Comments on: Top 10 Reasons Not To Go To Graduate School

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:22:28 +0000

Another reason why people should think twice about grad school is that if everyone goes, the value of the degrees will decline. One often hears that bachelor’s degrees are what a high school diploma used to be, because they’re so commonplace. It would be a shame if the grad schools had tons of students who either didn’t want to be there, or wanted to be there for the wrong reasons, as is the case with undergrad.

By: MoneyEnergy

MoneyEnergy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:35:05 +0000

Thanks for all your comments! Glad to see it’s struck a chord and is not just a reflection of my own imagination. @paystolivegreen – in that link I put in my previous comment, the professor actually mentions that “graduate school is not about education.” It’s about socialization. I think that rings true. That being said, for certain careers (professor, etc.) it is still necessary. Get the most out of it for yourself according to what you need that degree for.

By: pays to live green

pays to live green — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:49:26 +0000

I am currently in night graduate school and am not a huge fan of it. I think I learned a great deal of material from a class or two, but besides those, it has been a waste of time. Some of my classes take up large amounts of my time and for what? I am not learning much more than I could have learned on my own yet I have the worry of being graded on my work.

By: kenyantykoon

kenyantykoon — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:55:23 +0000

i made up my mind when i was in first year undergrad that grad school wasn’t for me because i personally think that formal education will only take you so far. Now you have just given me 10 well thought out reasons to convince my parents when the inevitable confrontation arrives(YES i am still babied :))

By: Minority Fortune

Minority Fortune — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:50:34 +0000

It’s rare to see articles debunking the idea of going to grad schools, so it’s a welcomed subject. I myself wanted to get an MBA right after undergrad at an Ivy League. Didn’t get into my dream school, so I didn’t go. While I may opt to go later if I get into my dream school, I actually feel OK without it. I heard Donald Trump say in a video that what most grad schools lack (including Ivy League business schools) is practicality and real-life applications. So, it’s definitely not a necessary platform. Also, lots of the most accomplished people in this world have never even gotten an advanced degree. So, it’s good to focus on the cons of it all for once.

By: MoneyEnergy

MoneyEnergy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:39:36 +0000

@CreditCardChaser – true, anything worth doing is worth sacrificing and working hard for, but that’s at a really basic level common to many endeavours, as you say. I think there’s a particular danger, though, with graduate school (esp. Masters/PhD programs) in relation to undergrads, who have just been allowed four years of intellectual freedom. This post really sums up a lot of it and really rings true: http://bit.ly/3rI3Xw

By: Financial Samurai

Financial Samurai — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:42:19 +0000

Nice one CC Chaser. I agree. A lot of people are afraid of rejection (topic of my latest post), and therefore don’t bother to try. And then, there are folks who just “don’t have the time”, and then they wake up 10 years later wondering why they’re still stuck in their mediocre position and never got a head.

I’ts up to us to WANT to change. Nobody is going to change for us. It’s easy to knock the merits of grad school. I’m aware of 8 firms that don’t accept people without MBA’s for example. But if you get in, you basically start off around $150k, and are pretty much guaranteed tl be a millionaire if you stick with the firm for at least 5 years.

That’s the beauty of America. If you want to change, or want to be rich, you can do so. And if you don’t want to, no big deal!

By: Credit Card Chaser

Credit Card Chaser — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:34:09 +0000

All 10 reasons can be summed up as “It’s hard and there is a risk it might not pay off” – sounds like pretty much anything worth doing in life :)

By: Financial Samurai

Financial Samurai — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:59:27 +0000

Clare,

Nice post and reminder for those who blindly go to grad school just because. Grad school is WAY too expensive (time and money) to go to if you don’t have an exact purpose for the degree.

If the company you want to join, or your senior colleagues have grad degrees, then go for it. If not, forget it.

I got my MBA part-time during the last downturn as a backup just in case I got fired. I learned so much and met some incredible new people. The MBA has given me a tremendous amount of confidence, and skills to manage my business. I definitely would have paid for the degree if my employer didn’t foot the bill.

I believe there is a tendency for those who don’t have a grad degree to say it’s not necessary, and vice versa. I’d be curious to know the ages of your Twitter opinions, and whether they have their degree.

The most objective candidate is the older candidate who’s been able to give their life enough time to prove whether having the degree was useful or not.

If you know of anyone applying to b-school, we’re doing a $1,000 giveaway!

Best,

By: MoneyEnergy

MoneyEnergy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:45:33 +0000

@Jason – I agree. So what’s the verdict on the JD and conformity? Do you find that the JD has influenced you in any way to be less of a risk taker, or more conservative with anything? Do you feel pressure to move your career in a certain direction because of the JD and the status/perception that goes along with it?