Graduates must decide future now
Editorial
Issue date: 9/24/09 Section: Editorial
The unemployment rate climbed to a record level of 9.6 percent for August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The outlook remains even grimmer for Tennessee residents with the state's unemployment rate of 10.8 percent for July. These numbers do not account for the underemployed or individuals who are not actively seeking a job.
Almost as prevalent in the commentaries of the talking heads of cable TV news concerning the "floundering" economy are tips the every man and woman can use to ride out the worst of the storm.
One of these tips encourages college graduates to continue their education by attending graduate school.
Certainly if recent or future graduates planned to continue their education at some point in the future, now is the time.
We at The Echo, however, encourage students not to heed this advice blindly.
Students considering attending graduate school of any sort should carefully consider the pros and cons of this decision and not make the mistake of using graduate school as a way to avoid entering the fabled "real world."
Some careers do require attending graduate school. Continuing education past the college level is mandatory for those aspiring to be doctors, lawyers and professors.
Others job endeavors, such as entrepreneurship, teaching grade school and accounting do not necessarily require a degree beyond a B.A. or B.S.
In these instances the masters or doctoral degrees might not be worth the extra money spent on tuition and the money lost from not working full time.
Careers in these fields may also offer the possibility of financing further education after a few years of employment.
Also, some students benefit from taking time off from their education by working in an area related to their ultimate career goals. This hiatus serves a twofold purpose of providing a vacation and resume-building experience.
Entering into a graduate program immediately after finishing your career at UTC is a personal decision.
A masters or doctoral degree is a tool, a very expensive and time-consuming tool, that should only be pursued if necessary.
Whether the current task is studying for the GRE and crafting the perfect personal statement or researching prospective employers, the future graduates of the class of 2010 have a lot of work ahead of them.
The outlook remains even grimmer for Tennessee residents with the state's unemployment rate of 10.8 percent for July. These numbers do not account for the underemployed or individuals who are not actively seeking a job.
Almost as prevalent in the commentaries of the talking heads of cable TV news concerning the "floundering" economy are tips the every man and woman can use to ride out the worst of the storm.
One of these tips encourages college graduates to continue their education by attending graduate school.
Certainly if recent or future graduates planned to continue their education at some point in the future, now is the time.
We at The Echo, however, encourage students not to heed this advice blindly.
Students considering attending graduate school of any sort should carefully consider the pros and cons of this decision and not make the mistake of using graduate school as a way to avoid entering the fabled "real world."
Some careers do require attending graduate school. Continuing education past the college level is mandatory for those aspiring to be doctors, lawyers and professors.
Others job endeavors, such as entrepreneurship, teaching grade school and accounting do not necessarily require a degree beyond a B.A. or B.S.
In these instances the masters or doctoral degrees might not be worth the extra money spent on tuition and the money lost from not working full time.
Careers in these fields may also offer the possibility of financing further education after a few years of employment.
Also, some students benefit from taking time off from their education by working in an area related to their ultimate career goals. This hiatus serves a twofold purpose of providing a vacation and resume-building experience.
Entering into a graduate program immediately after finishing your career at UTC is a personal decision.
A masters or doctoral degree is a tool, a very expensive and time-consuming tool, that should only be pursued if necessary.
Whether the current task is studying for the GRE and crafting the perfect personal statement or researching prospective employers, the future graduates of the class of 2010 have a lot of work ahead of them.
Be the first to comment on this story