When I was in college, I remember thinking of grad school often. Should I go? A lot of my friends are doing it (Furman is known for being an extremely heavy grad-school following post-grad kind of school), so is that the right move? What will I even study?
I think a lot of college students ask themselves these same questions, and although I made the decision to start working right after school, it was not until recently that I learned why the decision I made was the right one for me. Here are some great takeaways from YoPros like you if you are questioning whether to go to grad school right after undergrad or if you think you are ready to go back to school as a young professional.
1. If you’re not sure about grad school, just wait.
Katherine (Taylor) Jennings, a 26-year-old Doctor of Pharmacy in Winston Salem, North Carolina, says that you should wait until you know what you want to do. It is easy to select a degree after college, but unless you have thought about this degree for a long time like Katherine, it’s better to wait and save your money.
2. Nothing good comes easy.
Madison Wolfe, a 26-year-old Project Lead (Health Care Administration) in Greenville, South Carolina, has always known she would get her MBA. She shares that if you’re thinking about getting your master’s while working full time, think about why you are choosing to go back to school first. It’s hard, but you can do hard things if you take care of yourself and find a nice balance – and support system – that works for you.
3. Take advantage of the opportunities in front of you.
If you think this is the right step, Rebecca Lankford, a 26-year-old Director of Senior High Ministry and Masters of Theology Candidate in Birmingham, Alabama, urges you to just do it. If you can balance your time and financials appropriately to make this happen, there is no better time than the present.
Although I am not a huge fan of the word balance (I just think we need to find our boundaries and stick to them, recognizing that it will shift), you’ll see that several of the YoPros above mention it in their words of advice. However, when it comes to getting another degree while working full-time, maybe it makes sense to use that word here. Remember to consider your financial situation and your time situation, and if it doesn’t make sense for you now, remember that you can reassess it at another time. If you know this is something you need to get to your next career and the above criteria has been checked out, then I reiterate what Rebecca says and say to you:
There is no time like the present.
