Studying On

Considering a postgraduate degree, but concerned about spending money and time and end up disappointed? Madhura Sansare takes you through the pointers of why your decision to pursue a postgraduate degree will be a positive one

People’s motivations for deciding to apply for postgraduate study vary hugely. Whilst deciding if postgraduate study is right for you there are several questions you can ask yourself. There are a lot of benefits to studying a postgraduate degree. But your reasons have to be right.

Why do you want to study further?
Are you hoping your postgraduate qualification will enable you to move into a particular career? Are you doing it because you love the subject? Do you just enjoy academics? Do you want to study abroad and gain exposure to the international industries? Are you ready to continue your education in a higher form which will definitely be more complex than your earlier academic life?
Be honest with yourself, and then finally ask yourself if your reasons make enough sense for you to invest your time and money in a postgraduate qualification. If you have reached a positive conclusion after your intervention, congratulations. There are many benefits to studying a Master’s degree, and the degree will certainly help you in your career.

Pros of pursuing a PG:
• Studying, learning and researching can be highly enjoyable and satisfying. You get to know a lot more about your chosen industry in a PG, which will give you an edge over your peers.
• Though the starting salaries of postgraduates and undergraduates are not significantly different, considering they have similar work experience, a PG certainly helps your chances to getting a higher pay grade more quickly as you gain more experience.
• Some jobs sectors like academia and law tend to favour postgraduates over undergraduates, thus making entry into these sectors easier.
• A postgraduate degree gives you a certain edge over your undergraduate peers as your increase specialist knowledge is a major plus, especially when applying for the same job.
• A postgraduate teaches you a lot more than just your course study. It teaches you skills like project management, research, organisation, networking and teamwork. These will definitely come in handy at your next job.
• A postgraduate degree is the perfect way to shift professional fields and convert to a new subject.

Postgraduates Over Undergraduates
From a jobseeker’s point of view, we have hit what can only be termed as ‘degree inflation’. A first degree, even if it is a Science or Engineering major, has become the norm today. In a world like ours, where the competition is fierce and the jobs are too less, any addition to your CV is a desirable one. A postgraduate course is kind of an academic finishing school. It helps you brush up on your academic skills while teaching you the industry standards for work ethics.
The increasing competition in the research fields is much stronger. If you want to pursue a PhD in your life, you should know that university departments across the globe are exceedingly wary of taking on PhD without a Masters, and if you are considering research grants, without a postgraduate, your chances are nothing more than slim to none.

What does a postgraduate offer from an academic perspective?
If you are one of those who expected your major in your Bachelor’s degree to have given you a greater insight into your chosen field and have been disappointed by it, you have nothing to fear with your postgraduate course. Since the numbers of students pursuing a PG are lesser, students are given more individual attention, thus guaranteeing an increased prowess in your field. Sure, the work is also more intensive, but then you knew that when you decided to pursue a higher course. And what’s more, lecturers are also more interested in teaching a generally more motivated group of students. Unlike your Bachelor’s, you will surely learn a lot in your PG degree. In addition, postgraduate courses are usually more focused and specific than general first degrees, which can reassure concerned employers further.

Personal Development
One of the most underestimated benefits, we believe that this should be considered as the most important one of all. Skills like time management, research, presentation and writing skills, which are guaranteed to help you in not only your career but also your daily life, are the first things you have to learn while pursuing a post graduate degree. You may find yourself in a small class, having to learn to work closely with people who may not share your background, and who might be starkly different to you. A Masters degree gives you an insight into team work and tolerance, teaching you to not only understand these people but also to learn to work with them. This isa skill that will become very important to you in the job market.
Being fuelled by a dream of being successful in your career is a great reason to consider a postgraduate degree, but we cannot stress enough on the other benefits of making this choice. For most postgraduate students, the fuel to study further is the desire to learn and contribute to their field of expertise. And you will find that there is nothing more important than that.

Volume 5 Issue 7