Re: Grad school vs. the world

[Len Olszewski <saslpo -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM>]

Randy Harris writes:

> A (n undergraduate) student of mine is interested in exploring the relative
> merits of grad school and work experience "students of literature,
> technical writing and education".  She's mostly interested in sources she
> might consult, but I think a collection of individual opinions would also
> be extremely useful.  I hearby solicit both on her behalf.  Thanks very
> much.


Once she's out of graduate school, she'll be working the rest of her
life - if she's *lucky*.

Yeah, yeah, I know what it's like to be a starving grad student,
grubbing for money (this is how I learned to shoot pool - it was easier
than working, and I could do it on my own schedule 8-), photcopying
obscure journal articles, suffering take home exams and overbearing
thesis advisors.  Still, I'd say it's better to get that *over with*,
maybe take an intern position or two to beef up the portfolio, and then
leave it all behind.

It also helps to go to grad school at an institution which has many rich
students who can't resist drawing to an inside straight when presented
with the opportunity to try. I never saw as many as I did when *I* was
in grad school since leaving. I wonder where they all went?

The "work experience" can quickly become the "work trap" if you do it
first.  As always, your mileage may vary with the terrain, and the size
of your vehicle.

|Len Olszewski, Technical Writer |"That boy's about as sharp as a sack|
|saslpo -at- unx -dot- sas -dot- com|Cary, NC, USA|o' wet mice." - Foghorn Leghorn     |
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| Opinions this ludicrous are mine. Reasonable opinions will cost you.|