By Graduate Ambassador Madison Bommer, a student in Master of Studies in Law with a concentration in human resources

Late last year, I found myself amidst the chaos of life; I was balancing being a professional, a wife, a mom, and so many other things. The concept of going back to school seemed a little daunting, but I also knew there were many upsides to going back to school after getting professional experience under your belt.   

Know your motivation

I think one thing that is important before you decide to go back to school is to fully understand what your motivation is. My motivation was a cross between my desire to be a lifelong learner and wanting to really hone in on technical knowledge related to my career in human resources. There are countless positive outcomes as a result of going back to school, but which one motivates you?  For some, it may be refining your skills – you’ve spent some time in the career field and this helps you to fill in gaps where you could benefit from more technical training. You may be looking to be considered for a role with higher earning potential, which can require a higher level of education. You could be one of the many people who have found themselves on a career path that they aren’t sure they want to stay in for the rest of their lives; graduate school can be the path toward a career change.

Whatever it is, know your motivation. 

Going back to school

After spending over ten years in human resources, I was able to consider graduate school with a new perspective. I knew that my program of choice, Master of Studies in Law, would provide me with the right educational experience to pair with my work experience. There are more graduate-level programs now than ever, many hybrid or virtual, designed to accommodate working professionals.

Another benefit of attending graduate school while being a working professional is the opportunity to network with other professionals in either your current or future career field. You are given the opportunity to not only learn the material of the course but to learn from one another with varying levels of experience. If you are fortunate enough to work for an employer that offers tuition assistance, you may even be able to go back to school with minimal out-of-pocket costs.

The adventure will have challenges and will require great discipline on your part, but in the end, you are worth it!

Wayne State University resources

• Explore all the graduate programs offered at Wayne State University.   
• Calculate how much a graduate degree will cost.
• Learn how you can fund your degree with scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.