Graduate school directly after undergrad

I see little downside to getting a graduate degree as early as possible, to be honest. I wish I'd gotten my MBA sooner than I did. Actually, I wish I'd gotten a JD instead. But I digress.

Graduate schools really don't educate people these days, so much as award credentials to people. We can dance argumentative circles around that fact until the cows come home, but generally it's true. There's pretty much nothing I learned in business school that I couldn't have learned in the real world, and holding all else equal, my MBA is little more than a piece of paper to me. It's a piece of paper that says, in certain contexts, that I am supposedly worth more to a company than someone my age who didn't get a graduate degree. But more and more employers are starting to doubt the strength of that credential-based argument, and I can't blame them too much.

In as much as graduate degrees are necessary pieces of paper to get you into doors you want to get into, I say get those papers as early as possible. There's less downside involved in getting one early than in getting one later. The later on in life you take time out to get a degree, the more salary and opportunities you're forgoing during the length of the education.

Would that be in Washington DC ?

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

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Graduate schools really don't educate people these days, so much as award credentials to people.

+1. As is often said with JDs, you acquire more substantive legal knowledge in the 6 weeks of a bar prep course than you did in 3 years of law school. And all of that pales in comparison to knowledge acquired in real world lawyering. I personally loathe academic environments, the whole system just seems to be an aristocrat's pastime and soap box for some 'idealistic' professor. That isn't to say I'm not intellectually curious myself, rather I just don't like the stylized, artificial version of that in graduate schools. I personally wouldn't mind if law schools turned into trade/technical schools... and if the constitutional law folk wanna philosophize somewhere, give 'em there own, separate program!

Originally Posted by gdl203

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Would that be in Washington DC ?
I hope so Svenn, the idea of going to law school horrifies me. A lot of people recommend it to me but in the next breath relay all sorts of horror stories. I don't see how it's worth it, especially when everyone is going in now expecting to ride out the recession...but will have a quadrillion competitors when the recession ends.

I think joining a rifle platoon is the best idea in this thread.

Don't do it. Go work for a year or two; you'll thank me later. There's a big emotional difference between 22 and 23/24/25 (or, for most people). As well, I think Grad School goes better and is more productive when you have a better, more experienced idea of what you want to study and HOW you want to study it. Otherwise, I think you tend to treat it like an extension of undergrad, which it really shouldn't be.

I know tons of folks who did it both ways and, almost to a person, those who went straight through talk, act, and appear much more stunted all around than those I know who went out and worked or did something else for 1-2 years.

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

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Don't do it. Go work for a year or two; you'll thank me later. There's a big emotional difference between 22 and 23/24/25 (or, for most people). As well, I think Grad School goes better and is more productive when you have a better, more experienced idea of what you want to study and HOW you want to study it. Otherwise, I think you tend to treat it like an extension of undergrad, which it really shouldn't be.
I agree with this in theory, but in reality, the world is treating grad school more and more like an extension of undergrad. Average ages of students are getting lower, and more employers are encouraging their star players to get MBAs or JDs as soon as possible (provided they even need them). The landscape is shifting away from the idea of the MBA as an enhancement to the seasoned professional, and more toward the idea of the MBA as the seasoning. This academic philosophy is somewhat misguided and more than a bit tragic. But it's what's happening, and if you want to get a degree these days, it makes the most economic sense to get one early. If you don't, you're putting yourself at a competitive disadvantage.

Originally Posted by Arrogant Bastard

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I agree with this in theory, but in reality, the world is treating grad school more and more like an extension of undergrad. Average ages of students are getting lower, and more employers are encouraging their star players to get MBAs or JDs as soon as possible (provided they even need them). The landscape is shifting away from the idea of the MBA as an enhancement to the seasoned professional, and more toward the idea of the MBA as the seasoning. This academic philosophy is somewhat misguided and more than a bit tragic. But it's what's happening, and if you want to get a degree these days, it makes the most economic sense to get one early. If you don't, you're putting yourself at a competitive disadvantage.
This is entirely possible; my area isn't in the super competitive business world. Really, in my humanities and education universe, those same 10 people vying for that ONE sweeeeet position teaching classes about Bergson all day long doesn't really count... I still think, though, long term for one's own development (especially if they are interested in some sort of academic study, non-business), then taking some time off to experience/reflect/work/whatever is critical. Bergson aint' going anywhere.

Depending on the degree, it might be more difficult to find a job after you have your masters.

No work experience, plus employers expecting you to be more flighty if hired for an entry-level job. They know you'll have the expectation of being paid more due to more academic experience, but again, depending on the degree/industry, you might not actually be more useful without corresponding practical experience.

Conne, how many years and how many schools did getting this simple undergrad take? That might be a hint to your answer.

I would almost positively be doing something with public policy/public admin., and if I did that I would also do a fellowship with a legislature or some similar program. So I wouldn't have 2 years of no work on my resume. I just don't want to go to grad. school right now. I think I need the experience first but the state of the job market is very intimidating. Pio: 4 years and 2 schools. Makes me want to work for a while TBH.

Originally Posted by Connemara

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I would almost positively be doing something with public policy/public admin., and if I did that I would also do a fellowship with a legislature or some similar program. So I wouldn't have 2 years of no work on my resume. I just don't want to go to grad. school right now. I think I need the experience first but the state of the job market is very intimidating.
If you don't want to go, then don't go. There are lots of things you can do in that time, but some of it may involve you getting a little creative. I can get you a job for a year teaching underprivileged immigrants with learning disabilities in Appalachia, who speak languages like Chuch, Tagalog, and strange dialects related, but not quite like, Tamil. It's yours if you want it; it would be good for you, and how many other pastey-white douchebag WASPS can say that they know how to say, "the reading circle is NOT the bathroom" in Amharic? Although, since they have learning disabilities, you'll want to be careful USING the language you pick up from them. You might find yourself, for example, not putting in any verbs or your pronouns might all be the wrong gender.

Grad school is a perfect opportunity to step back for a couple of years, reflect, re-orient one's professional life and have a lot of fun that's been missed since college (see FidelCashFlow's recent threads).

Going straight after undergrad fails all of these objectives.

The problem with not doing grad school directly after undergrad for many (most?) people is that once they get out into the real world, the desire to go back to being a poor student tends to vanish pretty quickly. Also, unless you're really looking to move into a different field, continuing to work is probably better for your career than going back to school.

The most life-destroying thing you can do after taking a few years off is inviting/allowing the GF to live with you. She WILL NEVER move out. And you won't move on, especially when little kids are involved.