For me, grad school was an inevitable stop on my educational journey. I got my bachelor’s degree in political science so I knew that it was law school or another professional degree if I ever wanted to have a job related to my interests. At the start of my senior year, I began applying to master’s programs across the country and eventually decided on KU. In grad school, I’ve met people who stayed at the same university for their bachelors and master’s degree and people who have bounced around from different schools. Regardless of where you go to school, there are many factors to consider such as the cost, the location, and the program. For all of those factors, here is what I, and several of my friends, wish we would have known before going to grad school.
Make sure you have a good “why”
Before even applying to a program, ask yourself: why am I thinking about grad school? Getting a master’s degree or PhD is no easy feat. Courses can be challenging and you may have more on your plate as a grad student than you do during undergrad. So, it is essential that you have a good motivator for why you want to get the degree. The pursuit of higher learning or the need to meet minimum job qualifications are some good reasons. Being unsure of what you want to do or biding time before entering the adult world may not be. Grad school can be costly and time consuming so making sure you have a good reason to go is essential.
Consider cost
Arguably one of the most important factors in whether or not to go to grad school is the cost. Take a look at the amount of debt you incurred during undergrad in addition to the cost of another few years of schooling. Balance the wage increase you’ll likely experience with a masters degree versus the amount of debt you might have to take on. Does the program you’re looking at have good scholarships or assistantships? These can bring costs down significantly and even pay you to go to school and teach or do research. Ask potential program directors how common it is for students to have assistantships and whether there are open positions for you.
Think about where you want to end up
For me, one of the most important considerations for grad school was the location. My master’s program is for urban planning, so I wanted to go school near an urban area. I love Kansas City, so I felt that the location of KU being fairly close would set me up to be well-connected to jobs in the area and I was right! The director of my program helped get me connected to an internship in the KC region that eventually led me to my first big girl job. For professional degree programs, going to a school in an area near where you want to live in the next few years can be an important consideration.
Grad school isn’t just college part 2
Initially, I thought that grad school would be sort of like another round of college. But I’ve found that it can feel a bit more like work than school. People are there with a purpose, in contrast to first starting college when many students are unsure of what they want to pursue. Everyone is there with the same goal in mind which also means they might be less likely to want to do the extra stuff that comes along with college—social events, clubs, etc. But I’ve also found that my peers at the grad school level are much more reliable when it comes to group projects or homework help compared to my time in undergrad. In this way, peers in your cohort can feel like coworkers.
Your primary social group is likely to be your grad school cohort
Grad school programs tend to be much smaller than undergraduate majors, so you will likely have a small group of people making up your cohort. At the same time, you’ll most likely be taking the same classes. Because of this, you will spend a lot of time with your classmates both in and out of class. Having a good relationship with the rest of the group is essential as these relationships will be central to your grad school experience. Make sure to be friendly, ask questions, and build trust. Don’t be afraid to initiate hang outs or homework sessions to help everyone bond. Your grad school peers will eventually become your colleagues, so creating a tightknit community will benefit you all in the long term.
Grad school will always be there
Many people take a break after getting their bachelor’s degree before going to get their master’s. So don’t feel rushed to make a decision about whether or not to go. If you’re on the fence, maybe it’s best to hold off and see if it’s really necessary for your career.
Here are some other tidbits of advice from my grad school friends:
“The connections you make in your program have a bigger impact on your experience than the program itself.”
“Really understand how grad school is going to affect your finances.”
“I wish I’d known how fast 2 years would go by, it really felt like I started school just to end it.”
“I’m really thankful I knew about the availability of teaching assistantships.”
“I wish I knew how easy it would be. It was a total piece of cake compared to undergrad!”
“Everyone is pretty much in the same boat as you. The second years are usually happy to help or give advice if you ask them and first years are usually happy to be friendly.”
