Why Consider Graduate School and Conference Presentations?

February 4, 2015

Many undergraduate students want to begin working as soon as possible and are drawn to interviews, hackathons, and opportunities at young companies. There is nothing inherently wrong with that path. However, it is worth asking whether entering industry immediately after an undergraduate degree is the best fit for every student.

Students with strong mathematical ability, confidence communicating in English, and the skill to apply specialized knowledge may flourish right away. In practice, however, many students decline master’s study before they have had the opportunity to experience research in depth.

I believe that students who say they are not interested in research, or who are concerned about the cost of graduate school, may especially benefit from considering it. You cannot genuinely know whether research interests you until you have tried it seriously. In an undergraduate year, only the final month or two may involve research itself; much of the preceding time is spent learning, reproducing existing work, and implementing straightforward ideas.

Graduate study also provides time to present at conferences, exhibitions, workshops, and symposia, where students can discuss their work with engineers and researchers. International presentations require substantial preparation, from paper submission through the event, and are difficult to achieve within a short undergraduate period. In our lab, graduate students aim to experience at least two conferences, two exhibitions, and two internships.

At conferences, strong rivals inevitably appear. You may encounter an idea that outperforms your own, or share an idea or technology that others can learn from. This kind of mutual growth is unique to academic exchange. The colleagues and rivals you meet can remain important throughout your life.

Conference presentations also bring a wealth of feedback. Explaining your work academically to people outside the university can feel intimidating, even for faculty, but third-party perspectives are invaluable. If an explanation earns no response, it is often a sign that it can be made clearer.

Graduate school has real value. If you are deciding between graduate study and employment, please discuss it with your academic advisor.

Minoru Nakazawa