Should I go to graduate school for statistics or start working right away?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the decision of whether to pursue graduate school in statistics or to enter the workforce immediately after completing undergraduate studies. Participants explore the implications of each choice in relation to financial goals and personal aspirations, particularly in the context of a future plan to move to Ecuador and start a permaculture farm.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a strong desire to enter the workforce immediately to start earning money, suggesting that graduate school would delay financial independence.
  • Another participant questions the feasibility of obtaining a high-paying job with only bachelor's degrees in economics and statistics, asking for clarity on how a graduate degree might enhance job prospects.
  • The original poster acknowledges that while they may not earn a high salary initially, they plan to live frugally and undertake internships to improve their employability.
  • The original poster also emphasizes their long-term goal of saving money for a specific lifestyle change, indicating that their financial strategy is contingent on both personal and economic factors.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus; there are differing opinions on the value of graduate school versus immediate employment, and uncertainty remains regarding job prospects and financial outcomes.

Contextual Notes

Participants express various assumptions about job market conditions, personal financial management, and the potential impact of graduate education on career trajectories. The discussion reflects a range of perspectives on balancing immediate financial needs with long-term aspirations.

mynameisfunk
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is graduate school for me??

Hi guys,
I'm a senior undergraduate currently at a large state university. In the spring I will be graduating with 2 bachelors, one in economics minor in business and another in statistics with a minor in mathematics. I have been planning for a while now to attend the master's program here and getting my master's in either biostatistics or mathematical statistics. Now, I have a grandmaster plan- get the F out of the country 3 years post graduation from graduate school. My goal: my significant other and I to save $100-150,000 and move to Ecuador and starting a permaculture farm. I LOVE math and statistics. But hell, I don't need to go to graduate school to fulfill that dirty pleasure. Honestly, I just want to get paid- a lot and quickly. I can be perfectly content in the mountainous rainforest with some math books and a chessboard eating off my own land. Anyway, I digress, do you guys think I am better off attaining my goal by going out into the workforce ASAP and saying no thanks to graduate school? Or do I go for it and make dat money, honey?

P.S. I also will have a certification for SAS programming with my degree.
 
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If your goal is to make money, get out into the work force and start making money. Going to graduate school will just delay getting started. My opinion.
 


Do you have any real ideas on what kind of job you can actually get that will allow you to get paid "a lot and quickly" with BS's in those fields? Or how a graduate degree would help that?
 


I know I won't get paid THAT much, but I am planning on living very inexpensively as I have managed for the last 4 years, and doing a couple summer internships to boost my attractiveness to employers. Also, there are 2 of us saving money for this cause. This is definitely doable as long as we don't get slammed by the hyperinflation first. I just don't know which plan will get me there more quickly...
 

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