The pressure of earning an undergraduate degree can be pretty high. The pressure of earning a graduate degree is even higher. The good news is that attending graduate school is completely optional. Choosing to go or not go is a decision that can only be made by each person and should be taken very seriously.
Some students may feel that not wanting to go on to earn an advanced degree might make others see them as being lazy, content or not willing to put in the extra work. However, the decision to not go to graduate school can be a smart one, especially if someone has already obtained an undergraduate degree that will help them reach their career goals.
Below are a few situations where not going to graduate school could end up being the perfect decision:
Your Desired Job Title Doesn’t Require It
An advanced degree is impressive but it doesn’t make much sense to pursue graduate school if it’s not necessary. There are more than enough job positions out there that happily accept candidates with an undergraduate degree. Most students’ goals while in college is to nail the job they’ve always wanted. If it’s ripe and ready for the taking, what sense does it make to put off getting into a career in order to do more schooling?
Your Current Work Experience Qualifies You for a Job
Did you spend a significant amount of time participating in internships, volunteer programs and other activities that gave you training and acquired skill sets that can be directly applied to the career you’re hoping to get into? Then chances are you’ll be just the right kind of candidate employers are looking for.
Sure, having an advanced degree is impressive to companies but most times they want to know that you have the experience and knowledge to perform the expected job responsibilities. In a number of industries and fields, being able to “do” and not just “know” is more valued and a direct path towards getting hired.
You Had a Hard Enough Time Earning an Undergraduate Degree
College life isn’t for everyone and not all students that work their way towards a degree have an easy time at it. For some people, the path from college freshman to college graduate is a struggle and after so many years of blood, sweat and tears to get that coveted undergraduate degree, the last thing on their minds is more school.
It’s okay if, after finishing an undergraduate education, a person never wants to set their sights on another college campus ever again. As long as they walked away with the education, knowledge and experience required to get them into their desired job position, the decision to not attend graduate school is a perfectly acceptable one.
It goes without saying that a graduate education is an acquired taste and isn’t for all students. Choosing to not attend doesn’t (and shouldn’t) reflect poorly on those with undergraduate degrees. College graduates should never allow family members or others to pressure them into going, either.
