POINT-COUNTERPOINT: Grad school or the real world?

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By Travis Braun, Eric Bradner, October 2, 2008

As much as I enjoy my time at Franklin College, I’ve noticed that my days left on this campus are flying past me quicker than I expected. But what frightens me the most about that, like most students, is not the fact that I’ll be leaving Franklin, it’s the question of where to go next.

 

For many students, the easy answer is found at another college or university, pursuing a graduate degree. While I respect the patience of these students, for me, four years of homework and classes is plenty, thank you very much. I know that by the time diplomas are given to my class, I’m going to be more than ready to put all of this acquired knowledge to the test – in the workplace.

 

Besides the obvious short-term benefit of getting paid for your work, rather than paying to do homework, I think that a job hastens one’s maturity. I spent this summer working for USA Today in Washington D.C., and the responsibility of showing up to work each morning, ready to perform, really challenged me to push myself.

 

Getting into the workplace, at least for journalism majors like me, also is the best route, I believe, from an education standpoint. Our professors always stress the importance of hands-on experience, but I learned its value firsthand over the summer. Theory is important to know, yes, but practice – they say – is what makes us perfect.

 

I’m not sure anyone makes a career as a professional listener of lectures. That’s why – no matter how uncharted a move – when my time is through here, I’ll be stepping out of the classroom and into a world of possibilities.

We can debate the merits of “liberal arts” all day, but one thing is clear: Graduate schools offer a far greater chance to focus strictly on your area – and grow your body of knowledge in that area – than does Franklin College.

 

I’ve knocked out a couple majors here with a solid GPA, but I have to admit I don’t know everything. An undergrad major means you’ve got a good handle on a subject, but it doesn’t mean you’re ready to be a difference-maker from day one.

 

To do that, you need some combination of experience, a creative streak and superior smarts. After a decade or two in a field, chances are you’ve got all three. But what about your first five years?

 

It’s simply efficiency. You can spend a year or two mastering a subject on high levels in grad school, or you can spend many more years learning it on the job. Graduate schools offer shortcuts to make your work matter.

 

Practice makes you perfect, but expertise makes you more valuable. That’s what graduate schools have to offer.

 

Journalism, for example, is a trade, best mastered by practice. But grad school offers something undergrad cannot: The information and opportunity to take your experience in a field to elite levels, right away.