Last week I received a mailer from Minnesota State University, Mankato, inviting me to study technical communication there. A master’s degree was included in the offer. The most inviting part was the offer for in-state tuition for completing the degree totally online.

I thought about it. When I was nearing graduation at Utah State University, one of my tech comm professors and another professor in my minor program encouraged me to go on to graduate school. However, I had about had my fill of school and homework for the time being—I loved not having homework in the evenings and on weekends after I graduated—and I wanted a job.

Yes, money was a big consideration. I didn’t want to risk student loans, seeing as how the full tuition scholarship I had earned would be gone when I graduated. I was tired of the poor student life. If I had to live in an apartment, at least it would be larger than 400 square feet.

I’m glad I made that decision because if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have my current job. Beyond the reasons I’ve given, when I was approaching graduation, I was simply certain that it was time to look for a job.

Now, though, with the economy the way it is, I was tempted to take Minnesota State up on their offer, or at least look into it and other possibilities. Wouldn’t I be a better contributor and worth more if I had a master’s degree?

I decided against it because right now, it would probably cause an overload. I try not to seek out ways to stress myself out and instead try to moderate my inclinations to participate in too many activities. The money is an issue, too, but not as much because I’m sure I can get assistance through work and other avenues.

Maybe Minnesota State planted a seed, though. They got me thinking about it. And a guy probably can’t have too much education in his field.

Related posts (auto-generated):

  1. When Tech Writers Don't Read Directions
  2. Preparing for the Technical Writing Profession, Part I
  3. Desire to Add Value Can Lead to Taking on Too Much