What you absolutely need to know before applying to Grad School

After completing my Bachelor’s degree, like many others, I was under the confusion of whether or not to pursue a graduate degree in my field. However, I wish somebody shared their useful insights on what could be some of the potential challenges and benefits of a Master’s or Doctorate degree. I wrote this article for those struggling souls that are in the dilemma on whether to opt for their dream job or sacrifice a couple of years in order to become a specialist in their field of study.

Securing Graduate Student Assistantship

Applying to graduate school can be a daunting experience for many applicants as they are often perplexed on the choice between (i) joining the workforce or (ii) pursuing higher education. Often times graduate students have to struggle financially because of the extended hours that requires for their commitment in the field of individual research. This can be an extremely straining experience both emotionally and financially and therefore needs to be weighed in when opting for a final decision. Most institutions, if not all, contributes towards your tuition and also provides a modest financial support,in the form of a competitive graduate assistant ship position. It is primary that such discussion on the financial aspect is made with your academic advisor, prior to accepting any offer to join a graduate program. Most of us are usually hesitant upon such discussions but it is a fundamental factor that require prioritization. In case you are not eligible for a fellowship or tuition waiver it is key to clarify whether your student account is credited for an in-state or an out-of state tuition. This in one major mistake that many of us fail to clarify and therefore enroll into further debt or eventually opt out of the program.

Options on Industrial Jobs

It is primary to understand that if you want to advance your skills as a professional researcher, then pursuing graduate education will definitely compliment your skills. It can even perhaps help you secure any future job prospects as a R&D scientist, as many multinational companies have such positions. It is quite common to assume that a doctorate degree is only required in an academic field. It is a common myth that has been in circulation for decades as many of my Doctorate colleagues have successful industrial career. In fact, most companies like Intel, Google and many such large corporations appreciate candidates with a Masters or Doctorate degree because of the unique perspective and skills they add to the team.

Find your Research Interest

Upon taking on the challenge of attending graduate school, it is imperative to decide on your research interest. This is an absolutely important factor because the passion for your research is going to be your ultimate support system. It will eventually make you overcome your constant failures and pursue the necessary steps to attain publishable results. It is often advised and not necessarily mandated to have at least one publication paper before you graduate. This reflects good on your resume and both compliments and quantifies your achievement to your potential employers. A journal publication weighs more in terms of credits than a conference publication. However, attending a conference also opens scope for networking with peers in the same field of your specialization. Nevertheless it is best to discuss prospects with your academic advisor and colleagues that are well established in their fields and can provide better insight into job prospects.

Networking is Key

This brings to another important factor to consider which is networking. As just discussed networking can be equally important in graduate school as it is to job hunting. Most professors have graduate assistant positions that are most of time filed in internally. A professor is more likely to hire a graduate student assistant on recommendation from his or her team of graduate students. This is most likely the case because most graduate work requires collaboration and team work. Ithe team has a good rapport they are more likely to support each other in their research work.

Location can be crucial

Apart from your research interest another factor that needs to be weighed-in is the (i) university ranking and (ii) location. Both factors are crucial because a Doctorate degree expands for three to five years. If you have a spouse or family they might have to make certain sacrifices . For example, your spouse might work in Michigan but your graduate school offer came from New York or Texas. Long distance can be challenging and stressful and it is important that everybody that are directly involved with you are on the same page . Luckily, graduate program offers the flexibility of conducting research at your own pace. If your advisor is reasonable then they can offer an extended New Years vacation or Eastern holiday .You can also take the step to negotiate on your schedule and most of the time they are relaxed on working hours as long as you are persistent in your research and produce results.

Lastly if you are invested emotionally and financially in pursuing graduate education,then do not get demotivated with minor failures. Just take it as a learning lesson and grow from there. Everyday can be a new journey with new achievements . Often times there can be series of failure. Your team can be your support system during those time of crisis. Enjoy small achievements and celebrate those. It is easy to be focused completely on your research and ignore other opportunities that graduate school has to offer. I would highly suggest against it and rather network and collaborate with fellow peers. Finally good luck with whatever decision you make and always remember to enjoy learning whether it is in or out of school.