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An advanced degree can open doors when it comes to choosing a career. However, many advanced degrees will earn you nothing but student loan debt. Before enrolling in a program, you're going to need to give yourself a serious reality check. The following quiz will help.

1. I want to go to grad school mainly to gain...
a. earning power b. increased job opportunities c. respect d. knowledge

(Choose one of the above, and only one.)

If you answered a or b, go on to the next question.

If you answered c, put down the course catalog now. Think about it this way- sure, your new degree will give you more skills and knowledge, but so what? Your employer will know you have the degree and take those skills and that knowledge for granted. To earn your employer's respect, you'll still have to go the extra mile. If it's not professional respect you were looking for, but rather the respect of your friends and family, burn the course catalog. No true friend will ever judge you by what little letters you have after your name, and if you're family can't respect you for your character, that's their deficiency, not yours. Don't waste years of your life and thousands upon thousands of dollars trying to impress people. (I mean, isn't that what you tell your kids when they're upset about not having the right sneakers or jeans?)

If you answered d, keep the catalogue, but think hard about whether or not you really need a degree. If you just want to learn more about a subject, why not read a few books and just take a class or two? Grad school is a major lifestyle change, involving a large number of courses and other requirements, all of which must be completed within a time limit. Learning, on the other hand, is a lifelong journey with many paths. Are you sure you want to take the muddy one that goes straight up the mountain?

2. Now that I know I want a degree for the right reasons, what schools are feasible for me to attend? (From a geographical/academic standpoint.)

You'll need to find a school that has the right degree for your career aspirations. That's top priority. However, you also need to be very honest about how far you can reasonably drive and what you're willing to give up. If you're moving to attend school, you need to weigh your desire for a degree against your feelings about your current situation.

Long distance relationships almost never work, so if your significant other isn't willing to move with you, it's a good time to test your true feelings for this person. If this relationship

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