I’m thinking about applying for grad school for next semester. I think I may be insane. I’m hoping somebody Out There can give me some advice.
Here’s my situation: I went to college with no idea what I was doing, and ended up majoring in computer science more or less by accident. I seemed to have a knack for programming, and I did very well in all the classes, but I somehow managed to miss learning any real-world, practical computer skills. Looking back on it, I think they expected that we were all geeky enough to spend all our free time in the computer lab teaching ourselves the hands-on stuff, and that all they had to teach in class was the theory, the academic stuff that no one would study for fun.
So I’ve been jobhunting, off and on, for most of the past three years, and haven’t had much luck finding anything in the computer field. The few job openings I read about are all looking for skills and/or experience that I don’t have. Right now I’m in a boring clerical job that is slowly destroying my brain, and there are no prospects of anything changing any time soon.
So I’m thinking about giving up on the adulthood thing for a while and going back to being a college student. I was good at being a college student. I liked it. But I’m not sure if grad school is right for me right now. For one thing, I’m sure I want to do something with computers, but I don’t really know specifically what I want to do with 'em.
What, exactly, is a CS master’s degree good for? What kind of career options would it prepare me for? Is the degree worth the trouble, out there in the Real World? Or will I end up still unemployable and also buried in student loan debt?
In all areas, 80-90% of what you learn in school is useless in the real world. You already have more than enough formal training for a programming job; if you need a few other skills, pick them up at a community college or just get a book and set to work. Don’t go for a masters with the idea it’ll help a lot; it won’t.
I know whereof I speak. I have an MS in Geology. I was laid off from an oil company job in 1986, and haven’t done geology since, except for some ersatz geology for an environmental firm for two years.
After I was laid off, I got an MBA, because that’s what everyone was doing then. I never used the damn thing, since I found out that people my age (39 at the time) were considered only good for personnel work by major corporations, and I didn’t want to do that. Too bad I didn’t bother to get the skinny before I wasted all that time and money.
Now I’m a software developer. My only training is a couple of college courses and a couple of community college courses, plus a fair amount of self-training. I seem to be pretty well thought of, nonetheless.
Grad school is worthwhile for 3 things:
- You really want to learn more for its own sake;
- The job you want definitely requires a grad degree; or
- You’ve got the job, and more education will get you a promotion.
For anything else, don’t bother. The best thing you can do, IMO, is learn to network.
Grad school is not something to undertake lightly. For one thing, it’s hard. It’s not fun, though it can be satisfying if you’re passionate about your field. Unless you have a very specific goal in mind, it’s not worth the time, money, and effort.
Before jumping into grad school, you should try to pinpoint the kind of job you’d like to have and plan your coursework/field of study accordingly.
I just finished my stint in grad school. While more rewarding and “fun” than undergrad (for a bunch of reasons), grad school is exhausting and I’m glad it’s over. I think I jumped into it too fast, without thinking about what I was getting into.
I’m starting to realize–as I do the job search thing–that I’m in an awful predicament: I’m overqualified for the jobs that I want the most and I’m underqualified/inexperienced for the jobs that are geared towards people with my educational level.
Unless you go to a bad school or have a bad advisor, I don’t see how going to grad school will hurt you. But I would make sure to enter field of study that allows you to have a diverse course load so that you don’t become too specialized.
(Idea: Have you heard of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology? Expertise in this area is very marketable nowadays.)
Unfortunately, if you want to go to grad school because you miss being in college, you’re going to be disappointed. I know I was. It’s way more work and none of the fun.
Before you go to grad school, you must do 2 things:
- Decide on a field that really excites you, because going to grad school should mean you intend to make it your life’s work.
- Accept the fact that college is over, and your life will never be like that again.
Good luck, I hope everything works out for you.
I found grad school more fun than undergrad, which was good also. You get to take classes only in your discipline, without the need for a bunch of unrelated electives. You also go in greater depth, and interact more closely with professors. I was in the PhD program, and got into a good research group, where I hung out with interesting people and did cool stuff.
It sounds like you are looking for a terminal Masters. In that case, I agree that you should see what jobs are available that require this. They’ll be a bit higher level than the ones you get now (a Masters usually counts as two years of experience). See if employers recruit new college grads. If they do, they will have a good sense of your skill set when you finish. Also see if the school requires a thesis. This could be a plus or a minus depending on how much you like to explore a topic in depth.
If, however, you just want to learn a piece of software well, then a community college might be a better bet.
Anecdotal, so take it for what its worth…
I was at my company’s HQ a couple of weeks ago (I work remotely) and while in the HR department getting some benefit things worked out, I heard an interesting conversation.
One HR person opened a resume from a job applicant, and proceeded to make a joke about “another Masters degree with no experience”. Apparently workplaces are being flooded with applicants who went back to college due to the abysmal job market since 2000. they are now graduating in large numbers but aren’t finding the market any more receptive than it was before.
My understanding from what I overheard is that my company at least prefers work experience in a related field over a Masters degree, especially if the applicant went right into a Masters program from undergrad.
I should add that they were referring to people with Masters degrees in an academic subject, rather than the specialized degrees like an MBA, MFA, MLS, etc.