Comment Re:Reasons for Grad School (Score 1) 369
I am one currently one class away from completing my M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. It is possible, but I agree with those who have said: you basically have to be willing to give up your social life and "normal" fun activities during that time. It involves a lot of late nights, and telling your friends "no I really need to stay in tonight".
But this is something I definitely wanted to achieve, and I feel I've gained a great deal more knowledge about the field than I would have if I opted not to go. So I say, if you're motivated and can stay focused, then by all means go for it, even if you're working full time. In the end it's only a couple of years where you had to make some sacrafices in order to get it done; in fact, it almost motiviates you to work harder because you know that once that day comes you will be able to gain everything you've given up back.
As far as from a career perspective I don't expect much to change when I get my degree. Working for a large defense company they typically make little distinction between someone with an M.S. in EE or ECE, and someone with a B.S. in EE or ECE. This is a shame but I imagine the trend is the same in many corporations. I think where having the degree really pays off, is when you're looking for a new job. This will help give you a little extra edge over the competition and, they will likely offer you a slightly higher starting salary than they would if you only had a B.S. But after you get hired in, don't expect an M.S. to carry much weight, the degree you hold typically doesn't matter at that point. I'm curious if this is this the trend other people have noticed as well?
But this is something I definitely wanted to achieve, and I feel I've gained a great deal more knowledge about the field than I would have if I opted not to go. So I say, if you're motivated and can stay focused, then by all means go for it, even if you're working full time. In the end it's only a couple of years where you had to make some sacrafices in order to get it done; in fact, it almost motiviates you to work harder because you know that once that day comes you will be able to gain everything you've given up back.
As far as from a career perspective I don't expect much to change when I get my degree. Working for a large defense company they typically make little distinction between someone with an M.S. in EE or ECE, and someone with a B.S. in EE or ECE. This is a shame but I imagine the trend is the same in many corporations. I think where having the degree really pays off, is when you're looking for a new job. This will help give you a little extra edge over the competition and, they will likely offer you a slightly higher starting salary than they would if you only had a B.S. But after you get hired in, don't expect an M.S. to carry much weight, the degree you hold typically doesn't matter at that point. I'm curious if this is this the trend other people have noticed as well?
