It’s October and you are a semester or two (possibly more) from graduating. Your parents keep asking you what’s next, and the best that you can offer them is silence and a blank stare. What do you do? Go to grad school.

I am serious. It is not as crazy as you think. There is a stigma in our society about grad school -- many people think that only people who want to be professors go to grad school, and that is simply not true. Nowadays, everyone gets a bachelor’s degree, so that little piece of paper you worked your butt off for just isn’t cutting it anymore. Soon, the bachelor’s degree is going to look a lot like a high school diploma. So, let’s take a look at a few reasons why you should consider graduate school.   

Don’t feel ready for the workforce. That is totally okay! There is no shame in feeling unprepared. While a little bit of nervousness is totally expected, if you are really freaking out about what you are going to do, maybe you need to stall. If you cannot afford a year or two backpacking through Europe, or working with the Peace Corps to find yourself, grad school can be just the stalling tactic you need. It is kind of expensive, but a majority of programs at OU offer teaching (graduate assistant) fellowships that come with a full tuition waiver and a housing stipend, leaving you only with the bill for fees, books and food. These positions are not as hard to get as you might think, because OU is desperately trying to pull people into its graduate programs. An extra two years -- or six if you want to get really ambitious -- will give you more time to hone your skills, learn more about the field, and plan for the future. Plus, it will give you a leg up in the industry when you finally do jump in.

Worried about finding a job in the dismal job market. Aren’t we all? If you apply for the abundant fellowships and scholarships, grad school can actually be a moderately priced way to wait out the bust. Indicators predict that with the rate of new jobs being added to the economy, a couple of years could make a huge difference in the number of available jobs. When you do finally make your debut on the market, your advanced degree will make you significantly more desirable to potential employers.

Pretentious and want to be called Doctor. Don’t worry, we have all thought about this before. 

Want to be a professor. Kudos to you. Grad school is about the only way you are ever going to work at the collegiate level at any halfway decent institution. 

Want to be a school administrator. Little did you know, your dream of becoming a principal, superintendent, or just to be paid a reasonable salary as a K-12 teacher, is non-existent if you don’t go to grad school. The School of Ed, here at OU, has a host of grad programs tailored to just about any teaching aspiration you have. Oklahoma teachers do get paid more just for having a graduate degree. I checked.

Want to be a specialist in your field. Unless you are Einstein, please do not plan on becoming a specialist in your field without a graduate degree. Grad school is all about picking a subject that you are really passionate about and studying it, ad nauseam. If you leave grad school, especially a Ph.D. program, without having at least a degree of prestigious specialty, well, you’ve been doing something wrong. 

I hope this list helped you to understand a little more about why grad school can be a great choice for so many people! Keep an eye out for my next few articles where I will walk you through the various steps for choosing a grad program and applying.