Why Attend Graduate School?

David H. Snyder, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

Chair and Professor of Biology (retired 2002)

Dr. Snyder asks workshop participants: Why should you attend graduate school? He points out that the question could just as easily be: Why should you not go to graduate school?Dr. Snyder goes on to answer the question about why you should go to graduate school with another question: "How in the world should I know why you should or should not go to graduate school?!" He then passes the question back to workshop participants where he feels the answer lies.The question and its answer are important, continues Dr. Snyder, and he points out that one of the perks of being an "old professor" is that you don’t have to know the answers in order to give advice. He shares the following "old professor" advice. First, take stock of yourself–each of us is unique. Our genetic endowment is unique. Our upbringing is unique. Our social milieu is unique. These uniquenesses guarantee that even our most precious possession, our set of personal values, is unique as well. Second, be honest until it hurts–scrutinize the details of your life, and the facets of your character.The stock answers for going to graduate school may be: you might get smarter (but you will probably get smarter even if you don’t go to graduate school, but about different things), you might get a better job, you might make more money, you might earn prestige, you might keep your parents and relatives happy, you might postpone getting a "real" life, you might prolong your fun-filled student years, you might learn how to do research in your field of interest, you might pursue an in-depth fascination that you have, or you might keep yourself legal for your last year of intercollegiate athletic eligibility so that pro-scouts can get a better look at you. The point is that the answer may be so obvious that it is not worth mentioning or so personal that it is not worth mentioning. If you are interested in the stock answers, then check the recruiting brochures of some graduate programs. If you are interested in a custom-tailored answer, then talk with others whom you admire and with whom you can level, and who have been to graduate school.In conclusion, whether or not you should go to graduate school is a personal decision only you can and only you should make. The answer is in you and in your uniqueness. So get into yourself and find out. Isn’t that why you are here today?