For many seniors, the prospect of graduating from college brings on an array of emotions, ranging from excitement for being out in the workforce to apprehension about living alone.
But for some students, continuing their education is still the first thing on their mind.
A recent article in The New York Times said that about 20 percent of new college graduates will continue on to graduate school immediately following graduation. At Fairfield, the trend appears to be in line with the national average.
According to Cathleen Borgman, director of the Career Planning Center, between 16 and 20 percent of Fairfield undergraduates will continue on to graduate school following graduation. A majority of those students will pursue degrees in the field of medicine, arts and science, or business.
While most students are excited about finishing their degree, students including Maeghan McLoughlin ’08 are ready to pursue a master’s degree right away.
“Personally, I enjoy school and I feel ready to continue getting an education while I am still in school mode,” said McLoughlin, who is applying to law schools for fall 2008.
While many students will not continue on to graduate school right away, according to Marianne Gumpper, director of graduate and continuing studies admission, a year or two break from education can also be beneficial, especially in business.
“With the MBA, we want students to go out and have some experience in business roughly two-to-three years before they come back in to study,” she said.
Gumpper added that the main reason for this is that business schools often work off of simulations and group work. If students are not used to this environment, it might be harder for them to contribute compared to others who have had work experience.
Shannon Helm ’06, who is currently pursuing her MBA at the Dolan School of Business, said she wanted to apply to graduate school immediately because she was still in the “classroom mindset.”
“I felt that by gaining more knowledge in the business field I could evaluate what I might want to focus on for a full-time career,” she said.
Helm said that most students in graduate programs work part-time, which helps to get the work experience along with the education. But she said she did not believe that it is necessary to work before pursuing a degree.
“I think it’s a matter of each student finding what works best for them,” said Helm. “Whether that be working part-time and going to school, working full-time and going to school, or being a full-time student – either way you’re learning and that is what is most important.”
And while work experience can be beneficial, Gumpper also said that it is a lot harder for adult students to be motivated to return to school.
“Adult students take a lot longer to cultivate, to make that decision,” she said.
Gumpper said that it may take adult students 24-36 months to make a decision to actually start classes after they have applied.
McLoughlin agreed that once a student graduates it is much harder to return to school.
“Honestly, I feel that many people who say they are going to return to school never do,” she said. “They may get into their work or settle into a particular lifestyle. It’s hard to disrupt your way of life and return to a stressful academic lifestyle where you are dependent on loans.”
However, some students hope that a break from the bump and grind of school will allow them to fully evaluate a specific interest that they want to eventually pursue in school and in a career.
“I want a master’s degree, but in something I am genuinely interested in and will apply in my career,” said Lauren Campbell ’08. “As of right now, I cannot discern what that is and hope to narrow my interests within the next year to two years.”
But with more and more jobs requiring or recommending a master’s degree, it appears that students may have to consider further education at some point in their career.
“Due to the increased percentages of people acquiring bachelor degrees, I no longer believe that college is my solution, but merely a stepping stone,” said Campbell.
McLoughlin agreed, saying that competition in the workforce is tough; even higher education is almost necessary depending on the career path.
While Fairfield appears to follow the increasing trend of students continuing on to graduate school, it is up to the individual student to decide when it is best to pursue that degree.
“My advice for students who are debating whether to go back to school immediately or to wait a few years is to evaluate yourself and decide what is best for you and you alone,” said Helm. “I think a student should decide their graduate school path based on which alternative they think will allow them to grasp the information while being able to enjoy it in the process.”
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