Comment Pick the right major and the right school (Score 1) 372
If you're set on going to grad school (for a masters), first figure out what you want to do, then pick the school/degree that does that for you. If you want to be a programmer, get a degree in EE/CS (you may find that EE programs offer the breadth you want, with more focus on practical programming). If you want to be a manager, get a job, then go back for an MBA. If you want to be an IT person, get a degree in IT.
If you want to be a programmer, but find the curriculum at your school to be too theoretical, apply to a different school. The school is important (an MS from Stanford will look better than one from UC Santa Cruz), but it's more important to learn about something you're passionate about. All other things being equal, pick the better known school, but don't sacrifice your goals to do so.
People were knocking top tier research institutions for having a bad curriculum, but I know first hand that the quality of both the professors and students is what makes these schools good, even for just a Masters. They also tend to be good in a lot of areas, not just one. So if you switch focus while you're there, you will still get a top notch program.
I have known lots of people who stayed at their undergrad for an MS, it's not a big deal, most of the other students have a large turnover, so you will still meet lots of new people. You really want to move schools if you're getting a PhD, because you want to interact with different professors, but again, program of study takes precedence.
If you don't want to sit at a desk all day, don't get an MS. You can be an FAE, or go into sales or technical marketing. These jobs require technical skill (BS, not MS), but you won't be at a desk all the time. That being said, if you're afraid of being a cubicle mole, but still want a technical position, it's more important to pick the right company to work for. I was in your position a few years ago. Now I work for a startup (<10 people). There are no cubes, lots of variety, and I don't feel like a code monkey (even though my title is Software Engineer).
If you want to be a programmer, but find the curriculum at your school to be too theoretical, apply to a different school. The school is important (an MS from Stanford will look better than one from UC Santa Cruz), but it's more important to learn about something you're passionate about. All other things being equal, pick the better known school, but don't sacrifice your goals to do so.
People were knocking top tier research institutions for having a bad curriculum, but I know first hand that the quality of both the professors and students is what makes these schools good, even for just a Masters. They also tend to be good in a lot of areas, not just one. So if you switch focus while you're there, you will still get a top notch program.
I have known lots of people who stayed at their undergrad for an MS, it's not a big deal, most of the other students have a large turnover, so you will still meet lots of new people. You really want to move schools if you're getting a PhD, because you want to interact with different professors, but again, program of study takes precedence.
If you don't want to sit at a desk all day, don't get an MS. You can be an FAE, or go into sales or technical marketing. These jobs require technical skill (BS, not MS), but you won't be at a desk all the time. That being said, if you're afraid of being a cubicle mole, but still want a technical position, it's more important to pick the right company to work for. I was in your position a few years ago. Now I work for a startup (<10 people). There are no cubes, lots of variety, and I don't feel like a code monkey (even though my title is Software Engineer).
