It may sound cliche, but there is no time like the present, and if you are in the same position that most people are after they graduate undergrad (no kids, maybe not married) the world is mostly your oyster when looking toward your continued education.
Why I Pursued Grad School Right After Undergrad
My personal backstory was a fortunate one. I attended a small private college in Texas for undergrad, paid for it later (plenty of loans), and earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and a Masters’s Degree in Education. It was one of the best decisions I have made in my career.
As I began teaching in a rural growing school district south of Dallas, TX. A good number of the other teachers there (married, with kids, many obligations) began working on their master’s degrees. In the lounge, I would often hear the stories of very late nights working on their degrees, and time away from their families, because of waiting to pursue their masters. I would thank my college in my head, my decision, and offer any help I could to my colleagues.
The lesson from this and the lesson I give to our younger teachers at my school who are considering furthering their education for a master’s degree or administrative certifications is to go get that as soon as you can. The longer you wait, the more life will attempt to get in the way of you pursuing this next level.
Another example, from my life; we waited for me to pursue a superintendent certification while my mother-in-law lived with us due to cancer. Life will always try to get in the way; while the door is open, go after it because you never know what life will throw your way next.
How Pursuing Grad School After Undergrad Can Benefit Your Career
Salary Increase
The pay increase is the first and most common reason for taking the next educational step.
A quick google search turned up the financial benefit of earning your master’s degree in education. On average the person with a master’s in education will earn about 20% more. When you retire in education, that will make a big difference in your retirement salary, not to mention what you can do before you get to retirement.
Doors Will Open
The second major impact is the doors a master’s degree will open. In the state where I work, Texas, one must have a master’s degree to move into any kind of administrative position and, in most cases, anything beyond the classroom. Many larger school districts will have instructional coaches, instructional technologists, and counselors that all will require a master’s degree for these opportunities to be even possible for you to pursue.
In twenty-one years of education, I have seen many people who kicked themselves for not being prepared when opportunities have appeared, and they could not pursue because they did not have the education required for the opportunity. Thus, earning the master’s degree is a pay increase and increase in opportunities.
Money vs. Opportunity
Let’s get into the number one reason (and the reason I waited to pursue my superintendent certification) people wait on graduate school programs: the money it takes to get one.
Right out of undergrad, many of us were either not married or about to be, no kids, but the student loans were about to kick in, and we had to have a job. Many of my colleagues hesitated at this point and waited until it was more financially feasible to pursue this. During that time, marriages took place, children were born, and other life events filled the time.
Those of us in education have been fortunate over the last 10-15 years (and in part thanks to the pandemic) because, realistically, online classes fit much better into our busy lives. Many of these programs are cheaper and more versatile to your schedule versus the undergraduate face-to-face education many of us grew up with. Most online master’s programs take anywhere from one to three years.
Yes, it will cost some money, but again there is a financial payoff in the long run. Many student loans can be deferred during the time you are enrolled and then you can come back with a higher income to give you more leverage to pay off those student loans.
In the end, you will have to weigh the risk vs. reward, the return on investment, and where you are at the time in your life.
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