Over the last few years I have mulled the idea of going for a graduate degree. Two things have held me back from pursuing this until now.
First, I was not sure whether I should get a technical degree or a management degree. I finally decided against getting a technical degree (such as a Software Engineering), even though it would be more specific to what I am doing now. I made this decision because I do not trust that a large number of technical jobs will remain in the United States over the long run, and I have noticed that most people who have strong technical skills only get so far if they lack management skills.
The second thing that has held me back from getting a graduate degree was a concern that I would go through a lot of hassle and expense for something that I would not have the drive to complete. I tend to avoid committing to things when I am not sure I can follow through on the commitment. I recently have become more committed to completing a degreed program, though, because I have started to realize that my long term prospects will be much stronger with a masters degree.
So, if you are reading this on Monday between 8 in the morning and noon, I am probably taking my GMAT test at this very moment. If I am not taking the test something horrible has happened, because I paid $250 for the privilege.
Originally, the GMAT was going to be a test that I breezed through and didn't give too much concern to how I would score since I obviously test well. After taking a sample test this past weekend, though, my ability to test well was not so obvious. It is amazing how much simple math a person can forget if he doesn't use it in everyday life. To calm my fears of getting a lousy test score I have devoted almost the entire weekend to studying for the test, and have skipped a long-distance phone call from a friend, a birthday party, planned yard work, and almost all entertainment for the weekend. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.
Wish me well.
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11 comments:
Dust called me around 7:40 am to let me know he found the testing place. There was a parking meter and he only has enough change for 3 hours.
I hope you are doing well, as we speak.
I hated studying for my architectural exams when it seemed like everyone else was having fun and living a good life on the weekends. But if you stick to it, it'll all be over before you know it and you'll be back to normal.
Go for it. I think it will help you to conclude that persons with graduate degrees are not any smarter or enlightened than those in their field of discipline. Their degrees only show that they know more of what the academics want them to know.
Could it be that higher education has set up a marketing scam that allows them to charge more money per credit hour in order for their students to learn less and work harder while their professors do less at "educating" their students? If the professor can say "after you have learned this, you will be in a better position to get a better job" or "after you have learned this, you will be much better skilled at doing your current job" then I would conclude that it is worth the investment of time and effort.
Speaking for myself only: I concluded that 60% of what I was required to learn in graduate school was redundant and put less effort at education in the laps of the professors. I paid more for doing more of my own work....coulda done that on my own.
Confession of a recovering cynic.
Well, the true test is did you get your test done in time to get back out to your car before it got a ticket?! Maybe all that studying paid off and you are done by now?
It turned out that I had enough change for about three and a half hours. I got back to my car with fifty minutes to spare. They should let you knwo ahead of time that you will need about four dollars in change to take the test.
Anyway, I dramatically increased my math score from the practice test (I went from 37th percentile to 64th percentile), but I dropped my verbal some (88th percentile to 69th percentile).
The program that I am currently looking at with KU states that an average GMAT score for successful applicants is 620 and I scored a 610, so I am feeling relatively comfortable about how I did. I won't get my essay scores for another two weeks, though.
I didn't blow the test out of the water, but it appears that I got what I needed.
Does your essay score - the points - get added to the 610 or is it averaged?
I wonder if I would be a better test taker now ... and would it make up for the stuff I've forgotten since school. I've learned a lot since then; but I don't expect any of it would show up on a standardized test.
#27: Identify what is likely to be most successful way to increase the number of your peers completing a voluntary survey that directly impacts your performance rating.
a: Send multiple reminder emails
b: Hold a "Why This Survey is Important" meeting
c: Offer donuts
Answer: None of the above = Directly relate their survey completion to your evaluation of them .... and offer donuts.
Forrest, I am pretty sure that the essays are a separate part of the score, so the 610 should be a written-in-stone score. The essays are ranked from 0 (horrific) to 6 (brilliant) and will be considered as a separate score.
Dash, interestingly enough, those sorts of questions were not on the test. I would have thought that would be a better test of how capable a person is to enter a graduate-level management course.
Congrats on your score, mom told me about it last night. :o)
Why were you posting a 6:50am? I thought you were one of those night people
I knew it! Math really is useless.
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