Master's degree?

[Jack]

Unfortunately, grown-ups seldom have this freedom until they retire. For those who have to pay for it, education is a significant investment, one that had better produce some returns.

I kind of know this; I work 2 jobs, battle an incurable disease, and go to school at the same time. I still hold to that view.

If that was all most of us had to worry about, we'd all have life pretty easy, Cran.

That's not all I have to worry about, at all.

[Cynth]

What are the things you are thinking that are making you consider not doing this?

Is it that you really enjoy the English classes you are taking now which you would have to stop? Were you thinking of a career teaching English which would pay less but be more interesting to you? Is it that the work you would be doing in criminal justice pays more, but takes up more of the time you would be spending on enjoyable activities? Is it that the actual getting of the master's degree would not be enjoyable even if it led to better work? Would the higher paying work be more enjoyable for you than your current work?

I'm not getting what we should be measuring the pro's and con's against if you see what I mean.

[Tyler]

I am enjoying the English studies a great deal.
I suppose a lot of my deliberation and indecision comes from having gotten away from the whole "law enforcement" life and thinking maybe law enforcement isn't the thing for me, but I keep getting drawn back into it, know what I mean? I'm not really concerned that graduate school is going to take time away from what I want or would like to do...work already does a fine job of that ! I think I'm more concerned with sticking my neck out (and my wallet ) and not getting a large enough return. Does that make sense? I've been able to bulldoze my way through school, career, and business to a certain degree and I've accomplished a huge ammount; my station in life is fairly secure, and my main hesitation, I suppose, is putting all that on the line and finally making a stand on exactly where I'm going to take my career. I think my main hesitation is that it's not just my station in life that I'm putting on the line, it's my wife's and my daughter's as well; they count on me so much to take care of things for them (a'course, all'a y'all with families know exactly what I'm talking about). I want to give them a better or constantly improving way of life (for less labor on my part )
So, in a roundabout way, those are my reasons for seeking the opinions of those who've come this way before.

[dow]

Having a master's is a good investment. However, the question that just occurred to me is this:

Are you asking in order to help you decide to go or not to go?

My personal opinion, based on what you've said about the benefits of having the degree is that it's an excellent idea, from a professional development standpoint. I know I'd love a shot at the FBI or CIA, but my degree and background are not oriented in a direction that the Fed would be interested in (not much call for a Master's in Meat Industry Management in the FBI). Also, I think that I'm probably past their prime hiring range age-wise.

With that said, here are some Pro's and Con's:

PRO
- Career advancement options not available or easily achievable at the bachelor's level;
- Opportunity to learn what's new in the CJ area;
- Opportunity to specialize in a particular area of CJ that interests you;
- Possible opportunity to locate a better job than you're in right now, through your university placement office, job fairs, or connections that you'll make while in the program;
- With a Master's you'll write a thesis, and depending on the requirements where you go, this may be published. This can bring you more attention from potential employers;
- You may be able to get a job teaching with the Masters, and almost certainly with a PhD.
- You might be able to experience a keg party again

CON
- Time. With a family and a job, you're going to be hard-pressed to fit it all in;
- Stress. Expect an incresae of stress at work and at home, unless you do a good job of managing both time and stress;
- Money. Grad school can be expensive, as tuition continues to go up, along with books, fees, etc. Have you budgeted for this?
- Thesis. Yeah, I know that this was in the PRO category, but I just hated writing one.
- Time (again). Are you willing and able to devote two years of your life if full-time, or considerably more if part-time to this degree?

Hope this helps.

[Tyler]

- You might be able to experience a keg party again

That settles it....I'm going back to school!

[fearfaoin]

(not much call for a Master's in Meat Industry Management in the FBI)

Are you kidding? You could be an undercover agent at meat packing plants owned by the mob!

[dow]

(not much call for a Master's in Meat Industry Management in the FBI)

Are you kidding? You could be an undercover agent at meat packing plants owned by the mob!

Yeah, well, that might lead to being entirely too familiar with the term "Daily Grind"

[Cynth]

I am enjoying the English studies a great deal.
I suppose a lot of my deliberation and indecision comes from having gotten away from the whole "law enforcement" life and thinking maybe law enforcement isn't the thing for me, but I keep getting drawn back into it, know what I mean? I'm not really concerned that graduate school is going to take time away from what I want or would like to do...work already does a fine job of that ! I think I'm more concerned with sticking my neck out (and my wallet ) and not getting a large enough return. Does that make sense? I've been able to bulldoze my way through school, career, and business to a certain degree and I've accomplished a huge ammount; my station in life is fairly secure, and my main hesitation, I suppose, is putting all that on the line and finally making a stand on exactly where I'm going to take my career. I think my main hesitation is that it's not just my station in life that I'm putting on the line, it's my wife's and my daughter's as well; they count on me so much to take care of things for them (a'course, all'a y'all with families know exactly what I'm talking about). I want to give them a better or constantly improving way of life (for less labor on my part )
So, in a roundabout way, those are my reasons for seeking the opinions of those who've come this way before.

Okay, working backwards.

It sounds as though if your plan works out, you would be able to work in law enforcement (because the jobs are available) at a higher level of responsibility than previously and thus be able to support your family at an improved level with less labor (are you sure about this?) on your part. Presumably the "less labor", once you had gotten this job, would allow you to do things like take English classes again, spend time with your family, do other hobbies you like.

So, you are concerned about the risks of doing this. You would be putting the current security of your family on the line by doing this. Is this because you are concerned that the better work you would be hoping to get might not materialize or take a long time to find? Or that it might not pay as well as you are hoping? And that you would have "burned your bridges", so to speak, and not be able to return to the situation you have now?

Why are you feeling you need to take your career somewhere? Is it just for the financial reasons you mentioned? Are you being drawn to law enforcement, even though you have sometimes felt it wasn't for you, because that is the one area that you already have some experience in and that you could earn more money in? As opposed to suddenly deciding brain surgery was your thing, for example. Or are you feeling that law enforcement actually is what you are most interested in after all? Are you concerned that you might start working on the degree and then decide that you really don't want to be in that field---thus you would have spent money and burned bridges for nothing?

I guess I'm not hearing any special enthusiasm for law enforcement work--I can't quite tell what you mean by "drawn". I'm not trying to discourage or encourage you to go for the degree. I'm certainly all for moving ahead with education if the goal is something that the person would enjoy. Even earning more money is a good enough goal if the job would be at least as satisfying as the current employment and there are no other reasonable more enjoyable options for earning enough---which would be the case with many of us.

If the security of your family would be placed on the line, well, what does your wife think about this? I'm not asking for the answer to this, just saying that how she views the situation would be good to know---I'm sure you already know what she thinks.

I think that someone with dependents does have an obligation to support them. I also think the provider has a right to find the most satisfying work possible as long as the family has what it needs. Insurance, savings for emergencies, college savings, etc. I wouldn't think fancy trips, lots of clothes, things like that should be required at the expense of the provider's happiness.

It seems as though if you are pretty sure you could find work in this field and you are pretty sure you would be as happy in it as you are in your present work then it seems like a reasonable risk to take in order to increase your income and decrease your labor (I assume that your work now is taking more time than you want it to---is this maybe the real basis of your dissatisfaction?). If you had said that you would enjoy the work more, I would be more enthusiastic about the idea.

I really am just asking questions to try to clarify the issues.

Oh---would your family be without your income while you are getting the degree and having to economize a lot? Are you concerned that this period of difficulty might not end up paying off for them?

[Joseph E. Smith]

My mother returned to college to earn her masters. I was sixteen at the time and she had already been teaching seventeen years. It made a huge difference in her pay in addition to providing her with a lot of enjoyment and something exciting to do beyond the day to day.

I never told then, but I was extremely proud of her. I'll have to let her know that bit. She's really enjoying her retirement currently, but if asked to, I'll bet she'd go back to college in a heartbeat.

[djm]

I would go the other way. If you are one of the very few who can actually afford to stop working and go back to school, I would think you'd have to ask what your expectations are. Are you expecting two great years at school for a lifetime of miserable work, or is it two years of misery in school for a lifetime of great work?

If your present situation is so good, what is it that this new change would get you? You haven't really said what it is that matters most, what you want, where you are going vs. where you want to be going.

If your current situation is miserable, but this new choice will make you more miserable (but with more money) do you really need the money? I did this, and surprisingly, the money makes a big difference. As Imelda Marcos once put it, "Better nouveau riche, than no riche at all".

djm

[Joseph E. Smith]

One does not have to stop working to go to school. Part time and night is how my mother did it. Yes, it took a while, but she got her diploma.

[Jack]

...this new choice will make you more miserable (but with more money) do you really need the money.

That's a good question.

[missy]

I did "night school" for 6 years. I started work with an AS, and went back for my BS. Took 1 or 2 classes a quarter, and did a few summer classes, too. I was in my early to mid 20's at the time.
It WAS tough working 8 hours, then going to school for 3 hours at night (some classes, like Organic Chemistry, was 2 nights a week). Then studying, etc.
I don't think I could do it with a family, there just wouldn't be enough hours in the day.

[Nanohedron]

...this new choice will make you more miserable (but with more money) do you really need the money.

That's a good question.

Not considering what he followed it with:

I did this, and surprisingly, the money makes a big difference. As Imelda Marcos once put it, "Better nouveau riche, than no riche at all".

[Jack]

...this new choice will make you more miserable (but with more money) do you really need the money.

That's a good question.

Not considering what he followed it with:

I did this, and surprisingly, the money makes a big difference. As Imelda Marcos once put it, "Better nouveau riche, than no riche at all".

Besides, it not really a question (look at the end point). As we've all recently seen, punctuation matters highly on C&F?