to continue or not to continue?!!!

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vanilla_addict

vanilla_addict

and a chocoholic!
O.G.
Jan 27, 2006
3,477
528
#1
So sorry about the long post :blink: ! I just feel u guys are extremely friendly you might have opinions that help me make this decission! I am so overwhelmed! << rrrr life planning is hard! :sad:

here is my story! Any point of view would help and I am very thankful in advance!:love:


I recently graduated from college. Computer Sciences major..
started working (well still under training!) at an IT solution company..
And I am so not convinced of applying for master degree..!! <<the exam is going to be next week so I have to decide!!:cry:


Now if I had a chance to study abroad (ex. UK.. US.. Canada.. Australia) I would have really considered masters.. but since I don’t.. I really think its best for me to expand my CV and knowledge by work!!


Why I hate to apply for masters in my own university? :Push:
-Enough studying already! << my major was 5 extensive years of hard work, so u can imagine I am really not ready to study again!!
-Masters would take me here 2 and a half years or more..+ its so hard (so so hard that you cant study and work part time at the same time!)
- My former doctors at college said the master’s program in my uni is way harder than it should be.
-Masters degree here would expand my academic knowledge wide.. but wont add anything to my (real life -job- application of things)..
-I am really not towards academic field (teaching etc.. its just not me!).. I really pray my current job (junior programmer) will turn out great..!




What do you guys think? :worried: What would you do? :oh: Spend the next two and a half years studying something you are not convinced of.. just because it’s a masters degree :huh: ! Or focus on expanding your CV by work :idea: ?


ps: any opinions are welcomed i wont hold anyone responsibilty of my future LO:huh::huh::huh::huh:L just felt so overwhelmed and thought of u guys :cry:
 
#2
In the company I work for you can't really advance into upper managment without a Masters.

Work will always be there, but the drive to achieve more education wanes!

I'd get the Masters.
 
#3
Greenie said:
In the company I work for you can't really advance into upper managment without a Masters.

Work will always be there, but the drive to achieve more education wanes!

I'd get the Masters.
Click to expand...

true that is Greenie.. but :cry:

i dont know why i have this idea--> that in such major its better to start working.. and catch up with whats the business is dectating the world of IT.. rather than spend more than two years studying something you already know just a whole lot deeper! (plz dont get me wrong :sad: .. education is always a plus :biggrin: .. but.. rrrr i lost my point!! loool)

i see many people extremely knowlegble in their fields just by working and traning hard.. i mean isnt masters just one way of gaining knowledge in such a field? :oh:
Greenie i really appreciate your reply :love: Thank you so much :biggrin: .. truely a conciderable point of view..<< she is back to thinking.. thinking.. thinking!! :shame: and awaits other views as well :biggrin:
 
#4
Vanilla, although I am still in undergrad..my personal opinion is that of weighing opportunity costs. I am a pysch major, I know I have to go back for masters. However, my brother graduated with his undergrad in computer science about 8 years ago and has had a wonderful and fairly lucrative job since. He is now at the age of 31 going back to grad school. It is your personal choice, if you feel that extra education will not truly do much more for you, don't do it. However, that is not to say you can't do it in the future. It may be a little harder, but it is always feasible to return for your masters. Work now, save money, get experience etc. Not a bad idea...again, I am still an undergrad, so take my opinion as you will, but I saw how well it turned out for my brother.
 
#5
I actually think that you already answered the question yourself because you listed all the points why you ddn't want to do the masters right now and I think that'll probably the best decision for you at the moment. Like Jap said you can do your Masters later when you feel like it. I'm doing my B.A. at the moment on a night university because my actual graduation just keeps me where I'm right now (master of German/English) and I want to move on. I don't think it's harder because you'll have a different motivation and that will drive you through it. I think just listen to your heart and it'll turn out fine.
 
#7
Just my 2 cents...you don't seem all that enthusiastic about returning to school for a masters. If you are not 100% into it you probably shouldn't do it now. It is a lot of money to "waste" if you will not get anything out of it.

I also went through 5 years of University for my business degree and had the opportunity to continue onto a Master's Degree immediately after graduation. I was pretty sick of school at the point and decided to postpone the MBA. Now 5 years after graduation I am almost done with school for a Nursing degree. If I had gone for the MBA I never would've pursued nursing and would've missed out on something that I really enjoy doing.

Also - as a side note - I am working for an IT company now until I finish the nursing program and very few of our programmers have advanced degrees and are doing very well financially with only a bachelors.

Good luck with whatever you decide!
 
#8
Maybe you should take a break from school, since it has been quite some time that you put in. And unless you want to go even further in CS, to teach or actually do research, it may not be worth it to have a masters. My dad has a masters in CS from the University of Reims in France.. and he's doing project managment at IBM rather than actual computer related things. So it was good to have school for him, but not all that useful in the end.
 
#9
I agree with the others. Take a year or two off. Focus on your career and how to apply what you've already learned. I think that when you do go back, you will get so much more out of the classes because you can relate better to the real world.

I'm taking a few classes that mix undergrad and grad students. I can see that the grad students that have been in the work force for a bit are getting a lot more out of the class.
(I like these classes for me as an undergrad because I'm getting education from the prof and experience from my classmates.)

Good luck. I'm sure your path will become clear to you soon.
 
#10
JAP4life said:
Vanilla, although I am still in undergrad..my personal opinion is that of weighing opportunity costs. I am a pysch major, I know I have to go back for masters. However, my brother graduated with his undergrad in computer science about 8 years ago and has had a wonderful and fairly lucrative job since. He is now at the age of 31 going back to grad school. It is your personal choice, if you feel that extra education will not truly do much more for you, don't do it. However, that is not to say you can't do it in the future. It may be a little harder, but it is always feasible to return for your masters. Work now, save money, get experience etc. Not a bad idea...again, I am still an undergrad, so take my opinion as you will, but I saw how well it turned out for my brother.
Click to expand...

Thank you s:huh::huh:o:huh: So:huh::huh::huh:oo much dear JAP4life :love: for taking the time and sharing the advice.. My brothers as well are doing extremely well in their work fields without masters! they really developed themselves a lot through work experience and training.. so thats another living example infront of me!

it really seems to me that i havent thought about "returning later" for masters! As if i either do it now or loose it forever!! but reading ur post i believe now i have the third choice of coming back later when i know what real application means!!! :idea:
G:huh::huh::huh:d luck with ur studies and thank you again :biggrin:
 
#11
Tanja said:
I actually think that you already answered the question yourself because you listed all the points why you ddn't want to do the masters right now and I think that'll probably the best decision for you at the moment. Like Jap said you can do your Masters later when you feel like it. I'm doing my B.A. at the moment on a night university because my actual graduation just keeps me where I'm right now (master of German/English) and I want to move on. I don't think it's harder because you'll have a different motivation and that will drive you through it. I think just listen to your heart and it'll turn out fine.
Click to expand...

You know dear my heart tells me stick with the job you feel you'll love and you are so excited about!!! << when i first made my CV i was completely unbelievably excited!! because i felt WOW i am out to the real world now!!! :nuts:
something i remembered feeling wierd at work.. we were trained for a week on a real hardcore subject in the world of IT.. something we havent learned at uni!! and there were two friends (older than me) sitting right next to me whom carry masters degree!! one got it from the UK and the other from my same uni..
the wierd thing is.. i & my other friends thought they knew that corse or at least have a background on it!! but they were just like me and other BS graduates.. new students in the REAL world field!!

so that kind of gave me an insight.. that masters yes is a plus.. but still work also is a SCHOOL on its own!! and its one i never been to.. so thats why i am excited to JOIN that school!!

dearest Tanja.. ThaAaAaAaAaAaAnks s:huh::huh::huh::huh: much :love: for sharing the advice .. i really appreciate it a LOT :biggrin:
and G:huh:d luck with your studies as well :biggrin:
 
#12
Tanja said:
Like Jap said you can do your Masters later when you feel like it. I'm doing my B.A. at the moment on a night university because my actual graduation just keeps me where I'm right now (master of German/English) and I want to move on. I don't think it's harder because you'll have a different motivation and that will drive you through it. I think just listen to your heart and it'll turn out fine.
Click to expand...

This is one of the greatest things i came to realize!! That is.. Maybe later I'll have a different and greater motivation to apply for masters!! :nuts:
Thank u again Tanja!! This discussion is really making me re-think about my plans from a different angle! :idea:
 
#13
Let me make sure to send Vlad this way... I am sure he will have some helpful insight (since he is just finishing his masters and is in a similar major)!!
 
#15
I thought I was going to go for my Master's program by now but I'm not. I'm fine where I am and completely satisfied. I won't be advancing in what I do for the next 2.5 years (contract with company) and I don't intend to stay there once the contract is up. I am toying with going for my CFA instead though as it cost less $ (just take 3 levels of tests over 2 years) and it's not as demanding as a Master's program but pays the same as someone with a Master's program (that depends too on where you end up at). So it looks like I'm not going to pursue my Masters but that's not etched in stone yet. I love school so I didn't even think twice about whether or not I will pursue my Master's after college. It is only when I started working has my priorities changed.
 
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