Deciding whether to continue on in school after earning a baccalaureate degree is a major issue for many students interested in graduate studies. For many students, women especially, the biggest barriers to entry are related directly to issues of timing.

After four (or more) years of undergraduate education, you’re likely to need to:

• work to start paying off educational loans,
  
• take time out to adjust to a new relationship and/or raise children, or
  
• take an extended break to recover from academic burnout.

This means that for many women, if the graduate degree they desire is not directly related to their ability to enter the workforce, they will delay their attempt to enter a program.

Is this delay problematic? Well, yes and no. Students who have been out of the academic loop for more than a year may find returning to school something of an adjustment. However, time and life experiences usually serve to broaden your horizons and interests. Which means you are:

• more likely to give greater consideration to which specific graduate program you will enter,
  
• more likely to select a program of study you are truly interested in,
  
• more likely to commit your time and efforts towards your studies, and
  
• more likely to remain with a program through its completion.

So, when all is said and done, whether you should continue in school straight through to a terminal degree or stop-out of school for a year or more is a decision you should make based on your personal needs.

I will say, however, that I firmly believe there is tremendous value in taking at least a year off between your undergraduate and graduate programs. Working, volunteering, and living outside the sheltered walls of academia gives you the opportunity to explore your interests, expand your skill sets and broaden your personal horizons. As an educational consultant, I believe in the value this experience adds to the client’s background and the richness it adds to the individual’s life—and to the graduate application and personal essay!

Need help deciding which graduate degree field is right for you? To explore your skills and interests, visit the career guidance office on your college or university campus, your local state workforce development or employment office. Once you know more about where you’re going, timing may be less of an issue.

Until next time!

Lynn Byrne

Preparing for college admissions? Trying to find direction? Need a little help with the planning? Check out my college planning series:

• College Planning Made Easy--the planning and preparation workbook for the take charge, college-bound student,
  
• Paying for College Made Easy--a college financing guide designed to assist students and families in preparing and planning for higher education expenses; and
  
• The Great Scholarship Search--my guide for students and parents researching and applying for scholarship funding.