UVM Career Services Blog

To Go or Not to Go: Considering Graduate School

Posted on September 27, 2012 with No Comments

There are lots of reasons why people choose to go to graduate schools and pursue advanced degrees.  Deciding to go is a complex decision but for some guidelines, we’ll explore a few good reasons why not to go to graduate school.

An article called “The Five Worst Reasons to Go to Grad School” provides some useful tips for when to avoid graduate school.  Here are the five reasons, paraphrased:

1.  To Fill a Personal Void

You are more than your degrees.  Graduate school is great for people who find their zest from studying particular topics in-depth but doesn’t tend to be an effective patch for the holes in one’s life.

2.  For bragging rights

Graduate school is a hefty undertaking, and it will take time and money.  There are cheaper ways to obtain a positive reputation.

3.  Buying your way into a network

You will join a new network if you go to graduate school, but you are likely already a part of many networks (including the UVM community) and these will grow throughout your career, with or without graduate school.

4.  It’s the only way to get a job

Some jobs do require advanced degrees and some prefer them.  But there are lots of career opportunities for people with Bachelor’s degrees.  Employers want dedicated and skilled workers, and those skills can be developed in a plethora of ways.

5. It’s what to do when you’re lacking direction

Graduate school is not the place to discover your life’s path or career journey.  The strongest graduate school candidate’s know what they want to study and why.  Not with meticulous detailed measure, necessarily, but enough to have a vision for where the process might lead.

Ultimately, the decision to go to graduate school should be based on much reflection and consideration and it is yours to make.  To learn more about the ins and outs of considering and applying to graduate school, visit the Career Services website.  You can also attend the Grad School Fair on Wednesday, October 3 from 2-4 pm to speak to admissions representatives from different programs.

~Ashley Michelle

Pre-Law Series: Legally Bound

Posted on September 6, 2011 with No Comments

I hope that you had a wonderful summer break! As you settle back into the autumn routine of classes and homework, some of you may be thinking about your next steps, and considering a career in law.  If you are thinking of starting law school next fall, you will hopefully already have begun the application process.  See our suggested timeline.   If you are an auditory learner, you may enjoy this podcast: Planning Your Law School Application Timeline.

It can be easy, as you get wrapped up in personal statements and LSAT scores, to be solely concerned with the question: “Will I get in to law school?” However, I encourage you to also be asking yourself, “Do I want to go to this law school?” and “Is law school the right choice for me?”

Several law schools are coming to campus this fall to discuss the admission process in general, as well as give info about their particular school. I encourage you to come, not only to ask questions about how to improve your application, but also to learn more about the different schools: their programs and culture.  Also, if you are able, a law school forum is a great way to meet with admissions reps from a number of schools.

Look here throughout the fall for info & tips on law school admissions and the field of law.

Mark your calendars:

• Law School Admissions Panel: Monday, September 26^th: Davis Center, Jost Foundation Room
• Boston Law Forum: Saturday, September 17^th in Boston

For more information on applying to law school, please visit the Career Services website.

~Kala