Should you leave your job to pursue a master’s or PhD?
August 14, 2012
The current economy is filled with many conundrums for the young or middle-aged career-oriented individual. Many people are taking the bad job market as an opportunity to return to school, but what about those with an interest in pursuing their master's or PhD who currently have a steady job and income? Should you sacrifice your regular cash flow and financial security for school?
This is a difficult situation, but there are several steps you can take to help yourself out. Start by speaking to your employer. Many companies, large and small, have a vested interested in keeping their employees happy and educated. Since you're bringing in revenue for them, they might be willing to help you pay for your graduate school courses. Also speak with your employer about taking on lighter workloads. See if the option to work part time from home might be viable.
If you think you want to focus entirely on your education, you may want to take on a part-time campus job. Don't neglect to seek out scholarship opportunities either. Applying for scholarships is one of the best ways to pay your way through higher education - they take a chunk out of tuition and bring your student loans to a minimum.
