What do you want to do after you get your undergraduate degree? That seems to be an age-old question that makes almost every student cringe when it comes up in conversation. It is scary to think that after four years, it is expected of us to be thrusted into the work force, ready to hit the ground running. However, there are other options after graduation for students, such as graduate school, which student Jessica Kimball has taken advantage of to further her education.
“For me personally, it was just easier to transition into a Master’s program where I received my undergraduate. I knew the school, and I didn’t have to go searching because we do have good programs here,” explained Kimball, 23, who is currently working on getting her Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) at the University. “The problems with the economy and the job market is what helped me in deciding to pursue graduate school. That and my graduate assistantship.”
The Leon Hess Business School at the University holds an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation, which is the top accreditation possible. Because of this factor, Kimball decided to transfer to the University from Ramapo College to receive her undergraduate in Business Administration, and now her graduate degree.
“Ramapo was just receiving their AACSB while I was there, and I knew that it wouldn’t really have any weight on my degree there like it would here,” said Kimball.
With the cost of private colleges averaging at around $43,000, a year for an undergraduate according to collegedata.com, staying in school for an extra two to three years may seem crazy. Luckily with graduate programs, most students have the option of applying for graduate assistantships, which helps cover the costs of their tuition by working in different departments of the University.
“It really does help with the expense of getting my Master’s,” Kimball said. She is currently working as a junior admissions counselor and as a graduate assistant for the Marketing and International Business Department of the Business School. “I have several responsibilities with the admissions office with planning events. Right now I am currently helping plan Open House and hiring students to work for the day.”
Kimball is also the high school visitation coordinator for the office, working with different schools that want to bring students to the university to visit, along with the daily tasks of working in the business school. On top of all these responsibilities, Kimball also has to manage her time for her courses.
“I work from nine to five Monday through Thursday at the school, and then go to my classes from 6:30 to 9:15 three nights a week. I am a lot busier, but I do have a lot of freedom when it comes to my classes. Two of them are hybrids so we meet once every other week, so the course work is a lot more independent. It really isn’t any different from being an undergraduate student, just longer days,” she said.
Still, even with her hectic schedule and course load, Kimball is determined to receive her MBA and encourages others that are interested to take the leap for a higher degree.
“I would say for anyone who wants to go to graduate school to just do it, especially now. It is easier to pursue a Master’s degree while you are still in the groove of being in school instead of working and trying to go back later on,” Kimball stressed. “You really need a Master’s degree to get a job nowadays. It will definitely help later on and make you more marketable as a possible employee.”
PHOTO TAKEN by Anna Chamberlain
