The "right" reasons for going to grad school

[Jersey_Steve]

This ended up being a bit longer than I planned...

For the past two months, my job has been a dead-end pit of boredom. I was working on a very nice computing project that would have given me lots of nice skills for future jobs plus lots of learning of many computer aspects. But that got canceled, so I'm back to doing... well, let's just say stuff that is infinitely less interesting.

So while being bored out of my skull, my mind wanders a lot. Recently, it's been wandering back to college. Even my most boring class (I'm looking at you, Intro to Logic and Automata) was so much better than being at work. Plus, life seemed so much better when I was in college. More friends, more free time, more engaging my mind, more of all the good stuff in the world.

I have always wanted to do research psychology, ever since I started taking psych courses in my junior year after changing majors for a third time. Psych courses were always A's for me, and I just devoured the material.

So I want to go to grad school, and work my way towards becoming a researcher.

I think.

What I'm afraid of is that I don't want to go back for the "right" reasons. I didn't mind my job while my mind was engaged and learning, but now that I'm back to the menial boring crap, I want out. That I just want to go back because I feel that the grass is greener on the other side.

I don't know what the hell I want to do. Now that the training wheels are off and I can go in any direction, I don't know which way to steer.

So to the people who chose grad school, how did you come to that decision?

[wordsmith]

Most people won't say this, but I'd go to grad school just to do it. I love being a student. However, while love of academia is my "reason," I can't financially justify it, I don't need it for my job, and nobody's paying for me to do it. So while I feel my reason for wanting to be working on another degree is perfectly justified, I have no real way of making it happening that's smart right now.

[winneythepooh7]

I chose grad school because I really needed it in order to advance in my career. It was very different socially though from undergrad. Outside of classes, no one really hung-out. It may have been different in other programs though. I was in the program for employed persons, so people really just had time for classes and that's it, because they were at work all day. My first year I was in the regular day-time program and everyone seemed to be more "social" and hung out outside of class.

[Fashionista]

interesting question.

Although I am not in grad school (still debating it) I guess it is a combo of wanting to go back and needing to go back because you either hit the class ceiling or just can't into the field at all.

I myself enjoyed myself in school but I am afraid that after I go and do the major I will either hate what I am studying or will be unable to find a job in that field. I have ideas on what I would *like* to study based on what type of job I am interested but again getting in a position where i can find employment in the field is another story.

[Deni81]

Good question. I just applied to graduate school for my masters degree in school counseling. I am in my 2nd year of teaching and have decided that I want to become a guidance counselor. You need a masters to get a job as a guidance counselor.

[shimma]

I don't know what the hell I want to do.

then possibly, now is not the time to invest in a grad degree.

[Jersey_Steve]

I don't know what the hell I want to do.
then possibly, now is not the time to invest in a grad degree.

Well, if I knew what I wanted to do, I probably wouldn't be asking for thoughts from people who chose this particular path.

I want to go to grad school, but I also want a job that pays well.

I don't know what I want to do, but I know I need to do something.

[shimma]

Well, if I knew what I wanted to do, I probably wouldn't be asking for thoughts from people who chose this particular path.

I want to go to grad school, but I also want a job that pays well.

I don't know what I want to do, but I know I need to do something.

OK, but if you don't know what you want to study, and you don't know what kind of well-paying job you want, then IMO you need to figure that out before you invest in grad school... Says the person who wasn't sure, plunged ahead anyway, wasted money and time, and has diddly but a few "incompletes" to show for it.

[Winter Storm]

Well, if I knew what I wanted to do, I probably wouldn't be asking for thoughts from people who chose this particular path.

I want to go to grad school, but I also want a job that pays well.

I don't know what I want to do, but I know I need to do something.

Well, as Shimma already said, you can't decide on grad school before deciding what to do. You have to choose the profession and if it calls for it, then go to grad school.

But the first step, is choosing the profession.

[Jersey_Steve]

I know the profession. I want to focus on the interactions of the human mind and computers, specifically from a cognitive viewpoint rather from an automation one. If I wanted to go the grad school route, that would be what I'd want to research. So I'm looking at either cognitve or social psych combined with technology. Depends on the program and the researcher I plan to become friends with.

If I kept along this working path... it's more hazy I suppose. I need to get out of my current job, but since the job market sucks for people without 5 years experience, I don't know where I will end up or what I will be doing. Because as I mentioned in the burnout thread, I'm an engineer and I spend my days packing very heavy robots.

So that's the crux is pretty much "do I want to go to grad school or do I want to stay in corporate America?"

[hellboy]

do I want to go to grad school or do I want to stay in corporate America?"

Take some time off and think about going to grad school part-time while staying in corporate America.

[crystal_dance]

I know the profession. I want to focus on the interactions of the human mind and computers, specifically from a cognitive viewpoint rather from an automation one. If I wanted to go the grad school route, that would be what I'd want to research. So I'm looking at either cognitve or social psych combined with technology. Depends on the program and the researcher I plan to become friends with.

So that's the crux is pretty much "do I want to go to grad school or do I want to stay in corporate America?"

What you're interested in is called HCI - Human Computer Interaction. It's a very hot field right now and very interesting as well. I know because I used to do research in the HCI labs at my alma mater - University of British Columbia. My school is one of the top research schools for HCI in N.America, but I think there are some pretty good schools round here (North East USA) as well.

If you're interested in working and studying, there are many schools like Rensaeller Polytechnic Inst. or Rochester Inst. of Tech, etc. which offer HCI programs that allow you to work and study at the same time.

[cheshrcarol]

What you're interested in is called HCI - Human Computer Interaction. It's a very hot field right now and very interesting as well. I know because I used to do research in the HCI labs at my alma mater - University of British Columbia. My school is one of the top research schools for HCI in N.America, but I think there are some pretty good schools round here (North East USA) as well.

If you're interested in working and studying, there are many schools like Rensaeller Polytechnic Inst. or Rochester Inst. of Tech, etc. which offer HCI programs that allow you to work and study at the same time.Yup, that's what I'm at RPI for right now. If you have any questions, feel free to pm me.

[Jersey_Steve]

What you're interested in is called HCI - Human Computer Interaction. It's a very hot field right now and very interesting as well. I know because I used to do research in the HCI labs at my alma mater - University of British Columbia. My school is one of the top research schools for HCI in N.America, but I think there are some pretty good schools round here (North East USA) as well.

If you're interested in working and studying, there are many schools like Rensaeller Polytechnic Inst. or Rochester Inst. of Tech, etc. which offer HCI programs that allow you to work and study at the same time.

That's what I got my undergrad degree in :D

But, and here's the rub, I want to focus on the Psychology aspect. I've checked out a few HCI graduate programs, and they have a decidedly CS slant to them. And to give a rough breakdown, I got A's in Psych and C+'s in CS.

Too bad I'm having issues finding entry-level jobs for it. I've heard it's a hot field, but it appears I'm not looking in the right places.

PS: I'd go to RPI, but I don't have enough organs to sell.