Day 864 of 1000
Betty Blonde #30 – 08/27/2008
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We have lots of discussions in our household these days about graduate school. Both the kids plan to go on to a graduate school after their Bachelor’s degrees which they will both finish this Spring. Our thinking has changed some on the type of degree to get and the reason for getting it. Initially, our thinking was that it would be a good idea to first get a hard degree in mathematics or engineering, something for which there is a lot of demand in the marketplace. Then, the reason to go on to a graduate degree was to study something for love, not money. Thankfully, both the kids loved their technical subjects (Applied Mathematics and Statistics), so they plan to continue their work in their original areas.
So, the original reason to get a graduate degree has fallen by the wayside. So why are they both going on? Well, part of it is that they are both young for the degrees they have. Even though they both thoroughly enjoyed their summer internship work experiences, they would like to stay in college a little longer. At the same time, we have seen the economy tank here in the U.S. We are not really sure there is a whole lot of financial security to be had by accumulating money. It is possible to lose the money in this kind of economic reality. So, maybe more knowledge will provide them financial security of a different sort, enhancing their ability to get work. We do not have our thinking completely fleshed out on this. Actually, we are struggling. It makes it harder to plan, but we are giving it our best shot.
So, all the applications are in and most of the recommendation letters have been sent for several good graduate schools for both of the kids. It will probably be pretty hard for them to get accepted, so the issue might be moot, but we hope to get our thinking on this a little more solidified by this Spring. I sure it will be easier when we know what options are available.