Grad School: 4 Tips to Help Evaluate Your Needs and Goals

By Alicia Geigel on July 31, 2017

“What are your plans for after college?” “Do you know what you’re doing once you graduate?”

If you’re a college student, I bet these questions sound familiar to you and I understand your pain. When in college, students are constantly bombarded with questions like these and many others that concern post college plans. Depending on who you are, post college plans can either be exciting and enticing or intimidating and scary.

Whether you want to go straight into the workforce or consider going to graduate school after graduation, the urgency to decide what to do is real. For some, the idea of graduate school is daunting due to financial reasons or other conditions. Others, however, dive right back into the world of college and go to grad school.

If you are considering grad school but are not sure how to evaluate your future plans and goals, check out my four pieces of advice to keep in mind for tips that will make your decision process easier!

1. Evaluate career goals

Once you graduate, the biggest issues lurking over your head are getting a job and making a life for yourself. If you are considering graduate school, it is smart to have a goal or plan of where you want the future of your career to go and how graduate school will help you achieve that goal.

In contrast, if you are unsure of a definitive career for yourself, it may be best to wait for graduate school until you are ready (if you are). Putting off graduate school can not only give you an adequate chance to thoroughly assess the positives and negatives of furthering your education, but it can also allow you to work for awhile to not only gain experience but also save up financially!

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2. Determine the timing of graduate school

So you’ve considered all of your options and evaluated your career choices; your next step is to fully determine the timing of graduate school for you and whether or not attending right away is a good idea.

Firstly, you want to make sure that regardless of your decision, you are not rushed into going one way or the other. If you feel level-headed and not pressured into making a decision, now it’s time to consider the timing of jumping into grad school.

If you are interested in pursuing graduate school immediately after obtaining your bachelor’s degree, Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. of livecareer.com states that reasons to consider so are, “you are accustomed to being a student (and have momentum), your study skills are sharp, you have few obligations, and some occupations require an advanced degree even for ‘entry-level’ positions.”

In contrast, if you want to attend grad school but not right away, Hansen describes the following reasons why you may want to wait, stating, “you can better know your career goals by working in the field for a few years, you have a more mature outlook on school and work, you can gain solid financial footing, and some graduate programs require work experience.”

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3. Picking the right school

Similar to your first college selection process, choosing a graduate school to attend can be difficult, as there are many factors to take into consideration. The quality of programs, location, the cost of attendance, etc. are all conditions and circumstances to consider when trying to pick the best school for you.

When picking a grad school, my advice is to branch out and discover a new college/university (if it is in your price range), consider affordability, and get as much financial aid as possible. These are all factors that can help you narrow down your choices and help you make the best decision!

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4. Funding your education

When it comes to grad school, perhaps the biggest issue to overcome is financing your education and figuring out how to. Since graduate school is different than your undergraduate years, the funding process is different as well. Options include taking out student loans, fellowships, or working with your employer to get involved in a tuition reimbursement program!

Also, never forget the power of online research for scholarships and grants; some have specific limitations, but there are so many out there that you’ll be sure to find one that can cater to you!

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Now that you’ve gathered some advice regarding making the leap to grad school, keep in mind that regardless of where you go or where you end up, you’re making a conscious choice to better yourself and make a great life for yourself. Do not be discouraged if this process takes you longer than you like or you have trouble along the way; surround yourself with positive people to encourage you along the way and to keep you motivated.

If you’d like more information on how to fund your grad school education, check out my next article on how to find financial aid as a grad student! As always, good luck!

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