Grad school and I have a funny relationship. It was absolutely the most intellectually enriching 2 years of my life, but at the same time I find myself questioning if it was worth “it”? That is, could I have learned the same amount on my own accord, and thereby focused my energies on gaining applicable work experience?
For many of my peers in the post-undergraduate space, we find ourselves navigating a new terrain of uncertainty, faced with career and life choices that can very well set the course for the rest of our lives. It’s an intimidating position, but also any exciting one armed with the right tools.
It’s a strange thing to admit, but for me, grad school was more of a filler for my mid twenties, when I felt lost and disconnected from academia, where I have always thrived. An expensive filler, no doubt; but at the time I had a B.A. in History and had just moved to a new city where I knew no one. I didn’t understand myself removed from school, and didn’t know “what else” to do.
I was generally lacking perspective, except I knew I wanted to learn about global affairs and thought to be taken seriously in that field, I needed to have an advanced degree. I pursued my degree to learn about a subject I was very interested in, but also for the ‘clout’.
I entered my program with tunnel vision — having a specific research goal in mind I was endlessly passionate about. In this case, I got what I came for- a wider perspective of European politics and economics, as well as comprehensive knowledge of global economics and emerging markets.
However, many make the decision to go into advanced degree programs, (especially in a field as ambiguous as “International Studies”) with a less refined idea of what they want to accomplish.
In the first few weeks of school, you are asked to narrow down your thesis topic so that you may choose courses that align with those goals. If this isn’t something you are sure of, you’ll either struggle and submit a topic far to wide to pursue in the two year expectation, or, you’ll submit a topic you are far from passionate about and find the next two years drag by as you try to rally some excitement about your research.
Surely, an education is a permanent investment in yourself. I will always have this degree, and in that way, yes, it was worth it.
Currently, I do not utilize my degree in any capacity on a daily basis. To this point- no, it wasn’t “worth it”. In many respects, I believe the investment in yourself is only practically worth it if you have a clear path to utilization of the education you worked so hard for. Had I taken the same time to learn more about my current career path, I surely would be much more accomplished at this point, rather than feeling like I started from the “bottom” at 26 (in terms of being in the workforce).
So, was it worth it? Yes and no. For me, the “yes” outweighs the “no” because of my personal investment in my research and continued vested interest in my field. Those simply feeling lost or at a career standstill may want to empower themselves with alternative means of enrichment, through language courses, self-education and trying our new responsibilities in their work before deciding to begin an advanced degree program.