Students who think they’ll wave goodbye to a university education after four years might find they have another thing coming.
In order to be competitive or marketable fields often require more than simply a bachelor’s degree. Where does the aspiring grad student start?
The Graduate School Fair will be held in the Gardner Center Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow. Representatives of sixty-six graduate programs from across the nation will be available to answer questions, start building a network of contacts or explain the ins and outs of admission.
“It’s spectacular that we have this many programs on our very first fair,” said Ali Threet, assistant director of the Career Center.
Because of the great number of programs there should be something for everyone at the fair, said Threet.
Threet advised students to come dressed professionally, be eager to make contacts, shake hands with the representatives who they meet and thank everyone who helps them.
The fair will be on campus once this year and students are urged by the career center to participate and get all they can from it.
“Even if a student doesn’t know exactly what they want to do, it would be a great opportunity for them to go,” Threet said.
Even freshman would find the fair useful, Threet said, and they could “ask about what it takes to enroll, what life as a grad student would be like, and what a graduate degree can do for them.”
“I think that this would be considered something that you would expect when you come to a university,” said Steve Bringhurst, executive director of the Career Center. “You would be able to look at graduate programs from around your region or around your state.”
Graduate programs are still forthcoming at Dixie State University.
“Eventually, [graduate programs] are going to come because we are going to continue growing, but right now we are working on our bachelor’s degrees and developing more of those,” Threet said. “Our students still need the same opportunities as students from other schools, so by bringing the graduate schools to them it provides them better opportunities.”
If you’re interested in graduate school, “don’t drag your feet,” Bringhurst said. “You have to start looking at applications for graduate schools in January and February because they’ll be making those decisions by March.”
The benefits of going to the fair aren’t just academic; students will also get a free lunch just for stopping by and supporting the fair.
“If you visit and fill out an exit survey, you get a free slice of pizza and a drink from Red Rock Café,” Bringhurst said.
If students have questions about graduate programs or preparing for them, visit the Career Center on the fifth floor of the Holland Centennial Commons. Some services offered there are help writing a résumé, interview tips and creating a timeline for your degree progress.