What They Don’t Tell You About Grad School

This is apparently a secret

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It’s not a secret most Americans do not pursue higher education. Approximately 13.1 percent of Americans have a master’s, professional degree, or doctorate.

I decided to be a part of the small percentage of Americans who hold a master's degree. Currently, I am working on my master's in public health which is strange considering my undergraduate degrees are in psychology and philosophy.

I wanted to tell you a bit about my experience in graduate school if you’re considering pursuing higher education. Keep in mind this comes from a first-generation college student.

Master’s Degrees Are Expensive

Doctoral programs often offer full funding and give you a stipend to live off of, a master's degree does not.

While a master's degree is faster than a doctoral degree, taking 1 to 2 years compared to 5 years (on average) for a doctorate, there is a considerable financial cost for pursuing a master's. This cost is mostly out of pocket.

For example, it cost me double the amount of money to obtain my two-year master's degree compared to my four-year bachelor's degree. But I am lucky considering I have a graduate assistantship that pays for my tuition.