Comments on: Seven reasons why graduate school is outdated

By: I’m not going « Fadeawaydagger's Weblog

I’m not going « Fadeawaydagger's Weblog — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:28:04 +0000

[...] read Seven reasons why graduate school is outdated by Penelope Trunk [emphasis added]. Graduate school is an extension of childhood. Thomas Benton, [...]

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:39:35 +0000

I really don't understand where your information comes from! Have you REALLY been reading job advertisements and applying for work anywhere before you wrote this?

Grad school, I agree, would be an enormous waste of time and money for myself, but lets face it; the gate holders for MOST desirable positions either have Master's degrees or INSIST their candidates have such even before being considered.

How can you blaze your own trail, unless you are privledged with a trust fund or have someone supporting your highly unprofitable time of exploration and experimentation?

I am near 50, but have several decades of real and valuable expertise which is being jettisoned by interviewers the SECOND I set down (unquestionably due to my age), so please spare me the old saw of experience and determination overcoming obstacles in the workplace, because factors like medical group rates increases trump everything in this economy.

I don't think there is a grad school out there that could teach me much about my field of expertise, but you need to acknowledge that the concepts of life-experience and actual competence do not matter anymore to HR personnel who use templates and word recognition software to initially vet their interview choices.

I don't think you know what you are talking about.

By: Elida Wood

Elida Wood — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:09:25 +0000

Your arguments about why one should not go to graduate school sound pretty convincing. However, from someone who actually skipped on a higher education, threw himself into working and has now returned to school to finish his degree, I’m not so sure about how valid these points actually are. No matter how much you fight it, the truth remains that a college education is the best possible way to insure higher earning power after graduation. There are a number of different majors to choose from, all paying differently but on the whole, a college graduate will earn more money than those who do not have a college education or degree. In fact, in keeping with the increase in demand by mature students, colleges are offering more options for students who wish to return to their education even after they have entered the work force. People now realize that it is never too late to increase your earning potential or improve your chances of being promoted by seeking a higher education. Whether it’s people taking a break from their jobs or switching careers and resuming their education or adults who return to complete education that was left unfinished the first time around, schools now offer special accelerated and online degree programs. This allows even more options for those students who are juggling careers, family, and their education. The truth of the matter is that there are no disadvantages to graduating with a college degree. Along with increasing one’s earning potential and promotion potential, the most important improvement occurs with one’s self-image. A college education gives one a sense of accomplishment and confidence that may be just what is needed in your professional and personal life.

By: natalie

natalie — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:53:35 +0000

I am currently in the end-stages of a cognitive science phd, and while I love my subject area, I do not like the pace and temper of academic research. So…I agree that grad school is a pyramid scheme. I agree that it prolongs childhood. I agree there are many reasons NOT to go, but only GOING has made me realize that loving to learn and loving my subject area and being capable of doing quality research are NOT enough. So now what do I do? Your blog doesn't really address what to do when you FINISH grad school, and it was through that process that you realized the academic life is not for you. You make it sound like having a phd will be a blight on my resume, so please tell me how to overcome this blight. I have no debt, since they paid me to do my degree, and I have expert knowledge. That's not really so bad is it? Besides berating grad school, although I agree with many of your criticisms, I'd love to hear some advice for those of us moving away from an academic career.

By: The Value of an MBA « Work the Divide

The Value of an MBA « Work the Divide — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:16:13 +0000

[...] Trunk, one of my favorite career bloggers, thinks that graduate school is totally unnecessary. I disagree. For someone like me, I finished university with a degree in foreign affairs and a [...]

By: What is grad school for a consultant (or practicing software engineer) at JAW Speak

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:15:26 +0000

[...] http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/06/18/seven-reasons-why-graduate-school-is-outdated Grad School isn't needed, and it causes more harm than good. Too much focus. Careers change too much. Experience trumps prolonged childlike academic sheltering. (Note: My opinion isn't so harsh. Your grad school might not apply, it depends on what you want to do). [...]

By: Dig Faster

Dig Faster — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:45:24 +0000

Hi Penelope,
As a graduate student 2 weeks from finishing my Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences field, I have to chime in and say that I couldn't agree with you more – every bullet point was spot on. Science (and grad school in general) totally sucks. I see all these thousands of Ph.D.'s and feel just absolute disdain for them – a bunch of losers. I was fortunate to have something else as a backup in case science ended up being a dead-end (which it basically is), and I'll be going down a more professional route than the academic route (bunch of losers, did I mention that before?). All I can hope to gain from my Ph.D. is to leverage the "prestige" of it as much as it can relate to my backup profession. So, not a total loss. A total loss would have been if I had just gone to grad school thinking it was a cool thing to do.

On another note, I'm a recent subscriber to your blog, and am now a big fan. Your stories are honest, insightful, and compelling. I applaud you. Cheers!

Dig

By: New York Forum

New York Forum — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:34:04 +0000

My personal opinion is that if you want to be a doctor or lawyer then you HAVE TO go to grad school. However, for those that pursue business school if you are not going to an ivy league school (looks good on resumes) then I think it is pointless. Business school can NOT teach you to hustle and work hard, that is up to the individual. If there is something that really interests you then just go for it. Text books will not teach you how to motivate yourself to land a deal. An example of a great businessman and entrepreneur would be Gary Vaynerchuck (check his wine library tv site).

By: Career Advice: Dan Schwabel vs Penelope Trunk | Viralogy Blog

Career Advice: Dan Schwabel vs Penelope Trunk | Viralogy Blog — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:25:31 +0000

[...] that grad school should only happen if you are ABSOLUTELY sure why you want it. Besides saying that graduate school is outdated, she states that advanced degrees in the Humanities are worthless, MBAs are only useful if you get [...]

By: mr luggage

mr luggage — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:43:50 +0000

this blog post is just terrible. its obvioulsy bbeen writen by someone who has not attended graduate school. We all go to university to gain knowledge in order to seperate ourselfs, in a way, from those who do not go. Education is a signaling device for perspective employers, the more of it you have the better your chances are of doing better. This author clearly doesnt know anything about about economic theories on the subject, even though he is quoting people with an economic background, who by the way must have attended graduate school………