Don’t try to dodge the recession with grad school

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A recession is typically a good time for graduate schools. Their application pool goes up because people see them as safe shelter from the storm. The scariest part of a down economy is the idea of having no income. Of course, graduate school does not solve for that. But graduate school does solve the second most scary thing about a bad economy: lack of a learning curve.

The more desperate you are for a job, the more likely you are to take a job that doesn’t teach you what you want to learn. And then you get to that job and you think, “Grad school could solve this problem.” But in fact, grad school creates larger, and more insurmountable problems. And some the problems you’re trying to solve with grad school might not be problems at all.

1. Grad school pointlessly delays adulthood.
The best thing you can do for yourself is take time to figure out who you are and where you fit in the world. No one teaches you that in school. You need to do it yourself. Grad school is a way to delay this process, rather than move you forward, according to Thomas Benton of the Chronicle of Higher Education. So instead of dodging tough questions by going back to school, try being lost. It’s normal, and honest, and you will end up with more self-knowledge and less debt than your grad-school counterparts, and in many cases, you will be similarly qualified for your next big job.

2. PhD programs are pyramid schemes
It’s very hard to get a job teaching at a university. And if you are not going to teach, why are you getting a degree? You don’t need a piece of paper to show that you are learning. Go read books after work. Because look: In the arts, you would have a better chance of surviving the Titanic than getting a tenure-track position; and once you adjust for IQ, education, and working hours, post-PhD science jobs are among the most low-paying jobs you could get.

3. Business school is not going to help 90% of the people who go.
Here’s the problem with business school. Most people want to work for themselves, but you can’t learn entrepreneurship in school — you have to learn by doing. And a business degree that is not from a top school is not going to get you very much at all, according to recruiting firm Challenger & Gray. Finally, Harvard Business School has acknowleged that if you are planning to downshift for kids around the time you are 30, your ability to leverage an MBA is drastically compromised.

4. Law school is a factory for depressives.
It used to be that if you had a law degree it was a ticket to a high salary and a safe career. Today many people go to law school and cannot find a job. This is, in a large part, because law school selects for people who are good with details and pass tests and law firms select for people who are good at marketing themselves and can drum up business. Law firms are in a transition phase, and they have many unfair labor practices leftover from older generations, for example, hourly billing and making young lawyers pay dues for what is, today, a largely uncertain future. Which might explain why the American Bar Association reports that the majority of lawyers would recommend that people not to go into law.

5. The medical school model assumes that health care spending is not a mess.
Medical school is extremely expensive, and our health care system does not pay enough to doctors for them to sanely accept the risk of taking $200,000 in debt to serve as doctors. Specialists like opthalmologists have great hours, and plastic surgeons have great salaries, but most doctors will be stuck in a system that is largely broken, and could easily break them financially — like OBGYNs who cannot afford to deliver babies in New York because they can’t afford the malpractice insurance with their salary.

6. Going to grad school is like going into the military.
Applications to the military increase in a bad economy in a disturbingly similar way that applications to graduate school do. For the most part, both alternatives are bad. They limit your future in ways you can’t even imagine, and they are not likely to open the kind of doors you really want. Military is the terrible escape hatch for poor kids, and grad school is the terrible escape hatch for rich kids.

7. Most jobs are better than they seem: You can learn from any job.
When I worked on a French chicken farm, I thought I’d learn French, but I didn’t, because I was so foreign to the French farm family that they couldn’t talk to me. However I did learn a lot of other things, like how to bargain to get the best job in the chicken coop, and how to get out of killing the bunnies. You don’t need to be learning the perfect thing in your job. You just need to be learning. Don’t tell yourself you need a job that gives your life meaning. Jobs don’t do that; doesn’t that make you feel better? Suddenly being in the workplace doesn’t seem so bad.

8. Graduate school forces you to overinvest: It’s too high risk.
In a world where people did not change careers, grad school made sense. Today, grad school is antiquated. You invest three to six extra years in school in order to get your dream career. But the problem is that not only are the old dream careers deteriorating, but even if you have a dream career, it won’t last. You’ll want to change because you can. Because that’s normal for today’s workplace. People who are in their twenties today will change careers about four times in their life. Which means that grad school is a steep investment for such a short period of time. The grad school model needs to change to adapt to the new workplace. Until then. Stay away.

Not sure if grad school is right for you? Penelope now offers 1 on 1 career coaching and can help you work through the toughest question of all: Is grad school worth it for you?

 

602 replies
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  1. Xavier
    Xavier says:

    The Message: Lawyers are depressing.  Medical school is too expensive.  You can’t be taught business.

    What is a person supposed to do to make a decent sustainable wage??  If you haven’t heard, our own government is disassembling unions that have allowed adequate wages while CEO’s make millions and take bail outs.

    Sure, on the job experience means a lot these days, but once people with degrees get in the door they generally earn more.  Heck, they will probably ask for more because they believe they are entitled and they will win.  My work experience has taught me that whiners normally get what they want.  People who have delayed entry into the adult world are experts at it:-)

  2. Xavier
    Xavier says:

    The Message: Lawyers are depressing.  Medical school is too expensive.  You can’t be taught business.

    What is a person supposed to do to make a decent sustainable wage??  If you haven’t heard, our own government is disassembling unions that have allowed adequate wages while CEO’s make millions and take bail outs.

    Sure, on the job experience means a lot these days, but once people with degrees get in the door they generally earn more.  Heck, they will probably ask for more because they believe they are entitled and they will win.  My work experience has taught me that whiners normally get what they want.  People who have delayed entry into the adult world are experts at it:-)

    • guest
      guest says:

      Agreed – there’s a cruel and literal purism there, about who should be doing what. Example: In a related radio interview, Ms Trunk said about MFAs and artist training: “If you’re good, you’ll make it, if you’re crap, school won’t help you get into galleries/publishing houses/cinemas” (or something to that effect, paraphrasing from memory). This is *just* ridiculous… You can hardly find a new writer of fiction who hasn’t been through an MFA. Good luck getting past an admin position at a film company without a film production degree. As for the art world… it’s a bubble like anything else, it relies on reputation, subjective appraisal of one’s value, and networking… all that capital is invaluable. 

      The alternative – ‘waking up to network every day’, as an unqualified admin person, with no demonstrable evidence of even passion for the subject – is psychologically implausible for all but the highly obsessed (and, somehow, wealthy… you can’t intern while you’re working retail.)

  3. Chuan_n
    Chuan_n says:

    The military paid for my undergrad (at a private university) in engineering, MBA, and taught me to fly, allowed me to travel to some spectacular places and meet great people and friends. The military may not be the right choice for many, but it certainly isn’t as bad a choice as you think (have you ever served?). Your arrogance and holier-than-thou attitude in your writing is sickening and I hate to think you actually influence young people. Not everyone can aspire to be a professional BLOGGER.

  4. Giulia
    Giulia says:

    I think all the people here seem to be so defensive because they either went to grad school (which I know I will do it eventually b/c I like the academics and research area) or they went to the military. It is crazy how people think their way is the best and find every single alternative to justify what they did. People, she isn’t saying that grad school is totally terrible and that you shouldn’t be a lawyer… she is saying that people shouldn’t go to grad school just because the economy is bad or you don’t know what to do with your life. As I read, she also went to grad school. 

    People don’t see the good of learning if they can’t attach to their resumes or have a GPA. I hope the world cares more about people and employees than that.

  5. Saskia
    Saskia says:

    When I first stumbled across your blog this evening I appreciated your straight talking manner and pragmatism. However, your views with regards to post-graduate learning are somewhat surprising.  Do you honestly believe that a good Master’s programme from a decent university doesn’t enhance one’s skill set or employability? Perhaps the hyperbole employed in your article detracts from the core message you are trying to get across. You said “The best thing you can do for yourself is take time to figure out who
    you are and where you fit in the world. No one teaches you that in
    school.” This is rather misleading. Do you really believe that it is possible to find yourself working on a chicken farm? I imagine that such a job would reveal the cruelty of intensive farming and the soulessness of factory work.
    Masters programmes urge you to use your strengths, understand your weaknesses and know your limitations, they require you to take yourself seriously and above all to start seeing yourself as a professional. They can provide you with enriching experience, a network and the satisfaction of achievement.
    Recessions come to an end eventually.

    I admire the fact that you have stirred debate but I believe that some of your blogging would benefit from more thoughtful, balanced reflection of the topics you cover – this article reads like a personal rant.

  6. Jack
    Jack says:

    Pretty sure that if you want to stay competitive in this economic environment, you better get more education under your belt..

  7. Chuck1789
    Chuck1789 says:

    You are completely wrong. Graduate school or school in general creates numerous opportunities other than the education. It enables those that take advantage of it to build a network and acts as a think tank for new ideas to try out or suceed from.

  8. Arobertson08
    Arobertson08 says:

    EXCELLENT advice! – from an entrepreneur who has hired people with MBAs and MAs – and found many to not be as qualified as some smart HS grads – who are much easier to train,   more supportive, and with some modicum of common sense!

  9. Texas Online Degree
    Texas Online Degree says:

    I agree with this post. I know that if any student want to do the business course.
    The student should gain only business knowledge in the duration of business course.
    Student should visit the many organization
     to see the work like– way of doing business,behavior ,process of business etc.
     If you live in Texas, you might want to consider applying to a program through a school that is actually located in Texas.
                                   In this blog , It has given the list of many business school. All the school has different subject. Texas business school  has some rules and regulation.

      Texas Online Degree

  10. mba review
    mba review says:

    I agree with this post. I know that if any student want to do the business course.
    The student should gain only business knowledge in the duration of business course.
    Student should visit the many organization
     to see the work like– way of doing business,behavior ,process of business etc  then you become a successful businessman . A successful businessman has these qualities.

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  11. Guest21
    Guest21 says:

    I agree with Anselmian2010, apan10, and any other people that hated this article, please stop giving out the wrong advice…oh I read your bio by the way.  Why are you against grad school so much when I seen YOU WENT TO A GRAD SCHOOL…fuck off your dumb…

  12. Catinthehat85
    Catinthehat85 says:

    I’m glad people like you exist, makes those of us with grad degrees worth more. Please keep on posting!

  13. apm
    apm says:

    Wow, I really disagree with most of this article. The one part that I do agree with is that business degrees of any sort are a waste of time, undergraduate or graduate. Too many people who have business degrees know little to nothing about anything of substance, and one learns about business by doing business. If one wants to do many other things in the world a higher degree is a requirement, even in the business world. I work in research for a fortune 500 company, where a majority have graduate level degrees, and graduate level degrees are a requirement. Only two of my four siblings don’t have graduate level degrees, and they are both entrepeneurs, self-taught computer programmers who have made it in the software world. The rest of us are, including our parents have graduate level degrees, and are all successful in our respective areas, including the fine arts. Education is not just about what you learn, but about who you meet along the way, and this can be an extremely important function of graduate school.

    Re: military–my father was a career military man who was first a naval aviator, and then became a surgeon. He was from a working class family, and was the first to go to college EVER. The military can be a wonderful way up in the world. I am a pacifist, myself, and wish that the US had mandatory service, and that people could choose to do social service or military service. All people would benefit from this experience during important formative years.

  14. Joan Miller
    Joan Miller says:

    I totally agree with this. I’m a Generation Y-er that graduated in Spring of 2009 and found that I was going nowhere fast. After taking a short internship, I had to return home and couldn’t find work doing ANYTHING, not even as a clerk at a peanut shop. I decided I would either go to Grad School or Culinary School because I HAD to get the Heck Outta Dodge and Grad School was NOT the right decision. I quit two months ago. On top of feeling like I’d wasted my money on a lackluster education and STILL have no experience in anything, I felt like the school took advantage of it’s grad students, prolonging their stays to get more money out of them. The only thing I got out of grad school was the interpersonal relationships — those that didn’t end up pissed at me for my outspokenness anyway.

  15. iamthewalrus
    iamthewalrus says:

    I know this was from forever ago- I agree experience is key, but there are always careers in which you need a masters. period!. social work, occupational therapy, speech therapy, special education, and etc… all great careers but you can not get a good career if you have a bach or no degree. social work you may not earn more but if you want to make a difference the jobs that are good need a MSW. although a good blog not everything you said is correct.

  16. iamthewalrus
    iamthewalrus says:

    also sometimes when getting our undergrad we scrape by and it is not specialized enough. specializing and getting specific in grad school can do wonders. I know that my undergrad is to general and I have to go to grad school if I wanna learn anything important.

  17. Weihnachtsmarkt
    Weihnachtsmarkt says:

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  18. Dennis
    Dennis says:

    Regarding Grad school, most folks look at it for only the short term payback, that is what job will it get me when I get out of school, that is short sighted thinking, one needs to consider the mid and long term payback of a graduate degree. Also, one needs to attend Grad school when they have the time and secondary the money. Once one enters the job market and has responsibilities (wife, kids, mortgage, car payments, etc…) one quickly realizes they are extremely short on time and odds are as one gets older one will not find any extra free time. One could look at a Grad degree as insurance, that is I would rather have a Grad degree and not use it than not have a Grad degree and need one. Regarding the mid to long term benefits of a Grad degree, it will open doors down the road, it will allow one to apply for positions that require grad degrees, and will also allow one to teach (at least at the Jr. College level) college, which might be a great way to semi-retire once one gets to the end of their career. Hopefully there ends up being short term benefits to a Grad degree, but there are certainly mid to long term benefits as one advances through life.

    • Ben
      Ben says:

      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.

  19. Audrey
    Audrey says:

    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.

    • Audrey
      Audrey says:

      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.

      • Dave
        Dave says:

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

  20. Dave
    Dave says:

    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.

  21. Fred
    Fred says:

    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!

  22. Faisal
    Faisal says:

    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.

  23. Grad School Student
    Grad School Student says:

    I am in graduate school now and I believe your reasons for not attending are opinions and not facts. Can you please provide peer reviewed articles that were written support each of your opinions?

  24. Apps
    Apps says:

    I did go to grad school and wonder why today. Jobs are scarce and it happens all too often that I get turned down because of “overqualification”.

  25. Doug Hatler
    Doug Hatler says:

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  26. Laura
    Laura says:

    I normally never comment on things such as this, but I felt that I must upon reading your “going to grad school is like joining the military” comparison.

    I was deeply offended by your portrayal of those that serve in the military as “poor kids looking for a way out”. My father served 30 years in the military doing nuclear propulsion. He now makes six figures out in the civilian world, and he does not have a bachelor’s degree.

    My father was a ‘poor kid’ and had nothing to look forward to. He chose the best option for himself, which was joining the armed forces to better himself and gain some discipline. He traveled the world and was introduced to many cultures and belief spectrums, and has thus become more well rounded than many of his “poor” friends that stayed behind and chose to work dead end jobs because they could not afford college.

    My brother joined the Air Force. He has his bachelor’s in Physics(paid for by the military) and is already close to owning his own home at the age of 33. He is an extremely intelligent individual, who just didn’t feel like college would be for him at first, he wanted to ‘have fun’ first. Our family is far from “poor”.

    The military has it’s problems. I will not deny that, and one should not join blindly; you must have a plan and a reason for joining and stay focused.

    I’ve been commissioned as an Officer in the Air Force and will leave for OTS after my college graduation this December. Do I feel like this is a bad decision made by a “poor kid in a bad economy?” No. I’m only 22, and I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I have no desire to frolick around working odd jobs until I one day say “a-ha! I’ve got it! I want to be a (insert occupation here)”. Along with that, I would have no money to pursue this said occupation. What’s so wrong with joining the military? Some people need time to mature.

    Also, you have to become an adult in the military. IT IN NO WAY SHIELDS YOU FROM DOING SO. The monthly salary isn’t fantastic, but all of the other benefits one receives makes up for it. Because of this, it’s easy to go crazy and spend, spend,spend on flashy electronics and cars that one cannot afford in the long run. So, you HAVE to gain some sense of responsibility with the money you make.

    As a previous poster said, the military isn’t perfect and yes, depending on the branch you join, it can be limiting. But to overgeneralize and to state that this is always so is silly, and shows a lack of a complete understanding of the military.

    Of all of the people I’ve met that chose to join the military, maybe about two out of the thirty stated that they regretted joining. My father doesn’t regret it, and neither does my brother.

    I do agree that going to Grad school is a bad way to escape the recession, even worse when you don’t know what you want to do. Joining the military to escape the recession CAN be equally as bad…but less so than the grad school option due to the benefits, the time given to mature, and the money earned to further your education when you DO discover what you want to do with your life. The previous few statements are my own personal opinions.

  27. Merydian
    Merydian says:

    Man you make some pretty out there comments and accusations. If you’re going to make such claims you need to site a whole lot more of information to back them up.

    This mostly seems like opinion and VERY one sided. You sound very pessimistic about everything and didn’t say anything good about anything (another reason you sound more like you’re giving your opinion rather than making statements based on facts)

    Maybe what you’re saying works for some but for other, business school for example, will teach them some of the basics of what they need to know and could possibly speed up the “school of hard knocks” and maybe even spare them from some of those knocks.

    The advice you are give may work for some but I bet if everyone stuck with you’re advice, then most of them would fail (my opinion).

  28. PrinceAliBaba
    PrinceAliBaba says:

    I’m glad I read this and the 50-60 comments for different perspectives on graduate school. I wanted to go to graduate school just so I have something to do… a linear path for “success.”

    I had signed up for the GRE and wasn’t proud of my score. Instead of retaking it I decided to save my $195.00 in better things.

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