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BecominganEmployeeorPostgraduateafterGraduationAsthedayofgraduationdrawsnear,collegestudentshavetomakedecisionsabouttheirfuturelife,somanygraduatesfacesuchadilemma:tobcomeapostgraduateorlookforajob.Innowadays,suchaquestionwhethergraduatesshouldbecomeanemployeeorpostgraduatehasarousedpublicconcern.Differentpeopleoftenhavedifferentopinionsandnoonecansimplytellwhichisright.ConsideringnowIamajuniorstudentandalsoinsuchadilemma,Iwanttoknowwhichdecisionismorewise,soImadeasurveyinmywintervacation.Duringmysurvey,Ifoundthatmostpeopleinmysurroundingsupportone’sfuthereducationandonlyaminorityofpeoplethinkthatworkfirstandpostgraduatelater.Thereasonwhymorestudentsarekeenonbecomingpostgraduatesaftergraduationareasfollows:Firstly,aBechelor’sdegreetodayistheequivalentofhavingahighschooldiploma20yearsagoandmoreemployersrequireahigherdegree.Jobsthatoncewerefilledbyhighschoolgraduatesandlaterbycollegegraduatestodayoftenrequireamaster’sdegree.Graduateschoolhastraditionallybeenagreatplacetowaitoutrecessionswhilehoningyourskillsforabetterjob.Degreeinflationincreasinglyobligesmoredegreestocompensateforthedevaluationofearlierdegrees.Secondly,Peoplewithassociates’degreestendedtoearnalotmorethanthosewhoseeducationsstoppedathighschool.TheycommitthemselvesdeeplytothepreparationforNationalPostgraduateEntranceExamination.Theyareeagertoenlargetheirscopeofmajorandacquiremoreknowledge.Bymeansofthis,theyhopetofindabetterjobintheemploymentmarket.Thirdly,ahigherdegreecanprovideachanceoffuthereducation.Universitiesare,afterall,wonderful,magicalplaces,andlearningsomethingnewisthegreatestofpleasures.Thosewhowanttotakeadvantageofthefavorableconditionsincollege,however,willtrytoenrollingraduateprograms.Forthem,aMaster'sdegreeorevenaDoctoraldegreerepresentsamuchmoreambitiousgoalthanabachelor'sdegree.Inthesameway,theirlifetimesuccessandinterestliesmoreinacademicachievementsthaninmakingmoney.Ontheotherhand,Inmysurvey,aminorityofpeopleprefertobeemployeesimmediatelyaftertheirgraducationandtheygivethefollowingreasons.Firstly,choosingtoworkcanhelponetobecomeeconomicallyindependent.Foryears,theyhavebeenusingtheirparents'moneytosupporttheireducationwithasenseofguilt.Moreover,atmanytimesduringtheirstudy,theymusthavebeenembarrassedbythelackofmoneyortheguiltyfeelingofspendingtheirparents'moneyon“luxuries”.Gettingestablishedasabread-winneraftergraduationaswellastoeaseparents’burdenistheirmaindesire.Secondly,workfirstcangivestudentsachancetokeepupwiththemarketearlier.Forthosewhowanttoaccumulateworkingexperienceandtoputintopracticewhatthayhavelearnedincollege,takingajobwillbebothsatisfyingandrewarding.Formotheraspects,whentheyfindtheirknowledgeisinadequateforwork,theycanabsolutelyhavetheabilitytofurthertheireducationattheirownexpense.Thirdly,Master’sdegrees,particularlythoseearnedatlower-famouspublicuniversities,alsotendedtobenotworththeinvestment.Asweknow,notallthestudentscanoffersuchahugenumberofmoneytodeeperhiseducation,thatistosay,heshouldgrantaloan.Manystudentsdon'tthinkthatthepayoffdoesn’tjustifythecost.Aftermysurvey,whatimpressedmemostissomephilosophyinsomepeople’swords.IreallylikethemandIknowIshouldsharethem.A:”EarningmyMasterdegreewasamongthemostfruitfulandmostrewardingexperiencesI’vehad.Certainlyitisasteppingstoneofsorts,awaytomakesureyouwouldliketopursuesomethingtoahigherlevel(ornot).TheMasterdegreeisachancetodelveseriouslyintoatopicortorealizeyoucan’twaittofinishwithitanddosomethingelse.Aswithanything,anMasterdegreecanbeasrewardingandfulfillingasonemakesit.Ipersonallywouldn’ttrademyMasterdegreeexperience—thepeopleIhavemetandworkedwith,andthelastingfriendships—foranything(includingthefewgranditcost!).Moneyspentoneducationisaninvestmentinone’slifethatlastsforeverandcan’teverbelostinthemysteriousworkingsofthe“market”orstoleninaPonzischeme.Besides,mostMasterdegreeprogramsofferscholarshipsandteachingassistantshipsthatcovermostifnotallthecosts.”B:“EarninganMasterdegreecanbefun;itcanprovideknowledge;andcanstretchtheimagination.AcynicmightconcludethattheMasterdegreeisthestepchildoftheuniversitycommunity,isincreasinglyacommodityofferedbyuniversitiesinordertoearntuitiondollarsdevotedtothePh.D.programs.Butinthemarketplace,itaddstoone’spersonalnarrative.Itmakesonemoreinteresting.“C:”Jobsmaycomeandgo,butaneducationissomethingthatwillalwaysbepartofyou.Ifastudentspendswiselyandtakesfulladvantageofthetime,adegreenomatterwhatdisciplinewillalwayspayoff.Oursocietyneedstoreinvestineducationandallowmorestudentstheopportunitytopursuehigherdegreeswithprograms,grantsandsponsorshipstomakeithappen.HavingapopulationthatistooeducatedisaproblemIthinkwewouldratherhavethantheopposite.”Frowwhatwetalkedabove,wecansimplydrawtheconclusionthattobecomeapostgraduatemaymeetwithgreatfavor,buttobecomeanemployeeorpostgraduateaftergraduationisreallyacomplicatedproblemandsomanyfactorswemustputintoconsideration.Forexample:HowdostudentsknowifanM.A.isworthitornot?Whatdegreesmightbeworthgetting,andwhicharenot?Howdoesastudentweightherisksandbenefitsoftakingthatintermediatestepinhighereducation?Innow