Advanced Degrees Offer New Take on Student Life

Associate English professor John Bishop says he has never left school. After receiving his undergraduate degree, he went on to graduate school without a break. Then, after spending a few years looking for a job, he wound up teaching at UC Berkeley in the mid-1970s.

As UC Berkeley seniors near the end of their undergraduate careers, many students consider paths similar to that of Bishop and will continue their scholarly lifestyles either in graduate or professional school.

Although attending graduate school may seem like a natural choice as it allows graduates to maintain their familiar status as students, many graduate students and professors said the decision to continue schooling should not be taken lightly as the process of getting a degree is long and demanding.

"Graduate school is really long and hard, and most people don't know how long and hard before they begin," said Meghan Anderson, a sixth year UC Berkeley graduate student in math. "You have to think, 'How much do I love it?"

Professors said that one of the most important parts of a graduate school application is evidence of success in undergraduate courses. Beyond that, requirements vary by discipline, with writing samples playing a large role for some committees and letters of recommendations for others.

Although continuing school presents a chance to continue studying, many said a fundamental difference between undergraduate and graduate school is the way those studies are done.

"Going to graduate school is really different from undergraduate school," said Associate History of Art Professor Elizabeth Honig. "It is more pre-professional-your professors aren't only teaching you, but they're trying to teach you to be like them."

Graduate students say another key difference between undergraduate and graduate school is the amount of work done independently.

"Graduate school can be quite lonely," said Miguel Daal, a seventh year UC Berkeley graduate student in physics. "It is really important for graduate students to branch out and do extra-curricular activities."

Als, unlike undergraduate coursework, the focus of graduate studies is one very specific area of interest.

"A key difference is that the focus of an undergraduate degree is broad and the goal of graduate studies is narrow and depth of understanding," Daal said.

Generally about 20 percent of UC Berkeley undergraduates go on directly to graduate school with the largest number of students coming from the colleges of engineering and chemistry, said UC Berkeley Career Center director Tom Devlin.

Still, other students go on to pursue advanced degrees after taking time off, but it is more difficult to determine how many people go on, said Suzanne Helbig, a career counselor and marketing coordinator at the Career Center.

Taking time before graduate school can help clarify whether or not more school is right for you, said Alexis Peri, a fifth year history graduate student who also attended UC Berkeley as an undergraduate.

"Graduate school is always there. I was afraid I might forget things, but there are a lot of people who didn't study history as an undergraduate," she said. "If you're unsure it's what you definitely want, give yourself time."

Integrative Biology Professor George Brooks said that taking a year off can also be beneficial for medical school applicants as they can take the MCAT exam and gain volunteer experience.

Some professional programs, like the MBA program at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, only consider applicants who have at least two years of professional work after undergraduate schooling, said Peter Johnson, Executive Director of Admissions of the UC Berkeley full-time MBA program.

But taking time off can also have its downsides, said Psychology and Cognitive Science Professor Stephen Palmer.

"If you take time off, you become enmeshed in new life constraints," he said. "It becomes much harder."

Additionally, for those who are ready for the intense commitment and are interested in the teaching and research that come out of an advanced degree, going to graduate school can be a good fit directly after graduation.

"Do what you love," Bishop said. "At least graduate school gives you more time to keep studying, which was a real gift for me."

Tags: