Beginning of the end (college)

First class of my last semester of college is tomorrow at 10am. Not sure how I feel about it. I am ready to be done, but I will also definitely miss this stage of life; it's been an interesting several years.
Not sure yet what is going to come next either. Could be straight to industry, maybe a year of work then graduate school, maybe move far far away. What is quite nice about this last semester is that I only have two classes to graduate so it will be quite relaxed, a far cry from this past fall.

Just thought I'd share what's on my mind.

Congrats!

I bailed out after my associate degree, and of course now I wish I'd stuck around for my bachelor(especially since it only would have taken 1 more year), so I definitely respect the work you've put in to get this far.

Time for graduate school!!

fritzsch wrote: Not sure yet what is going to come next either. Could be straight to industry, maybe a year of work then graduate school, maybe move far far away.

If your career of choice is one that will require graduate school, I strongly recommend that you don't break stride and just keep on going until that's done. In my experience, people get out, get a job, and get used to getting paid rather than paying. That makes it mighty tough to go back.

Either way, congrats! It's an achievement for sure.

I am with Duke on this. I went straight into grad school for a masters at the same school after I got my BS, mainly because I did not have any job offers. Once I completed that, I was ready to get out and earn some money. I had a firm offer in hand. Five years later, I regretted that decision and wished I had gone for a PhD. This is just my experience. Some people just aren't made for school and a BS/BA or even AS is all they really need.

Stay in for grad school. I was too stupid to do so and left as fast as I could. Went back while working full time and I got in 12 of 30 credit hours before my kids came and I chose sleeping every night over grad school.

Aren't you an engineering major? Grad school is becoming almost a requirement for getting a job now.

^Not unless you have the desire to go into Engineering Management.

But I'd still say stick around and tough it out for your graduate degree. Like Duke mentioned, my company would pay for me to go back and get my MA, but the thought of working full-time, 2-3 classes per semester and paying in a chunk of change (they reimburse based on your grades) is very daunting.

I'm also curious if with 7+ years of experience and 10+ once I'd likely be done, would an MA even matter vs my experience.

ScreaminE wrote: Aren't you an engineering major? Grad school is becoming almost a requirement for getting a job now.

Not necessarily. My firm hires a lot of engineers fresh out of school with bachelor's degrees.

Best advice I have is dont treat it as the end of schoolwork, treat it as the beginning of your job hunt. The sooner you get started on the job hunt the better.

Right after graduation was some of my most difficult times. (never go to a small school in the middle of nowhere where you will get no contacts, got my job through a motorsports connection finally after a year of hunting.)

I'm 3 years past where you are today- and I chose the "get a job" route. Start looking now, I actually began working part time at my first "real" job my last semester at school and transferred to full time right after graduation. Haven't been without work since, and future employers will like to see that you hit the ground running instead of taking time to relax. I'm an ME, for what that's worth.

get a job that will pay for grad school, yes it will be hard to be motivated to go back, but student loans stink. I wouldn't have gone the PhD route right out of undergrad if I had gone then as well.

z31maniac wrote: I'm also curious if with 7+ years of experience and 10+ once I'd likely be done, would an MA even matter vs my experience.

Do you want to end up in management? If so, it would help--not that it is any insurmountable feat without it, but it would aid you. Especially if you hop industries or even cities.

Fritsch, IMHO I'd stay and get the graduate degree unless it is an MBA. Maybe even if it is an MBA. I'm now 2.5 years out of college and starting to study for the GMAT, and it is a daunting undertaking.

I hope you have a great semester, and I don't think it much matters what you choose to do. Studies show money /= happiness in the US greater than about 50k/year per family.

Personally, I had only two classes my last semester (senior design, and a film lit class at an engineering school - haha) as well.

I drank many beers. I spent a lot of time with friends who I don't get to see much anymore. I backpacked the Grand Canyon. I was planning to go to grad school but I had a job offer in hand. I took it. I have not looked back and wished I got the grad degree.

mtn wrote: Fritsch, IMHO I'd stay and get the graduate degree unless it is an MBA. Maybe even if it is an MBA. I'm now 2.5 years out of college and starting to study for the GMAT, and it is a daunting undertaking.

IF this is the plan later regardless of whether you get a job or not, then sure. If not, get out there. I've seen way too many people just stay for grad school because they don't know what to do next...

Since you are in engineering, I am going to assume you as being the rational sort.

If staying in school, do the cost/benefit. You lose X years of income, plus you still have to pay for the schooling and live.

Up here in Alberta, if you only ever top out at $100k per year eventually in your career, I am of the opinion that a 4 year degree itself is a worse bargain than a 2 year technical diploma. Any additional time required makes it that much worse.

rcutclif wrote: I hope you have a great semester, and I don't think it much matters what you choose to do. Studies show money /= happiness in the US greater than about 75k/year per family.

FTFY.

FWIW, I disagree with that for a few reasons. First, I live in Chicagoland with relatively high cost of living compared to the rest of the country (leaving out the west coast and the northeast). Second, if you can recognize that there is no increase in happiness past the 75k mark, you can save and invest the rest and retire earlier.

After my Bachelors I took a break, because I was set on not paying for school, so after 5 years I went back to school for my masters 80% of it was paid by the company and then school that I worked for. If you have student loans the advantage of going back to school or going right after your bachelors is they will go into deferment, the subsidized will not earn interest while the unsubsidized loans will.

I'll chime in and suggest that if an advanced degree is what you want, stay in school--if you have the means to do that. Once you hit the working world, life has a funny way of steering you in other directions. I had considered grad school decades ago, did very well on my GMATs, but never got there.

Just wanted to add that even once you graduate, the dreams that you missed a final and failed the last class you needed to graduate, or wound up a credit short of graduation, don't stop. I've been out of school 8 years now and still have random dreams that I didn't pass my last semester.

If you can get a job in your field for at least a few years before grad school, that is what I suggest. Having a masters with no experience makes the post school job very similar without the additional education. You probably won't start with any more pay (or only a little more). With a few (at least 2) years of work under your belt, you can aim higher in your job search post grad school.

Time to really fire up the job hunt.

I'll be honest, MBA's are IMHO severely overrated unless you already have reached the ceiling. In my company, that ceiling is a 200K a year job before it really is considered mandatory which is really nice. Almost all of the directors above me do not have an MBA. The only one in my chain of command that does is my VP. I thought about it and most of my co-workers said it was a waste of money.

With that said, Take the time to find a job and do some things that you enjoy to during that time.

Yup, I will be job hunting. There are three job fairs in the next month or so at my University. Also will be talking to some professors and this board for some general advice a little later. I will definitely enjoy myself this semester, classes are only Tues/Thurs so I am hoping to get my 61 Continental back moving, ride my motorcycles, and get some camping and rock climbing done on the weekends

dinger wrote: Just wanted to add that even once you graduate, the dreams that you missed a final and failed the last class you needed to graduate, or wound up a credit short of graduation, don't stop. I've been out of school 8 years now and still have random dreams that I didn't pass my last semester.

9+ for me and I still have the occasional.

"Now we have a test and I haven't been attending all semester" dream.

mtn wrote:

rcutclif wrote: I hope you have a great semester, and I don't think it much matters what you choose to do. Studies show money /= happiness in the US greater than about 75k/year per family.

FTFY. FWIW, I disagree with that for a few reasons. First, I live in Chicagoland with relatively high cost of living compared to the rest of the country (leaving out the west coast and the northeast). Second, if you can recognize that there is no increase in happiness past the 75k mark, you can save and invest the rest and retire earlier.

Well, I don't know what the absolute value is. Thought it was just above the poverty line. Guess that can depend on number of kids.

Agreed that making more just means you should retire earlier (but its hard not to spend-it-like-you-stole-it).

Funny about chicagoland cost of living. I hear this all the time, but I feel like its close to the cheapest place I have ever lived. Madison was more expensive, and Milwaukee was cheaper, but only slightly. That's all my perspective on COST of living though. Most people look at and prepare data that is not really COST, but rather average SPENT on living. Which I can see being pretty high here, since there are lots of good paying jobs.

Thread-jack about to start: have we ever had a GRM meet and greet in the chicagoland area? I know there's a giant thread for ohio... (no need to answer here, i'll start a new topic).