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Take a moment to think about the happiest moment of your life. I’m not talking about that Christmas at age 7 when your mom surprised you with a PlayStation after you convinced yourself you weren’t getting one. No, I’m talking about the happiest moment of your adult life. Maybe it was when you got that long-overdue promotion all the while knowing that overachieving-Victoria likely spent the afternoon crying at her desk, disappointed. Maybe your happiest moment came when you finally nailed the solid 8 who lives down the hall of your apartment building. Sounds risky to me, developing relations with a neighbor, but you do you. Perhaps the moment you’re thinking of is when your boyfriend of eight years finally popped the question and you’re not dreading planning a wedding at all (open bar, please).
As for yours truly, my happiest moment without a doubt would be walking out of a college classroom for the last time, knowing I never have to take a Final again. Super-exciting life I’ve lived, right? Of course, a Final on Microsoft’s business strategies in no way, shape, or form play any role in my day-to-day operations of crushing some spreadsheets, but none of that mattered in May 2014. I vividly remember telling myself whilst bounding down that empty stairwell “you never have to go to school, or take a test, or do homework ever again.” What a feeling.
The sheer joy all graduates feel is, of course, short-lived. You quickly realize the “real world” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The 180 days prior to paying for that wonderful education disappear, and you begin to feel anxiety like never before. Somehow, despite all of the aforementioned feelings associated with becoming a post-grad, I had the thought, “why not get my MBA?” I’m here to tell you: DON’T.
As with any life-changing decision, you begin to weigh the pros and cons. Maybe you’re into T-charts on yellow legal pad, I don’t know you. Whatever the process, the end result is the same; you do whatever it takes to believe this is a good idea. Mentally, I began thinking of all that could come from obtaining my MBA. I began to think how nice that would look in my email signature. But do I need a Masters of Business Administration? Absolutely not. I’ve already mastered this AutoSum function, what more do I need? This, dear friends, is where I should have stopped. You’re probably asking yourself why go through with it if you don’t need an MBA? You see, I sit in an office working roughly 4 of the 8.5 hours I’m clocked in. I come home to an empty apartment in a new city and most nights don’t get off the couch until I move to the bed (exciting life, I know). It’s safe to say I have plenty of free time. I knew I could finish most of the coursework while at work and still not affect my normal Xbox and Netflix evening routine, especially considering I was only taking one pre-req class in the first semester. Worst case scenario, I spend an hour a week outside of the office on schoolwork. Sounds reasonable enough. What’s another $1000 of student loans anyways?
The semester began full of bliss and confidence. For the first time in my college career, I felt prepared. The syllabus was printed, all required materials purchased and organized in a single binder. Queue Spongebob’s “I’m Ready” hit music. This is one single class, not even truly graduate-level, that I, a working professional, should breeze through. Not the case. Suddenly, I’m being burdened by additional work to help colleagues dig out of piles of papers cluttering their desk. That Thursday afternoon reserved for this week’s homework assignment? Special work project. Now I’m faced with the moral dilemma of choosing between doing homework at work, or doing actual work at work. Mindless job tasks that used to take 15 minutes to finish are now taking two and a half hours. You haven’t seen speedy Alt + Tab’s until you’re switching from this week’s lecture on YouTube to a blank Excel spreadsheet.
This is more than I signed up for. I have enough stress in my life worrying why that Bumble match isn’t messaging. Do you really think I can handle the daily Blackboard check if I refuse to even open my banking app? Weekday afternoons are meant for browsing the waiver wire not, not educating myself on how you can diversify unsystematic risk away with 30 stocks in your portfolio. How is that helpful? Helpful is knowing which bar will have the best specials when the Blues play. Sundays are scary enough without taking exams. Am I expected to take said exam on Saturday, Professor? Yeah, like I’ll risk missing another Tennessee-Texas A&M thriller.
What I’m trying to tell you, stranger, is this: don’t fool yourself thinking Grad school is a good idea. Life right now, as dull as it may seem, will only get worse with any additional college you enroll in. Bettering yourself is taking time to appear at a happy hour around the block from the office, or hitting the links one last time before winter. Or going to the gym, if you’re into that sorta thing. More college, however, will only be the death of you..
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One of the happiest moments of my life was the day I went back to school cause I knew my shitty job now had an expiration date.
Started an evening MBA program last year (graduating next month, woohoo), and I couldn’t agree more. I grew tired of the monotony that became my post-grad life and decided I wanted to keep my career on an upward trajectory.
Also met a lot of cool, like-minded people, that I now consider my close friends.
Until school ends and you try to go back into the market and no one wants to hire you so you end up in a worst job then you had. Don’t get a masters in Industrial engineering, it just fucks everything up.
Well shit… I’m looking at getting my Masters in IE. How did it mess up your job prospects?
If you don’t just do it online, no one who I interviewed with could believe that I quit my job and went back. Apparently is not something people do, so all the companies took it as a red flag.
Just noticed you have a math degree get a OR master instead if you do it.
I.E. degree + MBA seems to be th way to go for upward trajectory. Generally, masters in IE plants you in a similar role as a bachelors in IE can get but maybe making about 10k more, with more limited upward mobility as your “business acumen” may not be there to what companies like to have.
I disagree with you, it really depends on the company. With a MBA they will try to move you over to the operation side of a combat (if you work in manufacturing). The really smart move is to get a engineering management degree, that places you in a better position to move up the Engineering side of a company.
Who the fuck puts MBA in their email signature?
Finally finishing up my MSW in May and there are really only three circumstances that you should go to grad school
1) It is required for your chosen career path (not “it might help”, but actually necessary)
2) It will significantly increase your pay
3) your employer is paying for it.
Mine was the first, wanting to be a medical social worker. But seriously it’s way too much time, way too much money, and way too much effort to go for a graduate degree just because you aren’t sure what you’re doing with your life or it just seems like a good idea. You need to really know how it fits into your career goals. It’s college with none of the fun, double the stress, and double the debt.
As a fellow MSW, I literally could’ve learned everything we were taught by working under someone for about 6 months who had experience in what I wanted. Why on Earth do they feel the need to stretch it into a 2 year, 60hr program?
Ugh, I can totally relate. I have a BA in psych and feel like half of my classes were a total repeat, and that most of what I’ve really learned was in my internships and could have been on the job training anyway. It feels like a huge money making scheme.
I brought this up to the director of my program time and time again; basically told me tough shit
Can confirm grad school destroys your soul. Still waiting to see whether it’ll be worth it.
If it makes you feel better, my masters literally doubled my salary. There is hope!
Sup?
Hard would
Hardwood
Likewise, but only 25%. When I interviewed it gave me a huge leg up. I received multiple job offers after a month of interviewing.
Gotta tape that 100 dollar bill to the wall because your making bank after that CPA, right Pete?
No, but I wipe my ass with $20’s (kidding).
Guessing your masters is a pre-req for your career though?
Not really. I have a MBA in Accounting and am a Financial Analyst in the manufacturing industry. When I was applying for a new job, all applications said “MBA is a Plus”
Went into grad school in great shape. School was easy up until that point. I gained like 25 lbs in beer, cheap wing nights and drinking myself to sleep 5 nights a week. In college drinking was for fun, in grad school, it’s a release. Like pledging, the most fun you never want again but for real life (basically a halfway house to real life). Also lots of dickhead super type A asskissers. Having a masters (depends on degree) is basically like having a college degree up until the 70s, you’re head of your time.
Myself, my sister, and my best friend from college all lost weight in grad school from all the stress.
I actually really like my night MBA program. Sounds weird, but it’s fun hearing things in a different perspective, and also having the new networking circle of the school for after graduation.
Sup?
I deeply regret going to grad school part time, in the same city I work and did my undergrad in. Wish I would’ve saved those loans for a chance to change fields or move somewhere.
Because I’m a teacher, the only way to get out of the “shit pay” scale is to either age very quickly or get a Masters. Raises my salary by 5k.
All my teacher friends are leaving the field.
Super unpopular opinion: I love what I do. Pay is shit, but I get great work weeks, entire summer off, really good health insurance and I get to talk to people and have amazing coworkers. Living the dream.
amazing coworkers except for Judas…and what’s the health insurance situation like for a guy in your sandals (the whole coming back thing had to be a paperwork nightmare for Bluecross)
Oh yea, my insurance guy is constantly calling me with updated info about my insurance. Currently rocking a plan that’s about 5 bucks a month. It’s pretty dope.
Name checks out
Thought you were a carpenter…
Yea, that doesn’t pay what it used to anymore.
Would the priesthood be considered a demotion?
I did the celibacy thing for nearly 2,000 years, I can tell you not having sex is something I can’t do. It’s unhealthy.
Finished my M.Ed. last December (not as glamorous as a MBA, I know) and I haven’t seen how it can impact my job yet. Sure the state university I work at gave me an income boost to the tune of $70 extra a month, but the long term reward is (hopefully) worth it. If I want to advance higher than I am now, I pretty much had to get it. Working full-time and going to school full-time wasn’t my brightest idea, but hopefully it’ll be worth it.
Exactly what I didn’t need to hear right when I’m considering goin back to school next semester.