Grad School Panel

by Cory Bacon

Mass Communication Week continued at Texas State University as a panel of current graduate students at the university discussed their experiences in grad school.

The panel consisted of five students and Dr. Sandhya Rao, a Texas State Professor and graduate level advisor who led the students in discussion. The panel’s goal was to provide as much information about graduate school as possible for the undergrads in attendance.

One of the students was Charlotte Singleton, a first year grad school student who is concentrating her studies in strategic communication. “You’re able to tailor your learning (in grad school) to you,” Singleton said. “It doesn’t feel like you’re doing pointless homework anymore.”

The panel had a diverse group of students. Some such as Jordon Brown took 7 years off between undergraduate and graduate school, as he wanted to get experience in the working world first. Others, such as Charlotte Singleton went straight to grad school not wanting a break to cause them to not want to go back to school. One student, Kerry Ademosu, recently came to America for graduate level education after being born and raised in Nigeria.

Despite the different backgrounds, all the students we’re in agreement that grad school is well worth the financial and time commitment.

“It’s interesting how teachers stop treating you like students and start treating you more like their equals,” said Aisling Niestroy, a second year grad student who balances going to school and teaching school as she teaches a session of MC 1313.

One current undergraduate student was concerned with the financial commitment the extra 30 plus hours of schooling would take. The panel pointed out that while the financial commitment is significant it is well worth it.

“On average, someone with a graduate degree makes 25% more money annually, than someone with just an undergraduate degree,” said Dr. Rao.

Afterwords, Jacy Fisette, a current undergraduate student at Texas State shared some of her takeaways from the panel discussion.

“I thought it was very informative,” she said. “I’ve been debating going to grad school, but didn’t have much information on it, so I think this event cleared up some of my questions.”