Maybe the rash of grad school related articles is a not-so-subtle reminder that back to school season is upon us. At any rate, I’ve run across quite a few “check this out”-worthy articles.
Masters is the New Bachelors
This Education Life piece hit the New York Times last week on how employers are dealing with the glut of job applicants for fewer positions in today’s American economy. Their solution? Let’s weed ’em out by education level. Increasingly job postings are starting to read: “Bachelors required. Masters preferred.” Some employers are even taking resumes that list bachelors degrees only and placing them to the side in favor of advanced degreed applicants. Some are calling this trend “credential inflationism,” some call it “professionalizing the industry,” and still others are crying foul that bachelors degrees have been devalued. Are these trends a good or bad thing for the new American economy?
The Joke Is On The Ph.D.
Photo courtesy of PHD Comics
If you’re in grad school or thinking about it, join the club of commiserates. A popular comic strip created by a former grad student, Piled Higher and Deeper (or Ph.D.), is being transformed to film and may soon be coming to a campus near you. Piled Higher and Deeper is about the humor but it’s also about finding common ground among graduate students. No matter what discipline you’re studying, you’re likely to get a chuckle out of these glimpses of the day in the life of a grad student.
Cliched Citations to Avoid
“If I see one more essay that quotes ‘Oh, the Places You Will Go!'” says the other person on the end of the graduate admissions committee. Heads up: Admissions essay writing season is practically upon us. Chances are that instead of being energized with creative inspiration, you just might blank out on ideas to write about in your essay. If you’re staring for hours at your computer screen and come up with a brilliant idea to quote one of these sources, according to the New York Times, you might want to go back to the drawing board and come up with something a tad bit more original.
