re: Is Grad school a waste of time?

It depends on how much you value learning in and of itself.

Its value isn’t measured wholly in dollars and cents. Your question is whether it’s a waste of time. To answer the question, you have to consider what you spend your time doing. If it’s making money, then you have to ask yourself if a short term hit is worth long term payoff. In most cases, that’s a pretty simple calculation to make.

If you spend your time learning about the world and trying to find deeper understanding of things, then in most cases, graduate school will feel like the education you should have had all along. I personally never felt challenged or really rewarded in any way with my learning until I went to graduate school and encountered the next level.

Initially, I wanted to go to grad school to open a new career path and make more money for the next 30 years. But I discovered I was good at it, and I’m almost done with a Ph.D now. I’m happy because I feel like I’m doing what I should be doing. I’m happy. Honestly, it doesn’t make a hell of a lot of financial sense, but I would rather do something more meaningful to me than making a lot of money (while respecting those who choose that path - nothing wrong with it, it’s just not ME).