’s degree at a university. I blew it when I was young and ran into major roadblocks trying to succeed without a degree. It was my dream as well to have my PhD at 21 when I went off to Cal Poly, SLO at 16. But dreams change along the way as life happens. I am thankful for the lessons that life has taught me.
Don’t forget that not everybody has your circumstance or the opportunity to complete higher education, whether it be financial, social, cultural, or any of the many other reasons why. Be proud of yourself for where you are in life and walk with confidence, celebrating your accomplishments and successes.
Good luck with your continued success and your future endeavors!
For an MBA or MSW it would be unusual to have one by 23/24 actually
Literally, this isn’t a race. It never was. Never will be.
I’ll be the contrarian. Life can get in the way: SO/kids. Even without those commitments, it can be difficult to readjust your lifestyle to a grad student stipend after working for a few years. If you’re sure you want a Master’s, then I would go straight through. The exception would be a MBA where the better schools will expect you to already have some work experience.
One thing to consider is family planning and timing. I wanted to make sure I had completed my MBA, graduated from the bank officer development program, and had a permanent assignment before we had children.
Why are people so obsessed with this “right age” thing? It’s bizarre to me.
Anyway, I was 24 when I finished my master’s and I was by far one of the youngest people in the program.
ETA: And to contradict roeth up there, MANY, MANY people go into a master’s program or PhD program with children or an SO and do just fine.
My SO has gone along for both the master’s and PhD ride and we’re currently contemplating the kid thing.
^I’ve known people who worked full time, did a Master’s part time, and raised young kids at the same time. They may have done fine in their courses. However, almost all of them wished they had gotten their Master’s out of the way when they were younger and had fewer responsibilities.
Some Masters programs prefer that applicants work a few years before enrolling
I personally think that working full-time brings perspective, a better appreciation for education, and a change of pace. That even goes for a bachelor’s. Granted, I got my MBA before I had children (I had children pretty late) and there are arguments to be made for that. However, these days (and definitely for men though for many women as well), not having kids until after 30 is pretty common. That leaves your entire 20’s for some combination of work and schooling.
IMO, ideally, from after HS graduation until you have kids should be a mixture of both work and schooling.
So then the issue wasn’t his being young per se, it was his acting young and betraying his own competence. People don’t care about your age but not conducting yourself in an appropriate manner for the workplace is a form of incompetence as is being poor at demonstrating your competence.
It’s common as it’s best to take a break after years of continuous education.