But it has been worth it. I can't measure my education by the degrees. For me, the intangibles that come from pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, striving, setting goals, and being rewarded not just in a grade but knowing that I left "nothing on the field."
For me, the 6 years I spent in academia have been the most rewarding and promising of my life. I would not trade them for anything.
Yes, but you went for something. Were you interested in your chosen field? Did you want to improve your scholarship in that area? Does a research or academic position appeal to you? Do you have long term career goals where you know your degree will better position you?
I speak with people who can’t even answer these questions. Generally a yes to 2, 3, or 4 is a good enough reason to pursue graduate school if you have a field of interest.
Still, I can see how some degrees are more desirable than others.
“I am finishing up my Master’s Degree and will be applying for PhD programs in the next couple of months. I am one of those, after a long time of sitting in a dead end job, who decided to go back to school. Yes, it has been at great cost.
“But it has been worth it. I can’t measure my education by the degrees. For me, the intangibles that come from pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, striving, setting goals, and being rewarded not just in a grade but knowing that I left “nothing on the field.”
You are correct. I could not have said it better.
Thank you.