Tim's Tales from the Hammer, Vol 2
Nels, last week, I think, you mentioned something about "if only i could make a career out of being a student". I think that's a dilemma I'm facing now as I enter my final year of university. There are two basic options I am looking right now:
1) Go into a professional school (ie law medicine engineering teaching -- the only realistic option right now being law) and make my parents happy, give myself a steady income for the rest of my life -- without having to worry about how I'm going to find a job, pay the rent, put food on the table, etc. In short, a life of safety and security (lets make the unrealistic assumption that law grads have no trouble landing a top job at the firm of their choice, haha) -- something that pretty much every human being wants and needs. Cost: $15 000 - $20 000 per year.
2) Go into graduate school and get ready to become a student for the rest of my life. This represents a much bigger risk. I pretty much have to go all the way into a PhD if I want to go this route, and not only a PhD, but -- after talking with recent Economics grads (like John O's brother, who got a PhD at UC- Berkeley) -- likely a PhD at a top American school if I want a solid academic career. Spending up to 5 years in the States sounds like a really big commitment. It's definitely something I can't screw up, cause there's not really a backup plan. I do think I have the focus and perseverance to make it through such a long period of school, but I'd better make sure I pick something I feel really passionate about, cause otherwise it's just not worth killing myself over it. But in terms of financial costs, it pretty much works out to be nothing, and I could even make a little money out of it. If I choose grad school, I'll likely go to U of T (assuming i get in) for a 1-year masters, and see how far that gets me... it's guaranteed funding too, so pretty much free. That year should tell me how i'll adapt to the rigours of graduate school.
So yeah, a lot of thinking to do. But I guess I'm young, and now's as good a time as any to take a big risk. At least I have good marks and some options ahead of me. I just don't want to look back later and think what if -- and second guess myself. But I do that all the time anyways (what if I chose medicine, what if I lived up to Keith's nickname for me and chose literature, what if...), so it's not like I'm going to be avoiding that by making any sort of decision. Maybe that's why I'm insomniac.
Nels, last week, I think, you mentioned something about "if only i could make a career out of being a student". I think that's a dilemma I'm facing now as I enter my final year of university. There are two basic options I am looking right now:
1) Go into a professional school (ie law medicine engineering teaching -- the only realistic option right now being law) and make my parents happy, give myself a steady income for the rest of my life -- without having to worry about how I'm going to find a job, pay the rent, put food on the table, etc. In short, a life of safety and security (lets make the unrealistic assumption that law grads have no trouble landing a top job at the firm of their choice, haha) -- something that pretty much every human being wants and needs. Cost: $15 000 - $20 000 per year.
2) Go into graduate school and get ready to become a student for the rest of my life. This represents a much bigger risk. I pretty much have to go all the way into a PhD if I want to go this route, and not only a PhD, but -- after talking with recent Economics grads (like John O's brother, who got a PhD at UC- Berkeley) -- likely a PhD at a top American school if I want a solid academic career. Spending up to 5 years in the States sounds like a really big commitment. It's definitely something I can't screw up, cause there's not really a backup plan. I do think I have the focus and perseverance to make it through such a long period of school, but I'd better make sure I pick something I feel really passionate about, cause otherwise it's just not worth killing myself over it. But in terms of financial costs, it pretty much works out to be nothing, and I could even make a little money out of it. If I choose grad school, I'll likely go to U of T (assuming i get in) for a 1-year masters, and see how far that gets me... it's guaranteed funding too, so pretty much free. That year should tell me how i'll adapt to the rigours of graduate school.
So yeah, a lot of thinking to do. But I guess I'm young, and now's as good a time as any to take a big risk. At least I have good marks and some options ahead of me. I just don't want to look back later and think what if -- and second guess myself. But I do that all the time anyways (what if I chose medicine, what if I lived up to Keith's nickname for me and chose literature, what if...), so it's not like I'm going to be avoiding that by making any sort of decision. Maybe that's why I'm insomniac.
posted by Anonymous at 10:32 AM
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