Comments on: Don't try to dodge the recession with grad school

By: Faisal

Faisal — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:39:16 +0000

Reading all this, I am now more concerned about my decision to go for masters in mechanical engineering right after my bachelors. I believe I have a good chance to get a job after my graduation but masters would expose me to things that we never touched in our undergraduate courses.

By: Career Planning in High School: Pros & Cons |

Career Planning in High School: Pros & Cons | — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:32:35 +0000

[...] is this information antiquated? According to a blog post by Penelope Trunk, unlike in the past, young people today will change careers about four times in [...]

By: Fred

Fred — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:29:34 +0000

I can't fully agree with your findings. I have a bachelors in fine arts and have decided to go back to grad school at 32 for a degree in health administration.i work as a GM in the restaurant business and need to get out. After 10 years of 45 to 65 work weeks and little job security, long nights, no weekends and no private life I wake up first telling myself I wish I was dead. Fact is I make good money, have more cash than almost anyone my age , debt free and an amazing credit score. Fuck it, this industry sucks and labor laws just don't seem to reach deep enough into the world of corporate food. Almost everyone I know in healthcare loves the opportunities and quality of life it has provided. Even though I disagree I'll let it slide cause your hot. Cheers!

By: The Value of a Master’s Degree in Engineering « Stuff about work

The Value of a Master’s Degree in Engineering « Stuff about work — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:21:44 +0000

[...] Trunk has written a lot about the value of grad school. Or, more specifically, how there is no value. She does focus her argument around [...]

By: irene

irene — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:39:59 +0000

i don't understand what options this leaves…Mcdonalds?

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:03:54 +0000

good point. Students outlay tons of money then don't realize how difficult or impossible it can be to complete the program.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:00:56 +0000

I know 5 people who are or were in grad school. They all have/had longterm mental
blocks and meltdowns. If a person has the money and the program is easy. OK. Some
professors have said that a lot of students
shouldn't be there. If you don't have the
appropriate smarts try something else.

By: Audrey

Audrey — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:40:27 +0000

Oh nevermind, I see now that others have posted recently. Lol. I was going to add also that you should try to stay away from private loans if you are ultimately deciding to fo to grad school. Federal loans offer the IBR (Income Based Repayment) system…that is the only way to go. DO NOT take out private loans for something you are unsure about pursuing. They have the strictest repayment schedules and don't care if you're unhappy in your field. Lol.

By: Audrey

Audrey — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:33:29 +0000

This comment comes 2 years after the latest comment was posted, lol. I agree 100% with you on the negative aspects of going to grad school to skip joblessness. I was accepted to 3 graduate programs in Advertising/Public Relations in the Northeast directly after earning an undergrad. I accepted admission to one of them and was ready to find out about their financial aid package. Well, come to find out they didn't offer ANY financial aid for this program. It would cost 150k total for a Master's (including housing etc) in essentially communications. I was lucky enough to have input from family members who laughed at the cost and told me basically not to do it for fear of the student debt. Looking back, it would have been a financially crippling move to take on that much debt for a graduate degree in communications and I'm glad I didn't do it. I've worked 3 different jobs after college and though none of them have been perfect or even anything in my field of choice, at least I'm earning money to pay of my undergrad debt instead of taking on more. At the end of the day you have to pay back the loans whether you finish or not. The American education system is broken when people who attend grad school to become professionals are living paycheck to paycheck. We've come into an era where the cost of living is simply unattainable and education is no guarantee of upward social mobility; in fact, I would say that it's a guarantee of living in indentured servitude until your loan is fully paid off. Sad, but true.

By: Ben

Ben — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:39:36 +0000

Thank you for that, Dennis. I subscribed to comments on this thread and this is probably the best one I've seen. That's a great perspective on grad school that I never thought of. I already sort of feel that way about my undergrad experience, except perhaps the opportunities I've gotten from it are less dramatic. It feels like insurance in the sense that I know I won't have to take more undergrad classes in order to go to grad school. I feel for people who haven't completed undergrad, because, the fact is, grad school is a lot more suited to the adult lifestyle than undergrad is. I feel fortunate that, at 27, I don't have to worry about completing any annoying undergrad requirements.