Graduate School

[scotts.Scheinman]

So Im coming up on my junior year of my undergraduate and still pretty clueless as to what I want to do with my life. Since I have come to that realization I figured the best route would be to continue my education. After being nearly deprived from the mountains,(with snow) for 2 years, I want to go somewhere in Colorado/Utah or somewhere else. I was hoping you guys could give some advice as to those who went this route.

[Aisling]

well given the economy, wth... continue school ...

my friend rob was a perpetual student... he was my TA in computer class when i was an undergrad.. he was in grad school... then he went to get his doctorate... and now he is teaching his subject matter. (neuroscience)

what is your undergrad major atm?

[Dan]

Depending on your major, it might make sense to work for a few years before going to grad school. It can help you get a better handle on what you want out of grad school, and might make you a stronger candidate for grad school too.

If all you want to do is take some time to figure out your next step, and do that somewhere near snow...I did <a href="http://www.jetprogramme.org/">JET</a> after college (studied Japanese, so it made sense), and got to live in Sapporo, which has fantastic access to snow -- 30 minutes on public transit to get to local hills, and some of the best areas in Hokkaido were only about 2 hours away.

[patmoore]

Between my child bride (she's only 57), two daughters and myself, we've managed to accumulate eleven degrees. Not sure we needed all that and the student loans were particularly onerous for one of the kids. I had the advantage of the GI Bill.

Look at the job prospects in your field and make the determination. It would be a shame to be saddled with huge loans only to find the market still isn't very friendly.

[Jack M]

Grad school immediately after college is just more college. You still don't really know why you're there.

Take at least a year off. Work. Ride. Live. Pay rent. Feed yourself. Pay bills. Balance a checkbook. Pay taxes. The fact that you want to go to grad school somewhere in ski country tells me your head won't be in school. I was a B-C student in college. I graduated, worked for 3 years, and then went to grad school and got A's and B's.

[scotts.Scheinman]

Grad school immediately after college is just more college. You still don't really know why you're there.

Take at least a year off. Work. Ride. Live. Pay rent. Feed yourself. Pay bills. Balance a checkbook. Pay taxes. The fact that you want to go to grad school somewhere in ski country tells me your head won't be in school. I was a B-C student in college. I graduated, worked for 3 years, and then went to grad school and got A's and B's.

I thought about that and realized once i started having an income on my own it would be really hard to give that up and go back to school. I have a 3.3 gpa at 18 units per semester at the University of Arizona. My dream was to go to school in mountain country but due to family issues my choices were staying in chicago or going to Arizona with my brother and I have family near by in phoenix. I figure this is my best option to escape the real world and bad job market for another few years.

[kipstar]

I am in the Jack school of thought; you will get 10X more out of grad school and get into a much better program also with some work experience.

Why don't you just move to a ski town and be a bum for 12 months, work in a fun job (e.g. I was a night auditor at a hotel, got to board every day) and you will learn a ton, even you will be surprised how much you can learn that is directly relevant to your future life.

Now as a property developer it's amazing that even that 6 months of working in Mammoth counts for something; when I speak to hoteliers they feel instantly I am one of them, as I know what a front desk is, back of house front of house etc etc; they feel like I'm not just a slimey developer. I am a slimey developer who is also one of them!

Ski resort towns, it's usually never a bad job market.

I worked i think 8 years before I went to grad school. Some of the other graduates had 1 year experience. I am sure I got more out of it than they did, and they would get more than a fresh graduate would.

[boarderboy]

If all you want to do is take some time to figure out your next step, and do that somewhere near snow...I did <a href="http://www.jetprogramme.org/">JET</a> after college (studied Japanese, so it made sense), and got to live in Sapporo, which has fantastic access to snow -- 30 minutes on public transit to get to local hills, and some of the best areas in Hokkaido were only about 2 hours away.

Mine was "coerced" via the military. By and large, I didn't like it, but I can honestly say that my experiences from San Diego to Hong Kong and beyond were probably the most formative and influential of my life.

When I returned - to undergrad and then graduate school - the perspective I'd gained informed everything I did. Ultimately, maybe more mature, probably more confident, and definitely more world-wise, I "found" myself late in the B.S. process and had a terrific experience in a graduate design program. I'm not at all sure that would have occurred had I not traveled as a "guest of the Government."

Economies in Latin America Race Ahead, Thanks to Asian Ties, headline in current online New York Times.

I'm sure about very little these days, but as I watch my very immature son slowly grow in wisdom and perspective, I am convinced that 21st century prosperity will likely come to those who can best adapt to a world that technology will increasingly render "borderless" (whether we like it or not.)

So yeah, use your youthful energy and freedom to somehow experience life beyond our shores. (If that adventure lies in snow country, so much the better.)

You'll then be in a much better position to decide about grad school and to make it more meaningful if you do choose that path.

Good Luck!

BB