Why you shouldn't go to grad school

Okay, okay, I know. After my last blog that pretty much glorified continued education as the holy grail of career choices, I am pulling back the severity of my argument to clarify that I do agree with some ideas about why grad school isn't a good idea. To be clear, next fall I will most likely be working towards my so-called "useless" humanities degree, and I will be proud of it. I am an avid supporter of education in any form, and I think that graduate school is a wonderful life choice for many people. But just don't do it for these reasons.

1. To find yourself

You don't have to necessarily know exactly what you want to do with your degree, but graduate school is not the place to discover who you are, taking a class in this and that and hoping for the best. People are accepted and do well in grad school because they have extremely specific interests and career aspirations. Long gone are the undergrad days of switching your major every week.

2. To make more money

Everyone hopes that their hard work will pay off in monetary form. This is normal--but just because you rack up a few degrees does not mean you will automatically be more valuable. In fact, more and more I hear about people who are "overqualified" and it is even more difficult to find a job after receiving their degree. Before you take the plunge, think logically about what kind of life you want to set up for yourself, what your expectations are for after you complete the program, and how likely it is that those expectations will be met.

3. To wait out the recession

This has never made sense to me. Even in an economic situation like today, there are always jobs. Maybe not dream jobs, but jobs that will keep you busy, teach you skills, and make you money. I never anticipated that I would spend a year waiting tables and nannying after all my hard work in school, but I have learned a lot about myself and saved money--enough to make my adventure to France happen. Graduate school is expensive, any way you look at it. At the very best, you will be breaking even all the time, and may not be able to support the lifestyle that makes you happy. Graduate school isn't a fortress to protect you from the horrors of a bad job market. It's an expensive, time-consuming commitment that should be made mindfully.

4. Because corporate America is evil

A lot of college grads have this idea that upon graduating they have a choice--to move to NYC, buy expensive clothes and become a money-hungry stock trader, or hole up on a remote island, wear hemp, and talk about world peace. There is a middle ground, everyone. There are a lot of things that will suit you and satisfy you. And don't think that learning stops when school does. The sooner you realize that a multitude of occupations will work for you, the pressure of finding the perfect job will melt away. Promise.