Lao Vision Magazine - Summer 2003

By Jennifer Neria and Douangchit Mounghane

Whether you are fresh out of college, or have been working for several years-graduate school becomes a question for many. What is the motivation to return to school? What does it involve in terms of money, time, and effort? How do I decide where to go and what to study? How is it different from my undergraduate experience? What are my options? How will I pay for it?

Likely these are the questions that have been looming in your mind if you're one of the many who are considering graduate school. Let's look briefly at the decision to go to graduate school and the graduate school experience…

Text Box: Why graduate school?

§ Your love and passion for a particular subject matter and interest in becoming a specialist in that particular area
§ To enhance your qualifications for higher-level, better paying employment and/or job promotions
§ To attain a life-long dream, respect, prestige, or become the first in your family to have a graduate degree
§ To further challenge yourself and achieve lifelong learning
§ To wait through bad economy or cycle of unemployment, and improve your chances of gaining future employment
§ For a change of pace, to get out of a rut with your current job, or to change careers altogether

Reasons for going to graduate school
There are many reasons for considering graduate school. If you're just out of college, perhaps you're interested in a field that you already know requires a higher-level degree to land a job. Or, maybe you feel that your college education was too broad and you'd like to continue your training and specialize in an area are you are good at and enjoy. These reasons not only enable you to challenge your intellect and expand your knowledge, but they also lead to another common reason for wanting to go to graduate school: to become better qualified for higher-level and often better paying jobs. A graduate degree can also qualify you for certain job promotions at your current workplace.

However, there are other reasons why people decide to return to school. Maybe you're in a job or career field that you've learned just isn't for you. If this is the case, graduate school offers an opportunity to start anew. Maybe you're an engineer, but have always enjoyed cooking and after working a few years, you would like to pursue your hobby as a profession and become a chef.

What is a graduate degree really worth anyhow? Well, the answer lies within the beholder. Will the recipient use this specialized training or not and if so, how? Shall we measure its worth based on its earning power? What about relative scarcity and demand for professionals with these degrees? When you review the statistics, only about 5% of our American population 25 years and older hold a masters level degree, and only about 1% hold a doctorate degree. But do you need a "practical" reason for wanting to get a graduate degree? Maybe you just need a change of pace, or perhaps you've always dreamt of being the first in your family to attain a graduate degree. These are equally important and common motivations for going to graduate school.

What to expect
So you may ask, "How will graduate school be different from my undergraduate experience?" Well, for one, during your undergraduate education, you may remember being one among many students; you were required to take a variety of classes; you attended your classes, took notes, completed your papers and exams and were done. On the other hand, in graduate school you will share more interest and enthusiasm with your colleagues; you may also notice that the age and experiences of your peers vary more; you will learn both from your colleagues experiences and from your professor's guidance via interactive and discussion-oriented classes verses the traditional didactic lectures; you will most likely be part of small focused classes and seminars and know your professors; you will perform independent work, write a lot more papers, and participate in group projects and presentations; the level of self-discipline required is greater; and to complete your degree you must pass oral and/or written exams in addition to writing and defending a thesis.

Which program and which school?
To make an informed choice about which program and school you should apply to, consider these tips:
1) Assess your interest, skills, and qualifications/competitiveness
2) Gather information:

Talk to your teachers/professors, advisors, professionals in your field of interest, school alumni, and students attending your program/school of interest

Research the Internet

Review books and guides

3) Evaluate and compare programs and schools

Admission requirements

Program and school reputation and accreditation

Faculty, availability, and network of professionals

Cost: scholarship and other financing options

Size, Location, Diversity

Degree requirements (semester hours, coursework, internships/rotations, etc.)

Flexibility: online/distance learning options, time needed to complete degree and maximum years allowed, part time status option, credit transfers, etc.

Pre-requisites & Applications Another difference between undergraduate and graduate school is that for the latter, the schools and programs, pre-requisite coursework and standardized testing, and application process will differ depending on what field you plan to pursue. On the other hand, after high school, choosing which colleges to apply to and which college to attend was relatively standard, and it was not until you were there that you were required to select a major.

Depending on your field of study, you will most likely have to take one of the following exams, submit an application and essays, and participate in an interview.

Other resources
Unfortunately, there is much more detail to planning your graduate education than what we could include without writing a book, so talk to your advisor, professors, colleagues, professionals in your field of interest, other students; research the Internet; and visit your local library or book store for helpful guidance books, sample entrance exams, and multimedia tools. Below are additional resources for your research. Cheers to higher education and our future leaders!

Library and book stores
US News and World Report. 2004 Edition on America's Best Graduate Schools Peterson's Guides to Graduate Programs The Official Guide to MBA Programs The Official Guide to US Law Schools, Graduate Study in Psychology and Associated Fields Barron's Guide to Graduate Business Schools Barron's Guide to Law Schools Barron's Guide to Medical and Dental Schools Medical School Admission Requirements in the United States and Canada. Veterinary School Admission Requirements in the United States and Canada.

Internet

Search for schools by subject:
http://www.gradschools.com/search.html

Information on a variety of topics-- Undergraduate, Graduate and Professional Study, Postgraduate Executive Education:
http://www.petersons.com/

Links to 2300 universities in 73 countries: http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/cdemello/univ.html

Search Graduate and Professional Schools:
http://www.petersons.com/gradchannel/

Educational Testing Service:
http://www.ets.org/

Directory of graduate programs around the world:
http://www.gradschools.com/