As I sit here after countless essay writing I have to wonder, "Is the ____k that I'm going to pay for an Ivy League graduate program worth it?"
So many of us go through our undergrad, finishing tattered and in debt. We network, interview and eventually land a steady track to our career goals. As we chip away at the corporate mountain our lifestyle advances, our “circle” becomes more successful and eventually we can see the mountain top. BAM we hit a wall. It could be a pay grade or even a “boys club” to which our undergraduate education does not allow us access.
What do we do?
We can go the route of our fathers/grandfathers and start our own business. They made a pass at it, and with hard work and persistence established themselves. Most often we take the graduate education track. The thinking is that more letters after your name or more time in a structured environment will make us successful. Is this really the answer?
2 questions:
Are we to lazy and give up on the idea of hard work & self made fortunes of the generation before us? and
Are the insane tuition costs worth it in the long run?
Those are really good questions. I, myself, have just been accepted to a graduate program and I hope that I am not working for my Master's in vein.
As far as opening businesses, with the costs small business owners face, I'd be terrified to start my own business. I know many who have tried and failed, left with mountains of debt deeper than the cost of a college education.
My advice would be to make a list and weigh the pros and cons of school vs. starting a business. Either way you'll have to spend quite a bit of money to get started, but the end results are quite different.