<p>I'm looking to pursue a masters program (maybe a Ph.D later), and I'm debating whether I should go straight into graduate school, or work for two years. By working two years, I'd earn some money and gain work experience. By going straight into graduate school, I give myself the opportunity of a smooth transition into graduate school, and graduate younger. </p>
<p>Any members here have experience with this situation?</p>
<p>*Program will pay for my tuition + $13,000 stipend.</p>
<p>I think it’s better to work because not only will you be gaining important experience you will also have gained income in order to pay for the expensive graduate school.</p>
<p>Work. You will understand so much more.</p>
<p>As the lone dissenter, I would suggest that if you do not have a career path where your graduate activities can be enhanced by an entry level job, go right ahead to grad school. If on the other hand, you are in a career where the stuff you would do in your time before grad school is immediately relevant, then by all means, take some time and build up your experience and maturity before grad school.</p>
<p>The stipend level that you mention sucks no matter where you are but I am impressed that you found a funded masters. Best of luck.</p>
<p>This is really hard to answer without knowing your field or career goals. Can you post any details?</p>
<p>^^ Yes, Kinglin, what field are your pursuing a masters in? And where do they give those stipends?</p>
<p>I am dissenting with belevitt. I wouldn’t put off grad school…Especially considering the economy right now.</p>
<p>If you haven’t found a job yet but have a program that is ready to take you, pay your tuition AND give a stipend for a Master’s–even if it’s not much, it’s kind of a sweet deal.
I took a year off before the Master’s and couldn’t get a job in my field, had to work a hob I hated and felt like I could have used the time better since my ultimate goal was always to go to grad school.</p>
<p>I think this depends on your field. My experience in Economics fromr 30 years ago is that those who didn’t go directly to graduate school had a great deal of trouble with the math and theory as they were out of practice “doing school”.</p>
<p>In a less academic more business oriented area, meaning one there are lots of non-academic jobs in, this may be less of an issue.</p>
<p>Is the job that you would be taking field-relevant?</p>
<p>I’m a fan of working (and I do, in fact, have personal experience with that path), but, for example, spending two years working as an office assistant is arguably not very useful if you want to get an advanced degree in, say, bioengineering. On the other hand, if you want to get an advanced degree in computer science, and have a job offer as a software engineer in the graphics division of a video game studio, I think that taking the job would be useful.</p>