I have a few options.

1) School: I've in the process of applying to grad school and am fully confident I will get in. It will take some loans to do it full time, but in 2 years I'd have a masters degree.

2) New Job: I have also applied for a job that I may or may not get. The new job is very much in my field of interest whereas my current job is only marginally so. The new job would be a pay increase. Which would be nice now that I've paid off one student loan and am working off the other one I have left.

I can't be 100% sure both these doors will open, but if they do at the same time and I can only pick one, I'm having trouble deciding which to pick. Getting out of debt doing something I enjoy seems very appealing, but getting a masters degree is something I would have with me long term and help me get a job in my field of interest after I finish graduate school. On the one hand I'm kind of thinking whats the point of a masters degree if I can get work I'm interested in without it, but on the other hand GRE scores are only good for 5 years, the letter of recommendations I have written now are pretty strong but are from people I may not have access to if I apply again down the road, and I doubt I'll ever end up with a higher degree if I don't go for it now.

3) The 3rd option is stay at my current job, and try to go to gradschool part time. My current job is something I'm very good at, only marginally fulfilling at best, and the pay isn't very good.

I'm sure some old schoolers have had to make such decisions before, and in the end it'll just be weighing the pro's and con's of each, but I'd like to here any general advice, but especially any specific advice from people who have had to make similar decisions.

(there is some small chance I could do new job & school part time, but the new job will be much more time intensive, and is a longer commute which eats up more time, and would require travel around the state and out of state which is less conducive to school at the same time)

8/11/2008 8:07:34 PM

Unless you have some degree that is pretty much worthless without a masters I would go for option 2 if it becomes available.

I had a similar choice and after discussing it with many people in the masters and phd program I decided to hold out for a job even though I didn't have a lead at the time. It worked out well for me.

[Edited on August 11, 2008 at 8:39 PM. Reason : ]

8/11/2008 8:37:59 PM

Would you be getting a Master's in Philosophy?

If so, I'd really recommend finding and applying to programs that offer fellowships or teaching assistantships to fund graduate school. The income range for liberal arts jobs once you're out of school doesn't really justify going tens of thousands of dollars into additional debt in order to obtain them.

8/11/2008 11:17:09 PM

^^My BA degree is fairly worthless other than being able to have on my resume that I graduated from a 4 year college, ^but philosophy is not what I'd be pursuing if I went to grad school.

8/12/2008 6:44:14 AM

take the job and or find an employer that will pay for grad school

win win

8/12/2008 2:31:00 PM