10 reasons you should go to grad school

I’m 24 years old, about to finish school for (I think) the final time. And in the course of my educational career, I’ve heard a lot of people knock higher education: they say it’s not as valuable as experience, it’s too expensive, it takes too much time.

I say they’re wrong. Here are (my) top 10 reasons for thinking grad school has been one of my best decisions, ever.

1) It broadened my perspective.

No matter where you go for undergrad, it’s still just one (OK, maybe two or three for some of us) place. That school gives you one sense of the world, one slice of academia, but it’s still just a small, small bit of it. Attending another school, with other people, in another place widens your world, enlarges your perspective.

2) It challenged my beliefs.

I have a very strong sense of my place in this world. My moral views and personal convictions are set, and, honestly, in many interactions, that’s OK. My co-workers and acquaintances will let me hold my ground without much confrontational discussion. But in a classroom? where touchy, controversial issues get brought up? It’s no longer enough to “just believe” something, not really. In my two years of grad school, I consistently came head-to-head with people who disagreed with me, and they wanted to talk about it. What this did for me was push me to ask hard questions–to wrestle with issues that I really feel are important. I became a better defender, communicator, arguer–all valuable skills.

3) It opened up new opportunities.

Through grad school, I scored a copyediting internship with a book publisher that a prof recommended. This was after I’d learned the copyediting skills I needed in a previous course, also at the university. I published an essay and magazine articles that I’d written for classes.

4) It provided connections.

I met people who worked in my field. I interacted with authors, editors, marketers, advertisers. In whatever subject matter one studies, grad school hooks you up with others in the industry; they say networking is a huge part of building a career.

5) It detatched me from my work.

Entering grad school, I was very (too?) attached to what I wrote. They were my words, my thoughts, my chosen sentence structures. Through repeated workshopping with talented students, I stepped a way a little. At some point, I saw my writing as independent of me, as something that needed to communicate effectively.

6) It was fun.

Yes, yes, this isn’t the first argument you’ll hear* for returning to the classroom, and I realize my situation was ideal, since I only worked part-time. Still, studying something you love is … well, there’s nothing like it. I highly, highly recommend it.

7) It wasn’t that much money.

Here’s where we get personal. For me, the base of my total tuition was $20,000. This was for two years of school, full-time. I worked part-time, and I got good grades. The good grades earned me a quarter of the tuition: $5,000. Then, that internship I scored, through the school, happened to be paid, earning me another $3,000. Factor in the publications I had, also because of classes, and that’s yet another $1,000 off the bill. All in all, roughly $11,000 for a graduate degree from an excellent school. When you consider my much better job prospects, my heightened enjoyment in this field as opposed to my former one, and (most of all) the higher salary I will command with an MA, that $11,000 becomes a very small price to pay.

8 ) It strengthened my confidence.

Not just as a writer, but as a person. I feel much more aware of the world around me, the market for writers, the lingo of the industry. When I apply for a job I want, I’m able to fulfill its requirements: I know how to copyedit, to write in different styles, to articulate my thoughts quickly.

9) It was manageable.

As a full-time student, I attend two night classes each week. They are three hours long, and the out-of-class work usually takes around 10 hours of additional time (true, it was more at the beginning). I also commute, which factors for another four hours of time each week. Twenty hours a week is like a part-time job, on top of a busy life, and I know that’s a lot for some people. However, almost all grad programs have alternatives: part-time students take just one class at my school, for example. You can also take a semester off, if that helps you.

10) It’s becoming more and more necessary.

There are a ton of people in my grad program. Seriously. With increasing students getting MAs, those without them will eventually wish they had. In today’s competitive job market, I almost wonder if we can afford not to consider grad school.

*Edited, with the original typo (here) removed.

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