Every year, thousands of students enroll in graduate school throughout the world, the majority of which are in the engineering field. As technology advances each day, it is becoming increasingly important to continue your education, either formally or informally. One easy way to do this is by attending graduate school. While some of the pros of a graduate school degree include eligibility for a higher starting salary and position when applying to a new job, it’s not without a significant cost of time and money. This is where many students get stuck in the crossroads. The stress is real, and coping with it is a challenge. There are numerous reasons for attending graduate school and no single reason is wrong. If you ask me, I will always say go for it without a second thought. To understand my confidence read along.

Graduate school can still provide industry experience

With a bachelor’s degree in engineering, the most common paths forward are industry or academia. If you want to be a professor, you will need a Ph.D. and most likely a postdoc experience, so graduate school is inevitable. You may also gain some industry experience to observe the most interesting research area and then progress towards a Ph.D.

If you are leaning towards a career in industry, it’s easy to dismiss the prospect of graduate school because there is a place for everyone in industry regardless of your degree and experience. Every year, the demand for employees with graduate degrees grows. The ratio of the number of students in grad school to the number of jobs available requiring advanced degrees is significantly high, giving a clear edge to students in grad school. Plus, it’s important to realize that returning to school after working in industry is no easy task – industry offers a lot of luxuries that can pull you back in but it’s miniscule compared to those offered with a graduate degree. A few years of struggle at school will be worth it and with a better degree, there will be no looking back.

Graduate school, if utilized properly, is almost like an industry experience. Especially as a Ph.D. student, your teammates help you understand the ongoing projects and team dynamics. Then you bring in your knowledge and contribute to your team as you grow experienced. This is very close to the process in industry when started in one of the entry level positions and climb the corporate ladder. Self-motivation, persistence, and teamwork are some of the common factors between industry and grad school. This works in your favor as you are partly familiar with the corporate environment even before you enter that world.

The social network

During graduate school, you can meet some of the most intelligent, interesting and passionate researchers. The social network developed during this time sometimes feels more valuable than the degree you get. The opportunities to publish your work, get feedback from industry and leading researchers, and learn from their experience is not possible anywhere else. For a passionate researcher, this is the golden reason to go to grad school.

The opportunity to research

Going to grad school can be one of the best decisions, but you may find that cost and time are a roadblock. If you approach professors and prove your interest in their research, cost can easily be negated to some extent through funding and scholarships

There are hundreds of reasons for thousands of students who go to grad school every year, but it is important to be passionate about technology and the fine work behind it. If not, grad school is going to be boring. Not everyone finds passion right away, but it is essential to never stop looking for it.