Graduate school is not a walk in the park. There are many lasting implications that become evident when one begins to consider graduate school education as the next step in furthering his or her career. Social, emotional and financial challenges aside, graduate school takes a lot of planning, a lot of dedication and, of course, a lot of time. Even beyond the initial planning and application processes, graduate school is a demanding little beast that requires commitment. Graduate school, unlike its many undergraduate counterparts, is not about partying and drinking; it requires a more mature mindset and is definitely now for everyone. With the challenges and obstacles in full view, it may seem almost unreasonable to even consider graduate school as an option; still thousands of us take on the challenge every year.
"Ugh, I could never go back to school. Why are you doing this?" is what I heard many of my friends exclaim upon finding out that I have made the choice to enroll in graduate school. The friends with jobs and cars and apartments who go on vacations and party every weekend questioned my sanity when I told them that within several months I would be packing everything up and moving several states away to attend a graduate school, notorious for its demanding and time-consuming courses. I could understand why my friends were feeling that confusion as I, myself, was not sure of what I was getting myself into. Taking a year off between graduating from an undergraduate institution and getting a feel for the real world was almost enough to make me forget about my previous desires of getting a master's degree. Earning enough money to sustain myself and to be able to afford certain luxuries was inebriating enough for me to become enamored with a grown-up life style. Yet, in the end, I went with my gut feeling and studied for those GRE's, wrote those essays and sent in those applications, hoping to receive an acceptance letter from an institution of my choice.
Indeed it did arrive one day in a crispy white envelope. The welcoming package informed me about everything I needed to know about the program I was applying for and contained all the facts I needed to know about the school itself. It was time to say goodbye to the leisurely life style of the every day and return to books and tests. It was time to go to graduate school.
The decision I made and the motions that I was going through as I was making it are similar to the many experiences of other people who decide to apply to a graduate school and, moreover, accept the consequences of their decision. With graduate school, education should be the primary goal, as any other reasons can make an individual's life very miserable for the next however many years they are confined to their grad school environment.
The social implications become evident right away even before the course load begins to hit its students like piles of brick. While friends and loved ones are out having a good time on a Friday night, graduate students are often slaving away on their papers, proposals, and research documents. The age-old "Where should I go out tonight?" question becomes quickly replaced with "How will I get all of this work done on time?" The social life, as a result, winds down and only peeks its head out of the sand occasionally, every few weeks or so. There are people who still find time to relax and take time off from a demanding load of graduate school the bulk of the time, however, is spent on school work and other school related activities.
Another social hardship is the fact that success in graduate school depends on the relationships developed with the professors and faculty members. In other words, while in undergraduate school it was sufficient enough to sit in a large classroom and listen to a professor without ever raising a hand or engaging in a dialog, in graduate school much of the student's growth and development depends upon how much interest he or she takes in creating an dynamic exchange of information with a professor. This discourse between a faculty member and a student can deepen the knowledge and research resources of the student and push them towards the right path in their career. Faculty can take on a role of mentors when it comes to guiding a student, but that can only occur when a student shows active interest and reaches out to a professor.
Financial hardships also need to be considered as an integral part of a more typical graduate school experience. During the undergraduate career, many students struggle with making the ends meet and take on part-time jobs in conjunction with their education to make some money. However, in undergraduate school many students also have their parents to lean on and their hardships are eased by having to be in the same boat as many of their college friends. In graduate school, however, it is the fact that education takes precedent over making money and a student, therefore, only has a limited amount of time each week to hold a job. In addition, it is the juxtaposition of the graduate student lifestyle as compared to that of a person of a similar age bracket who holds a full time job. "Feeling poor" is a common characteristic of a graduate student experience, even if the student is living quite comfortably. It is having to always compare that lifestyle to the lifestyles of working friends that can bring a different perspective on how much money one really needs to support their every day habits.
Another financial component of a graduate school experience is the tuition. Every school charges one and it most often comprises a five figure sum for each year of a graduate education. Only select few students can get graduate scholarships and even less common are the instances where a student gets a scholarship that can cover the entire tuition cost. Most students have to come up with the money through their own means, either by earning it prior to applying to graduate school or taking out loans. A lot of students are also burdened by the already existing debts from their undergraduate schools; more loans mean more debt. This obviously puts a farther strain on the already tight budget of a graduate student and makes many think twice in deciding if a graduate education is truly worth the expenditure.
Despite the financial and social hardships, graduate school can be quite rewarding. If a student puts in enough effort and dedication, he or she may come out on top and reap the rewards of having a successful career after receiving the coveted Master's degree. The sacrifices can be well worth the rewards that come from having a Master's degree and can benefit not only ourselves individually but also our family members and even our children long after our all-nighters are forgotten about and our school debts are paid off.