[nabs-l] Is Graduate School Worth It?

[justin williams]

I don't agree with the article; if you have a dream, pursue it.  You just
have to take your career and work it.  It is starting to be that an
undergraduate degree isn't going to cut it.  You have to find your career
path, and quit listening to all of the nay Sayers who are predicting gloom
and doom.  Sure, they have a point, but only for those who do not have a
good plan, and a determination to manifest their dreams.  Wayne Dyer would
have a field day with this one.  It is not that the reasons stated in the
article aren't true; in deed they can come true at times.  However, if you
tailor your own career path and experiences to fit your situation, then you
will be able to give yourself the specialized skill set you need.  Where are
all of the smart people?  Hell, I don't know.  I know where one is; is
reacting to the article even as we speak. Making a lot of money is merely
having a good idea, and a good plan.  I don't feel as if those folks are any
smarter than I am, but what they had was a determination to succeed.  If you
enter into grad school with some half-baked notion of coming out and making
a lot of money without doing the proper research, then it will be more
difficult to execute.  It is not that you have to have a complete map, but
you do want to have some idea on what you would like to see happen.  You
have to have some idea of what skills and talents you possess, and which
ones you would like to truly accentuate.  If you can work a plan without
going to grad school, then by all means, don't go.  However, you are in
charge of your fate.  If you want to be an entrepreneur, then you are right.
Really, all you need is a good plan, the right personal development, and the
funds to start.  Or, you can get your MBA and become a top manager.  You can
combine the two; it doesn't matter, but you have to tailor make yourself.
You have to put your skills set in play in the best possible situation at
the given time.  If the teaching is moving to online, then become an online
teacher.  You just have to have a good plan to make the grad school option
work so that you do become prosperous enough to pay back student loans. You
have to build the rewards into your own career, and don't depend on a single
job or field to do it for you.

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Joe
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 6:57 PM
To: 'NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLIND STUDENTS'
Subject: [nabs-l] Is Graduate School Worth It?

Why do you want to go to graduate school? You generally felt college was
worth it. You got your bachelor's degree because you heard a college degree
leads to a better salary. Maybe you feel grad school is the next logical
step because you think the specialty of a Master's will make you more
marketable. A doctoral degree? Outside of academia, I don't know that the
degree will open up that many more doors than an undergraduate diploma. In
most cases people are continuing to climb the scholastic ladder because they
want to gain a distinct advantage over competing job applicants, but the
diminishing returns of graduate studies should make us wonder if we are
making the wisest investments of our energy, time, and money.

Some career tracks require education beyond a Bachelor's. To my knowledge,
you can't become a licensed clinical social worker without a Master's in
social work. As far as I know, you can't become a doctor without medical
school. Attorneys can't be attorneys without taking the Bar, and in most
jurisdictions you can't take the Bar without graduating from an accredited
law school. If your interests lie in a highly specialized field that
requires advanced education, may your efforts be blessed. Nothing will be
more fulfilling than following your own dream.

For those of us considering careers in the humanities and social sciences,
we have to ask some hard questions. Let's start with one of the most obvious
ones:

 

Read the rest of the article:

 

http://joeorozco.com/blog_is_graduate_school_worth_it

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