During A Pandemic Is Graduate School Really An Option?

Nicole Heller / Staff Writer

A conversation on whether or not to pursue graduate school in the midst of a pandemic has been a question students have asked themselves during this time.

Students joined a Zoom session hosted by The Career & Talent Development and CAPS which was presented by Andrea Cuadra, a career adviser at FIU.

“Choosing to pursue higher education means that you want to specialize in a certain area of interest. Graduate school is very different from getting a bachelor’s degree,” Cuadra said. 

The academic advisor explained that going to grad school means that you will have the classes planned out for you, that you will take fewer electives and most likely, you will engage in some form of an experiential component such as participating in an internship or research. 

“When choosing to go to grad school, reflection is a huge component when making a very big decision,” she said. 

Therefore, she advises all students to always ask themselves why do you want to attend graduate school in the first place because sometimes it is an expectation from family, friends, or even professors. 

“Fear and pressure should not be a motivating factor in your decision. Graduate school requires a lot of investment including money, emotions, and personal sacrifices so it is important to clarify what earning a graduate degree means to your career,” Cuadra stated. 

She believes that students may be hesitant in starting a career due to the economic downturn caused by the virus.

The advisor also mentioned that not everyone has to go to graduate school. But if you decide to, it must be because you have found what you are passionate about and you are sure that you want to focus on that for most of your career. 

“Going to grad school is the right decision when you are ready to say yes to producing your research and most importantly, you have done your investigation about what program you are seeking to go to,” she said. 

Furthermore, Cuadra spoke about why grad school might not be right for you. 

“Many students across the nation do not start thinking about careers probably until they are junior or senior year,” she stated. “This is because students are mainly focused on academics”. 

Cuadra mentioned that many students fear the current job market and others don’t want to start job searching yet so they think that graduate school is an easy way out. “This is false. Fearing the job market is valid,” she stated. 

Cuadra urges students to realize that if you decide to attend grad school, it will become your full- time job. You will have way more responsibilities as if you would be going to the workforce. 

“The same applies to people who do not know what to do with their degrees. Going to grad school is not going to answer that question for you either,” she said. 

Cuadra also mentioned that another reason for not going to grad school is if you think that getting into law school or getting an MBA is the only way to get money.

“This is also false. You can earn money with your bachelor’s degree alone. Promotion and pay rises are not just going to be given to you just because you have a bachelors’ degree or even a graduate degree,” she stated.  

She encourages people who are not sure of what their next steps are after graduation to seek the help of advisers or professors. 

The academic adviser urges students to not pursue further education because you may feel pressure to go whether that’s from friends, family, or faculty. “The decision should be yours to make alone,” she stated.