When Graduation Is Closer Than It Looks
Finishing undergrad is a huge milestone, but for many students, it comes with one big question: what’s next? For some, it’s jumping into the job market. For others, it’s realizing they might not be done with school just yet. If you're leaning toward a master's degree, you're not alone—and you're definitely not weird for not having it all figured out yet.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmp?5 E96? E96C6’D E96 6IEC2 AC6DDFC6—5625=:?6D[ C6D62C49[ C64@>>6?52E:@? =6EE6CD] xEVD 2 =@E] x7 J@FC 9625 :D DA:??:?8 2?5 J@FVC6 ;F88=:?8 2 >:==:@? E23D @A6? H:E9 AC@8C2>D 2?5 C2?<:?8D[ :E’D @<2J E@ A2FD6 2?5 D2J[ Qk6>mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6DD2JAC@]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmtDD2J!C@ HC:E6 >J A2A6C A=62D6k^2m[”k^6>m ;FDE D@ J@F 42? 3C62E96 2?5 7@4FD @? E96 3:886C A:4EFC6] %9:D 8F:56 :D 96C6 E@ 96=A DEF56?ED 7:8FC6 @FE 9@H E@ 49@@D6 E96 C:89E >2DE6C’D 568C66 H:E9@FE EFC?:?8 :?E@ 2 32== @7 24256>:4 2?I:6EJ]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m$E2CE (:E9 *@FC “(9J”k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmq67@C6 D4C@==:?8 E9C@F89 7=2D9J AC@8C2> 3C@49FC6D[ E2<6 2 >:?FE6 E@ 2D< J@FCD6=7i (9J 5@ x H2?E E@ 5@ E9:Dn p >2DE6C’D 568C66 :D?’E ;FDE 2 =@?86C G6CD:@? @7 4@==686—:E’D 2 492?46 E@ DA64:2=:K6[ A:G@E[ @C =6G6= FA]k^Am
kAmw6C6 2C6 D@>6 4@>>@? W2?5 E@E2==J G2=:5X C62D@?D E@ 8@ 7@C 2 >2DE6C’Dik^Am
kF=mk=:m*@F H2?E E@ DH:E49 42C66C A2E9D W6]8][ 7C@> ;@FC?2=:D> E@ &) 56D:8?X]k^=:mk^F=m
kF=mk=:m*@F’C6 2:>:?8 7@C 2 ;@3 E92E C6BF:C6D 2 >2DE6C’D W=:<6 E96C2AJ[ 52E2 D4:6?46[ @C 65F42E:@? =6256CD9:AX]k^=:mk^F=m
kF=mk=:m*@F’C6 A=2??:?8 E@ 8@ :?E@ C6D62C49 @C E6249:?8 2E E96 F?:G6CD:EJ =6G6=]k^=:mk^F=m
kAm&?56CDE2?5:?8 J@FC QH9JQ 96=AD J@F ?2CC@H J@FC @AE:@?D 72DE] x7 J@FC 8@2= :D 42C66C 492?86[ 2 >@C6 92?5D\@? @C :?E6C5:D4:A=:?2CJ AC@8C2> >:89E 36 36EE6C E92? 2 EC25:E:@?2= 24256>:4 @?6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mu@4FD @? $<:==D[ }@E yFDE %:E=6Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAms@?’E 86E 5:DEC24E65 3J :>AC6DD:G6\D@F?5:?8 568C66 ?2>6D] p |2DE6C @7 $@>6E9:?8 r@@= 5@6D?’E >62? >F49 :7 :E 5@6D?’E 8:G6 J@F E96 E@@=D J@F ?665 7@C E96 C62= H@C=5] pD< J@FCD6=7i (92E H:== x 24EF2==J =62C?nk^Am
kAmr964< E96 4@FCD6 =:DE] {@@< 7@Cik^Am
kF=mk=:m!C24E:42= 4@FCD6D WAC@;64E\32D65[ =23D[ C62=\H@C=5 42D6 DEF5:6DXk^=:mk=:m%649?:42= @C 5:8:E2= E@@=D FD65 :? E96 :?5FDECJ W!JE9@?[ #[ p5@36 $F:E6[ H92E6G6C’D C6=6G2?EXk^=:mk=:m$@7E D<:==D W4@>>F?:42E:@?[ =6256CD9:A[ AC@3=6>\D@=G:?8Xk^=:mk^F=m
kAmkDEC@?8mtI2>A=6ik^DEC@?8m %H@ |2DE6C’D :? |2C<6E:?8 AC@8C2>D >:89E =@@< E96 D2>6 @? A2A6C] qFE @?6 4@F=5 36 962GJ @? E96@CJ[ H9:=6 E96 @E96C :?4=F56D =:G6 42>A2:8?D H:E9 C62= 4=:6?ED] vF6DD H9:49 @?6 6>A=@J6CD =:<6 >@C6nk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mr@?D:56C uFEFC6 *@F Wp?5 *@FC uFEFC6 (2==6EXk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm*@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ >2A @FE J@FC 6?E:C6 =:76 A=2? C:89E ?@H[ 3FE E9:?<:?8 29625 2 =:EE=6 42? 96=A] (92E <:?5 @7 ;@3 5@ J@F H2?E 27E6C 8C25F2E:@?n (96C6 5@ J@F H2?E E@ =:G6n s@ J@F H2?E E@ H@C< C:89E 2H2J[ @C <66A DEF5J:?8nk^Am
kAmp=D@[ 36 9@?6DE 23@FE 7:?2?46Dik^Am
kF=mk=:mw@H >F49 H:== E9:D 568C66 4@DEnk^=:mk=:m(:== J@F ?665 2 A2CE\E:>6 ;@3 @C D49@=2CD9:A E@ DFCG:G6nk^=:mk^F=m
kAm$@>6 F?:G6CD:E:6D @776C EF:E:@? H2:G6CD @C >@?E9=J DE:A6?5D :7 J@F H@C< 2D 2 E6249:?8 @C C6D62C49 2DD:DE2?E] %92E 42? >2<6 2 >2DD:G6 5:776C6?46] s@?VE 36 D9J 23@FE 6>2:=:?8 E96 AC@8C2> 4@@C5:?2E@C 2?5 2D<:?8[ “pC6 E96C6 7F?5:?8 @AE:@?D 7@C :?E6C?2E:@?2= @C =@H\:?4@>6 DEF56?EDn”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m{@42E:@? xD |@C6 %92? yFDE ':36Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm$FC6[ DEF5J:?8 :? q2C46=@?2 D@F?5D 2>2K:?8[ 3FE 5@6D :E 2=:8? H:E9 J@FC 42C66C 8@2=Dn $@>6 4:E:6D 2C6 8C62E 7@C ?6EH@C<:?8 2?5 :?E6C?D9:AD :? 46CE2:? 7:6=5D] u@C :?DE2?46ik^Am
kF=mk=:mq6C=:? :D 3:8 7@C DE2CEFAD[ 6DA64:2==J :? E649 2?5 56D:8?]k^=:mk=:m{@?5@? :D 2 7:?2?46 2?5 A@=:4J 9@EDA@E]k^=:mk=:m%@C@?E@’D 2H6D@>6 7@C 962=E942C6[ 65F42E:@?[ 2?5 >65:2]k^=:mk^F=m
kAm%9:?< 23@FE H96C6 J@F >:89E H2?E E@ H@C< 27E6C J@FC 568C66] $@>6 D49@@=D 92G6 DEC@?8 E:6D E@ =@42= :?5FDEC:6D[ H9:49 42? @A6? 5@@CD A@DE\8C25F2E:@?] p 8@@5 =@42E:@? 42? 8:G6 J@F 2446DD E@ :?E6C?D9:AD[ A2CE\E:>6 ;@3D[ @C 6G6? 7FEFC6 7F==\E:>6 8:8D]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mr@>A2C6 r@FCD6 $ECF4EFC6D[ }@E yFDE #2?<:?8Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm{6E’D D2J EH@ AC@8C2>D 2C6 3@E9 C2?<65 E@A `_ :? J@FC 7:6=5] qFE @?6 C6BF:C6D 2 E96D:D[ 2?5 E96 @E96C @776CD 2 92?5D\@? 42ADE@?6 AC@;64E] ~?6 :D 6?E:C6=J @?=:?6[ 2?5 E96 @E96C :D @?\42>AFD H:E9 :?E6C?D9:A @AA@CEF?:E:6D] (9:49 @?6 7:ED 36EE6C H:E9 9@H J@F =62C?nk^Am
kAms@?’E 49@@D6 32D65 @? C2?<:?8 2=@?6] {@@< 2Eik^Am
kF=mk=:m%96 DECF4EFC6 WE96D:D[ AC@;64E[ :?E6C?D9:A[ C6D62C49\962GJXk^=:mk=:m%96 AC@76DD@CD WpC6 E96J 24E:G6 :? E96 :?5FDECJn s@ E96J AF3=:D9 C6D62C49nXk^=:mk^F=m
kAmx7 J@F’C6 D@>6@?6 H9@ ?665D 7246\E@\7246 =62C?:?8 2?5 92E6D +@@> 72E:8F6[ 2? @?=:?6\@?=J @AE:@? >:89E ?@E 36 7@C J@F—6G6? :7 :E’D 4962A6C @C >@C6 4@?G6?:6?E]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mu:?2= %9@F89EDk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm!:4<:?8 E96 C:89E >2DE6C’D 568C66 :D?’E 23@FE 7@==@H:?8 2 7@C>F=2 @C 5@:?8 H92E D@F?5D :>AC6DD:G6] xE’D 23@FE 49@@D:?8 H92E 24EF2==J H@C<D 7@C J@F] *@FC :?E6C6DED[ J@FC =:76DEJ=6[ J@FC 7FEFC6 8@2=D—E9@D6 D9@F=5 =625 E96 H2J] %96 C:89E AC@8C2> H:== 492==6?86 J@F[ @A6? 5@@CD[ 2?5 96=A J@F 8C@H :? 2 H2J E92E 766=D >62?:?87F=]k^Am
kAm$@ 3C62E96[ C6D62C49[ 2D< BF6DE:@?D[ 2?5 ECFDE J@FC 8FE] %96 C:89E >2DE6C’D 568C66 :D?’E ;FDE @FE E96C6—:E’D 2=C625J H2:E:?8 7@C J@F E@ 7:?5 :EPk^Am
