My Road to Graduate School from Bentley Undergrad

For many graduate school is a decision based on years of experience, helping you choose the best program to advance your career or make a career change. For me, those years of experience did not exist. I decided to start graduate school right after my undergraduate studies. I was nervous about the workload, how my work inexperience would affect me, and how I would feel in classes with people much older and experienced. However, my fears rapidly declined as classes started.

In the beginning, choosing to pursue graduate school was a hard decision to make, as I had always believed that you need the experience to succeed or to at least make the most of it. However, as many others in the Class of 2020 can testify, the job market wasn’t looking as bright for new graduates. This led me to become flexible with my ideas of a perfect career path and apply to Bentley’s McCallum Graduate School of Business.

While my work experience is not extensive, I realized that I could make up for it with effort and by learning from my peers with different levels of expertise. What helped me the most was the professors making an effort to understand our individual backgrounds and how we can add value to each class. 

While work inexperience was a factor to consider in my decision, I also found a great advantage by going straight into graduate school that I was not losing the habit of studying. Many won’t go to graduate school because they can’t find the time, energy, or the will to go back to studying. By never stopping, you don’t get that problem and are more likely to fall into the routine more efficiently and comfortably, cutting out the adaptation period from the transition.

Personally, I believe everyone’s experiences are different and valuable in their own way. It is essential to understand the reason behind your options and go with the one that seems better for you in the moment. Suppose graduate school right after graduating from undergraduate is the best choice. In that case, my recommendation is to find how you can bring value to your classes other than work experience. Also, try to learn all you can from those with experience to help you understand different industries and jobs better.

Eugenia (Nia) Yanes Barreto
Bentley University
Master of Science in Digital Innovation, Spring 2022