I'm a college senior, and I’m still not sure what my plans are after graduation. Let’s face it, most of us don’t. During this past week, I attended a graduate school workshop on campus, wondering if graduate school would actually be a good option for me. Before this, I thought of Grad school as a way to earn higher income and be a step closer to your “dream career”. While this is true, I learned that there are more benefits than I thought, and I’m definitely willing to apply for a master’s degree because of it.

Despite the looming student loans, undergraduate students who are finishing their Bachelor’s degree this year should also consider applying for Graduate school sometime in the future. I can’t deny that getting a Master’s degree is expensive, but it’s worth the time and work. The application process, which consists of admission exams (GRE, LSAT, etc.), a faculty’s letter of recommendation, and a personal statement, seems overwhelming and scary. Once you’re accepted, though, you’ll pat yourself on the back for all of that hard work. I mean, how many college grads in 2015 actually get a high-paying career right after college? Here are some reasons why Graduate school gives us hope for a successful post-grad life.

1. Working in a Field You’re Passionate About

While pursuing your master’s degree, you’re no longer required to take those general education classes you had no interest in studying, or simply didn’t learn squat about. Your classes will pertain to your field of study and nothing else. You will focus more on the subject in which you are passionate, or where your strengths lie. If, as an undergrad, you had a concentration or emphasis within your major (i.e. Archaeology from the Anthropology major), then you have a chance to delve into that course more in Graduate school. Graduate school will give you a deeper insight of what you’ve already learned as an undergrad, and is the perfect place where you and your classmates can geek out about what you’re learning.

2. Research and Training

Not only do you study the subject you love in-depth, but you also conduct research and discover new concepts. Research in grad school serves as a gateway to the career you’re pursuing. Research in grad school, no matter how daunting it seems, pushes you one step further to being a professional. Those whose ambition is to be a professor, for example, have the opportunity to lead a lower-division course from their field; your hot T.A. from your Bio class could actually be graduate student. At Long Beach State, the graduate students who are pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing read aloud their work—poems, stories, etc.—in bookstores, just like the professional authors you see in movies. How exciting is that?

3. More Job Opportunities

Going to grad school and getting your master’s degree opens the door for a variety of great jobs, such as college advisor or a biomedical engineer. According to US News, a master’s degree is actually needed in careers like public affairs and social services. A master's degree impresses potential employers, because it proves the applicant is intelligent, knowledgeable, and capable of doing the work.

Job opportunities for college grads today are slim, especially if their major doesn’t offer them viable opportunities if they lack prior experience. Things have changed since the prosperous 1950s, and many employers are looking for degrees above a bachelor’s to prove they have mastered the skills needed for their particular career.

4. Discovering and Deepening Your Knowledge

With all the research and books you have to read, you’ll learn a lot of valuable concepts about your course — that’s a given. Your professors will challenge you to figure out new things — you will have to think for yourself, and apply what you’re learning more than ever before. It will take work. It will eat up your free time. In the end, though, everything you do will pay off. The knowledge you’ll gain in Grad school is surely something you won’t — and shouldn’t — throw away. Undergrads and possibly even some professors will look up to you, and experience what you can bring to this world.

5. Acknowledgment from Professors

Before you enter Grad school, one of your professors will put in a good word for you in the letter of recommendation. The professor you’ve worked well with will acknowledge all of your accomplishments, and you no longer feel like a number but a distinguished individual. Once you get accepted to the institution you want to attend, you’ll thank your professors for helping you out. That’s an unforgettable reward.

So whether or not you decide to attend Grad school right after you graduate, or somewhere down the road, I hope you'll consider Graduate school as a potential step in advancing your career and personal goals.