Graduate school: 'not a safe haven from the recession'

After four years of cheering on the Terps and spending Saturday nights at the Thirsty Turtle, many undergraduates fear leaving the university for the 9-to-5 working world. 

College years are supposedly the "best years of your life," so many students try to prolong their educational experience by applying to graduate school.

Becky Weir, assistant director of academic programs and outreach at the Career Center, believes many students go to graduate school to postpone the inevitable: a job.

Just like the job market, the application process for grad school is very competitive. More students are applying, but fewer are selected because funds have decreased severely due to the recession.

"[Graduate school] is not a safe haven from the recession," Weir said, commenting on the debt that adds up from the undergraduate years.

So, how should you decide whether or not graduate school is the way to go?

Weir advises students to "take time to consider the question: ‘Why am I going to grad school?' Ask yourself, ‘Is it increasing opportunities in my field, or is it essential for my career?'"

Graduate school is not for those who are unsure of their career goals. Seniors who are uncertain of their future profession should gain work experience before applying.

"Graduate schools want to know what you want to do and what you are bringing to the program," Weir said, reinforcing the idea of gaining work experience before graduate school.

She compares graduate school applications to undergraduate applications: You must have an idea of how being accepted will help your future goals. According to Weir, graduate schools are not only looking for successful students, but also those who are "passionate about what they want to do."

"[They should have] a thirst for knowledge, which sounds cliché, but [they should] be interested in studying certain elements in a field," she said

Weir believes the best graduate program is the one that "enhances your undergraduate experience." She recommends that students research programs thoroughly, talk with faculty and academic advisors at the university to "see what grad school is all about" and ask current or previous graduate students about the program.

As for considering whether or not to dish out the dough for graduate school, Weir's comments were few.

"More isn't always better," Weir said.

ga@umdbk.com