Aaron Zinkle: Workforce

The spring semester is approaching rapidly, and there are many students, such as myself, that will graduate May 12 and face an impor­tant decision: graduate school or employment?

I completely support further education; however, I offer the following as reasons to pursue a career instead of a graduate degree. My argument is brought to you by peterson.com, which highlights numerous reasons op­posing graduate school.

First, graduate school is highly competitive. Graduate programs typically have less posi­tions than undergraduate programs. There’s competition for enrollment, research opportu­nities, grant money, and frequently, departmen­tal politics, according to peterson.com. I think competition is constructive for society. As col­lege students, we are competing for a chance of better employment in classrooms. You write a paper and you receive a point-value grade. You present a project and you are evaluated with a quantity based on your performance.

Raise the stakes, reduce opportunities for students to continue education through more strict pre-requisites, jack up tuition prices and you have a graduate program. Not to say that there’s anything wrong with demanding more from a higher quality education, which could lead to a better career, but is it worth it?

In addition to tougher competition, there are also the issues of higher costs and large sums of debt after graduating.

Graduate schools can be very expensive. If you do not plan to work during the semester, or will not receive an assistant job and waived tuition fees, education costs will soar, accord­ing to peterson.com. Furthermore, the website warns that debt incurred through graduate pro­grams might force you to accept a job based on availability after graduation, due to financial needs.

If the arguments above are not enough, there remains the fear of being overly edu­cated for the position. During tough economic times, if your seeking employment, having an advanced degree can be detrimental. You may be told, ‘sorry, you’re overqualified,’ according to peterson.com.

I hope that I haven’t squashed the dreams of some students who plan to attend graduate school, and I admire your efforts, but I fear that it will be quite difficult to succeed with the cur­rent condition of the job market and economy.

Gerrad Frei: Graduate School

Assistant Chancellor for Administrative Services Rob Cramer told me Tuesday one can never have too much education. I am inclined to agree with him, and I would believe that most of the students attending this university do as well. After all, are we not here to better our minds, to receive the tools that will help us perform in our careers?

This is why attending a graduate school af­ter completing an undergraduate degree is ben­eficial.

Grad school allows for specialized train­ing in a chosen field of study that cannot be achieved while pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Not only do grad students receive valuable work skills and advice, but they come to understand subtleties and nu­ances of their career fields in ways non-grad students do not.

Attending a gradu­ate school increases potential earning power. Those with MBAs in business-re­lated fields can earn nearly double the salary of their undergraduate level counterparts, accord­ing to gradschools.com. Those with an MBA also tend to receive jobs that have signing bo­nuses, while 52 percent are offered or have ac­cepted a job opportunity before graduating.

Grad school also brings with it the one great intangible that people often forget: the esteem. It should not be lost on those thinking of con­tinuing their education after receiving a bach­elor’s that the prestige that comes with having an MBA is not lost on employers. It appears ambitious, self-motivated and, most important­ly, it makes you look like a hard worker.

When considering where to go after your four years here, make sure to give graduate school serious consideration. It can provide crucial work skills, a greater pay rate and pres­tige. And students can find grad schools that will not only pay the tuition, but also give the student a stipend to help with food and hous­ing.

In the end, grad school makes you a must-have asset to a variety of companies or pro­grams, which will allow you the opportunity.