Grad School Tips
5 Things to Consider Before Going to Grad School
Whether it’s navigating a terrible job market, rekindling your passion for a subject or aiming for a specific leadership position, many considerations go into the decision to go to grad school. If you’re thinking about going to grad school, remember that it’s a huge investment in your professional future. Here’s five things to consider when deciding whether to pursue grad school:
Remember that this isn’t solely an escape from a bad job market
Finding a job post-Covid has been treacherous for most professionals. The market has been uncertain for years now in different ways. It can be easy to get so discouraged that we resort to going back to school, but this shouldn’t be the main motivator. Your career will go through these periods of ups and downs, but remember that grad school is an investment of time, money, and energy. So only go if you feel it will help build your career path, not take a detour from it. All you can control is your own skills and making yourself the strongest candidate you can. As long as you make decisions with this in mind, a great role will be waiting for you, whether it requires grad school or not.
2. Research the outcomes of a grad program in your field
Grad school fulfills different purposes depending on the field you are in. For some careers, grad school is necessary, while for others it’s not but could be beneficial. If you are considering grad school, be sure to research what roles you can you secure after earning your degree. For example, if you want to be an instructor at community college, you will need an MA degree. If you would like to be a software engineer, an MA is not needed, unless you have a certain specialty or role you are striving for. If helpful, you can ask a school for its placement records, records of what jobs a program’s graduates have placed in. Ensure you have an end goal in mind before beginning those applications.
3. Foster a love of learning
Going back to school, especially if it has been a while since you’ve earned your undergraduate degree, can be a heavy adjustment. Studying, test taking, public speaking are all specific skills you should build with enthusiasm. Grad school can be an exciting opportunity to specialize in your field, go deeper into topics you love, and develop as a scholar, not just a professional. It will be hard work, but if you love to learn, going to grad school can be just the challenge you’ve been looking for.
4. Budget and seek out resources for funding your education
Tuition for grad programs can be expensive, so ensure you have the budget to make to work. Research the cost of tuition at programs you’re interested in and account for moving costs (if applicable), rent, transportation, groceries, etc. for the area you will be going to school in.
Thankfully, there are many ways to lessen the cost of tuition. Look into subsidized loans for grad school. Seek out scholarships from field-specific organizations and ones for specific communities (first gen, Black, Muslim students etc.) and ones at the schools you’re interested in. There are even Islamic funds like Continuous Charity that provide loans for higher education with zero interest. Some jobs, like in tech and finance, will cover all or part of your tuition for grad school, making it to where you can continue working while earning your degree. You can also look into funded MA and PhD programs that will waive your tuition and provide a stipend in return for instructing students at the university part time. Your options vary depending on your field, so do diligent research so you know all your options.
5. Choose your program wisely
As Muslim women professionals, many of us are the first in our family to enter higher education and it can make choosing a program stressful. There may be a lot of pressure to get into a certain school or program. Remember that this is YOUR career, and you are the best judge of your own needs. Take your time to research a program’s strengths and weaknesses, its resources, its faculty, and even its student life and city culture (if you decide to move). Feel free to reach out to current students, alumni or faculty via email or LinkedIn to get a better sense of the program. Name recognition for a school, while helpful, may not always translate to a better program that fits your needs. So take your time, network, get all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Just like any other step in your career, grad school is a commitment you should take your time to consider before committing to it. Follow MWP for more tips and resources to helping you grow along your professional journey!
