Why graduate school is important

Many students who receive graduate degrees remark with varying degrees of alarm about feeling less smart and prepared than their degree may indicate they should be. Being reminded of how little you know after studying your field for an extended period of time is a great perspective to have in pursuit of your ultimate goals. A great irony of graduate school is the truth that your studies may give you more professional experience than actually working in a chosen job.

For many programs, your graduate school work will enable you to go beyond book learning to actually implementing some of the teaching. Through opportunities like lab work, trading simulations, and consulting engagements with local organizations, graduate school can offer you hands-on immersion.

The experience that most applicants have who are considering graduate school is typically quite limited by design. And the opportunity for leadership in various clubs and organizations in your graduate school likely exceed those outside for most candidates. Likewise, you will have great opportunities for a summer internship to bolster your experience as well.

The confidence arising from a wide swath of experiential learning will be a huge addition to your development. Your confidence from this experience — the knowledge that you have been exposed and battle-tested in various relevant professional areas — is a definite outgrowth of graduate school.

Your skillset will improve dramatically in graduate school provided that you are focused academically. The hours of instruction, practice via out of class assignments, and implementation in various settings will help your mastery of certain relevant skills.

For example, in business school, regardless of format part-time, full-time, executive , you will gain a core mastery of areas like accounting, marketing, finance, statistics, management, and econometrics. The efficient development of a set of foundational skills is often the most compelling reasons for candidates to consider a graduate degree.

The opportunity to build a team of advisors, collaborators, and friends in your intended chosen profession is exceptionally appealing to graduate school applicants. Adding the screen of a selective admissions process further strengthens most candidates interest as it increases the likelihood that a candidate will have a network which is and will be high-achieving and often global.

Getting the opportunity to foster lifelong relationships — professional as well as personal — with people who can expose you to various opportunities for your life is a massive motivator, and for good reason. Networking with other students, professors, and alumni can help you marry opportunity with a developed set of skills as you mature in your career.

Your network may help you discover opportunities that you otherwise would have missed. Graduate school is of the perfect bridge to building your career in a foreign country. Whether your pursuit is a medical degree, in public policy, or even an MBA, obtaining a degree in a country or region of interest can be a perfect anchor to launch your career there. Knowledge of the market, professors, and classmates who can help steer your search and a robust career service office are invaluable elements.

Find something to do. Grad Schools. Mutual Aid Groups. Shape 2 Created with Sketch. For Organizations. Shape Created with Sketch. Select listing type. A graduate degree is necessary for your desired profession Certain fields like health care, law, education, and social work may require an advanced degree in order for you to legally practice or to be recognized as a professional.

You want to improve your current job situation Grad school can help you gain skills you need to excel at your current job while also better positioning you for advancement opportunities. A graduate degree improves your professional options and prospects Going to grad school can help you prepare you for a career transition—whether it be switching sectors, changing industries, or jumping into a new role. Get our weekly advice Keep up-to-date with the latest advice from Abound Grad School.

Career Outlook. Student Success. Thinking About Grad School. More advice. We at Abound have put together a list of life-changing scholarships for graduate students to help you get one step closer to your dream career. Read more. Can you afford the true cost of graduate school?

Here are 5 tips to help you determine the real cost of graduate school before you apply. Should You? Subscribe To Our Newsletter Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.