Just got accepted into Grad. School. Mission: Masters Degree by 24.

[degenerate423]

Congrats to everyone in this thread attaining/have attained their masters and bachelors

.  Once I finish my undergrad, I'm gonna work for a year or two to pay off my loans and gain experience then apply for my masters...

 

[mikeol]

I will be getting my Masters in Sport Management in December and I'll be 24, I'm one of the younger people in my cohort. I feel just the same as anyone else coming out of undergrad. Jobs are still tough to get and hard to find that actually pays. I've been working for a D1 college basketball team for the past few years getting a student stipend and it really doesn't help my financial situation. I'm kind of at a cross because I had to shell out $36K for this masters degree but I'm not really sure if I really need it or if it will really help me in my future endeavors. Especially in the sports industry, its more about who you know who can hook you up or spending years working your way up the ladder.

For those who have masters, do you think it's really worth it?

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

Pure motivation!!

 

[wj4]

Sorry for the delayed reply, fellas.  It was a rough night. 

For the master's program (in general, not one area), I highly recommend you network with your classmates.  Chances are you will have a mixed variation of classmates.  You will have the younger individuals who jump into the program from the bachelor's, you will have folks who currently work in the field and attending school simultaneously, and you will have others who are work in a completely different field, and want to switch into a new industry.  Don't come in with a cocky attitude thinking you're hot stuff because you're still 21 in grad school.  Be humble and friendly to everyone.

Both of my master's programs were quite small and I kept running into the same people in other classes.  We networked and such.  It became very helpful because as you're looking for a job, you will be able to help each other.  Example:  I was able to get two of my friends hired back in December.  I had 4 companies interviewed me and they all wanted to hire me.  I chose the best one that fitted my needs and told the others something along the line of "I know someone else who has nearly the same background as me, I can give you his/her contact if you wish."

Really spend time with your professors and ask for guidance beyond classroom assignments.  Ask them about career guidance and what they did throughout their careers.  Undegrad is over, those who are seeking higher education are the ones that want to be here so you cannot do the same routine of "just getting by".  I believe most programs for master's are the same where you need to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA or else you don't graduate.

Really spend time on your projects assigned in your classes and take pride in them.  I had to write a bunch of long scientific and research papers for my MS.  I brought a couple of them to my interview to show the caliber of work I'm capable of.  This was extremely helpful for jobs that wanted more years of experience than I really had.

I truly value the master's program more than the undergraduate because it focuses on what your field is, instead of having it mixed with a bunch of other GE courses.  I also think that the master's program is pretty helpful in a lot of fields.  There are jobs that say "required a bachelor's and X years of experience", which almost anyone can apply (those with a degree of course).  But I've also seen jobs for directors that say something like "required a master's and at least 10 years of experience".  This is where a master's would become helpful.

Ph. D is great if you want to jump into academia, where teaching is your reward. However, the money/time spent on the degree itself to the ratio of getting a higher salary is not worth it IMO.

Lastly, make sure that the field is what you truly love doing, and you're not doing it for solely for the money.  If you are doing it just for the money, I can guarantee you that you will have a miserable time while working.

And here is also my thought on the prestige schools vs normal schools.  I've talked to a lot of people in this regard, from classmates who hold impressive degrees already, ie law from Harvard, Stanford, etc. to well respected professors.  I think in general, your experience will outweigh your school's name sooner or later.  There is a batch of very few schools out there that are as close to a golden ticket as you can get (speaking on business program at least) that will land you in the most wanted positions, but aside from that they don't mean anything much.  Don't be put down because you are not attending a top ranking school, and just go all in with the program.  You will be fine for the most part, if you do so.  The biggest difference from the prestige schools and normal schools is the environment.  The kids there are more focused, which forces you to become more competitive.  Aside from that, you use the same books, same everything else.

Take a look at the top paid CEOs of 2011.  If you click their names, it will link you to a short bio along with their formal education background.  I'm sure you will be surprised at some of the schools they attended since they are just regular schools.

http://www.forbes.com/lis...ompensation-11_land.html

To the gentleman who is going to MD school at Yale, congrats!  That is a big accomplishment.  I hope you the best.

 

[kickstart]

Congrats!

 

[memphis2atl]

Thanks Everyone. And yeah i believe this topic was accidentally put up twice. i Just have dreams on being a Sports Agent. and law school was majorly pricey and they dont offer GA positions. So grad school it is!

 

[proshares]

Congrats!

 

[rocksfan25]

I planned on going for my MBA within two years, but with a baby girl, stay at home wife (for now at least), and solid job; it makes it much harder to go for it. Maybe when I'm 30...

 

[aztec06jr]

*cue Rock clapping gif for wj4*

A lot of truth in this thread.

I passed on some T-14 law schools during my senior year of undergrad..It's been almost 3 years since I made that decision and so far, no regrets. I found a really good job and I now have more confidence and applicable knowledge/experiences so that if/when I do go to grad school, I'll have a much better perspective.

My advice for anyone considering grad school is to weigh the pros & cons, plan backwards (what is it that you want to do, how does this program help you get there), and when you make a decision, stick with it.... I passed on what seemed like an amazing opportunity but in hindsight, the ability to say no and go against the grain/society/'the book' can save people from wasting time, money, etc.

 

[cole world]

congrats fam.

jelly

 

[ortega03]

Congrats.

Finished my Masters in Project Management in October 2011 at age 23. Now working on getting my IT certificates up as well as looking into getting PMP certified. Lots of hard work.. keep it up man, aim high.

 

[go rilla]

Originally Posted by Memphis2atl

Thanks Everyone. And yeah i believe this topic was accidentally put up twice. i Just have dreams on being a Sports Agent. and law school was majorly pricey and they dont offer GA positions. So grad school it is!

you posted it twice because you thought the first one didnt go through

 

[stringer bell 32]

Congrats 

 

[jwong]

Everything that WJ4 said is true. Take pride in your school work and network with people. It will pay off if you put effort into it.

Good luck!

 

[Gill Baka Esq. LLC.]

I'm with you OP, i'm starting my masters in Speech-Language Pathology in the Fall.

 

[-Red-]

Originally Posted by omgitswes

Ahh okay, I thought graduate schools were really expensive.

It depends.  You don't get Pell Grants or (usually) any state-based grants (such as the I-MAP grant for Illinois) for graduate school.  On the other hand, if you can land an assistanceship, they almost always provide you with a full tuition waiver and a monthly stipend that should come to about $14,000-$18,000 per school year.  Assistanceships are generally extremely rare for those pursuing Master's degrees, however, they are pretty much standard for students pursuing PhD's.

I got my Master's at 23 and started a doctorate program at 26 for which I just finished my first year.