Professors Emily Mitchell-Eaton, Mike Loranty, and Teo Ballvé led a recent graduate school information session, trying to get to the idea of when is the right time to attend, what is the right school, and what it is possible to do with graduate degrees.
The discussion began with each of the professors talking about how they arrived at grad school, some more directly than others. They further discussed whether grad school is for everyone, what to look for in grad school and advisers, if a person should attend immediately after college, and the pros and cons of a master’s degree or a PhD.
Students’ questions included the timing of attending grad school and the utility of professional certificates.
The conversation was furthered by stories from other geography faculty and staff members, and it included the idea that geography and other life circumstances do matter in choosing a grad school.
A key takeaway from the session was the idea that should a person take time to work or travel before grad school, that time should not be considered “wasted.” Instead, that time might be useful in helping build an idea of what a person might commit to spending many years studying and researching.
