Need help regarding career and Higher studies..

[eggman]

Ok, so here's my situation:

1) Passed out from a B-Grade college , With B.E. in 2010 with distinction .(75% overall, if it even matters).
2) Got a job in SAP Labs Bangalore right after college in July 2010 as a software engineer. Will complete 3 years very soon.

Now I'm quite happy with my job and the package is also okish ..8l-ish in few weeks..
But onsite opportunities are very rare, SAP being a product company.

Now after seeing my friends flying away for M.S. , now I'm also thinking doing the same.
So here are few of my doubts:

1) Is it too late? I mean will my experience and gap be counted as negative.
2) How much preparation would be needed?
Now I've been always a above avg student, but not exceptional. Been topper few times (like it matters

) and been on top 10 list always.
I had given CAT for lulz in 2009 (absolutely without preparation, like nothing at all ) and had scored 77 percentile or something. Nothing great but just stated as a criteria.
But I've missed out on extra curricular activities .Like debating or sports. Nothing worth showing at all.
I'm very good at my job, and am one of the few people in my team to get a High rating.

3) Now My family is middle class and there's no was we can afford 18-20 lakh or whatevere. So Loan is the only way.
But now the issue is that Me and my father already have a home loan on our name .
Will it cause trouble in getting another education loan.

4) Assuming I do the course well enough , not top or something, but respectable enough ..what kind of life can I expect ?


Any other advice would be great too.

Basically, I've been lazy and cozy at my well paying job for all these years. Now suddenly I'm seeing friends leaving for US and I just want don't want to miss out on any good opportunity as a young guy .

Thanks in Advance.

 

[sahib]

^^ You arent late at all! Which stream you plan to pursue your masters? Considering you have extensive work ex in SAP, are you thinking of MS in Information Systems or a regular CS graduation? Also please dont follow the herd! What motivation you have to pursue higher studies is what matters. Seeing friends fly is not a viable option . You have a great package considering the work ex and if you really are planning for MS what course you want to pursue and why is what matters.

 

[Sei]

I completely agree with @sahib here. If you don't know why you want to go then you shouldn't. Trust me on this.

First you have to get your priorities sorted out - experience or exposure or money or knowledge etc. And no, don't put all of them or even 2 together. If you really think, you will clearly be able to place them in an orderly fashion - with 1 as the most important reason and so on.

After this, let's talk about the crux of the matter.

Experience - That will always help. Abroad, as opposed to India, degrees are not as important as real-life experience.

Preparation - Not much. You seem like an intelligent fellow. You will easily be able to score 1350+ in GRE with a few months of effort (my favorite number is 3; 3 months of preparation is ideal)

Tuitions and other expenses - Though you should not choose your degree/college based on the tuition fees, unfortunately this is a big issue if you cannot get scholarships. There are some universities like SUNY Buffalo (www.buffalo.edu/) where an MS costs less but you will have to hunt for jobs. Of course, with your solid work-ex, it should be easier for you. Otherwise, I don't think even 18-20 lakhs is enough for most universities without some form of scholarship. As far as loans are concerned, nationalised banks give slightly less amount but you can always call HDFC Credila and ask them how much you would be eligible for. The upper limit is 20 lakhs AFAIR.

Post-study life? That is quite subjective. If you manage to land a job, you will be on a fast-track to repaying your loans. But how you adjust there is something only you can guess. And even that guess might be quite far away from what you finally feel there.

In sum, first answer the question - why do you really want to go out? Just to be clear, "because my friends are going...." is not the correct option here. Take some time, a few weeks, and revisit the question again and again. Though I have yet to go out for higher studies, I spent around 4 months (approximately 2 hours every day) before I figured out quite a few things about myself. It made the picture much clearer.

You've just completed 3 years. You can prove yourself, save money for a few more years and then go abroad too. Just an option you can consider. There are many, many ways to go about it.

Adding @stalker , @whatsinaname, @Lord Nemesis

 

[whatsinaname]

The work experience is never a negative and will not count as a gap. It might even help you get into better universities because it shows dedication to come back to get a Masters after working for a bit.

Don't get hung up on what you call a BE from a "B-Grade" college. 3 years out, it doesn't matter too much in the larger scheme of things.

You should break it down into why you are considering an MS in the US.

1) Pay increase - Like others have said, the fees in the education system in the US has gotten so high that if you are considering it only from a monetary aspect (i.e., as a step to a higher paycheck), I don't think the ROI is positive. You have to consider the cost of the education, the opportunity cost of two years of lost income (if you are studying full time) and the increase in pay that 2 additional years of experience would have brought you.

2) Switch in the type of job - If you want to move to a more research oriented role or technical role, the Masters will definitely help (though for a really good research position, you might have to continue onto a Phd).

3) A path to moving to the US - This is something you have to decide for yourself. Is it worth going into debt of 30 lacs or so? Do you anticipate life in the US to be that much better?

4) My friends are going - I would suggest you save some money and make a nice long holiday visit to the US to meet with your friends.

Edit: I seem to have answered mostly from the perspective of studying in the US but it should apply to other countries as well. So :%s/US/Canada,Australia,UK/g

 

[mjumrani]

Ok, so here's my situation:

1) Passed out from a B-Grade college , With B.E. in 2010 with distinction .(75% overall, if it even matters).
2) Got a job in SAP Labs Bangalore right after college in July 2010 as a software engineer. Will complete 3 years very soon.

Now I'm quite happy with my job and the package is also okish ..8l-ish in few weeks..
But onsite opportunities are very rare, SAP being a product company.

Now after seeing my friends flying away for M.S. , now I'm also thinking doing the same.
So here are few of my doubts:

1) Is it too late? I mean will my experience and gap be counted as negative.
2) How much preparation would be needed?
Now I've been always a above avg student, but not exceptional. Been topper few times (like it matters

) and been on top 10 list always.
I had given CAT for lulz in 2009 (absolutely without preparation, like nothing at all ) and had scored 77 percentile or something. Nothing great but just stated as a criteria.
But I've missed out on extra curricular activities .Like debating or sports. Nothing worth showing at all.
I'm very good at my job, and am one of the few people in my team to get a High rating.

3) Now My family is middle class and there's no was we can afford 18-20 lakh or whatevere. So Loan is the only way.
But now the issue is that Me and my father already have a home loan on our name .
Will it cause trouble in getting another education loan.

4) Assuming I do the course well enough , not top or something, but respectable enough ..what kind of life can I expect ?


Any other advice would be great too.

Basically, I've been lazy and cozy at my well paying job for all these years. Now suddenly I'm seeing friends leaving for US and I just want don't want to miss out on any good opportunity as a young guy .

Thanks in Advance.

1. For MS, your experience is more than adequate. It will help increase your post study job chances. Your experience will help you through the course as universities abroad are more about practical and theoretical approach. And frankly it is never too late to pursue dreams. Be sure to have a couple of fields you would want to do your MS in.

2. Like Sei said, 3 months is ideal, ie, at the end of your third month you should be fully prepared and giving your GRE.
Slog like your life depends on it. Attempt as many sample papers as possible. I'm not sure if GRE is an adaptive test, if it is then more mock tests (computer ones).
If you join a course, revise and you needn't necessarily stick to the speed of the course and can now faster.

3. Loan is not an issue though your father will have to be a guaranteer. Education loan repayment starts 6months after getting a job post course completion.
I will be going through the same route.

4. This question has to be the toughest to answer. My friends doing MS or MA are not fairing well in Europe/UK. But US friends are doing better now. Jobs are easier to find there and the job fair system of US is quite different from the rest of the world, ie, the college assist quite a bit more.


Some things else that I would like to add, (I know a lot more about MBA than I do about MS since I'm applying for the former. Info about the latter comes from close friends)

MS equals that you will be heading into the technical line more than management. And when you do get into management at a Later stage in life, you will have to do an MBA. So start getting into extra curricular activities.

While applying some colleges as you to show bank statements to understand your financial status. Eg, I have to show 30 L at time of applying for MBA. Be sure you have that kind of cash.
Since MS:MBA ratio tends to be 1:2. So you will probably have to show somewhere between 10-15L in your sponsors account.

Ranking is a good way to choose a college but do not make it as a base. Keep under consideration the city type, living costs, international student ratio, teacher:student ratio and most importantly (for people like us depending on loans) look into percentage of students who got a job in 3 months post course completion.

Living cost is pretty high, eg for a 15 month course in a top tier city like London, you would need a minimum of 15L more besides the tuition fee, ie, 1L will have to come from home every month.

Do also remember 50+% of students will either start smoking or drinking or both or will make their habits worse once the pressure starts to get to you. And the pressure will get to you. BUT do not be afraid of it, we are smarter than most chaps out there and what you would be fearing is more difficult that it actually looks.

Get rid of the habit of going to google and copying stuff. That works in India but abroad plagiarism is highly hated. You will be thrown out without a warning. There are ways around it, which basically means copy then change every word of it, ie, borrow the idea and write your own words.

Post job salary after MS is half of that of an MBA graduate from an equivalent school. Eg, MBA graduates from imperial college get an average of £60000 annual. While a MS graduate would get £30000 average. Which means the MS graduate will not qualify to apply for UK's work permit.

PS: I'm just stating facts that I know. If I am wrong please feel free to correct me. I did not mean to scare if i did, I am facing a similar situation only my expenditure is more than double so imagine what I'm going through and what I am feeling.
Most importantly, irrespective of all hurdles I will sail through and be doing an MBA next fall, ie, unless god strikes me down to my grave.

 

[tifosi]

Ok, so here's my situation:

1) Is it too late? I mean will my experience and gap be counted as negative.
2) How much preparation would be needed?
Now I've been always a above avg student, but not exceptional. Been topper few times (like it matters

) and been on top 10 list always.
I had given CAT for lulz in 2009 (absolutely without preparation, like nothing at all ) and had scored 77 percentile or something. Nothing great but just stated as a criteria.
But I've missed out on extra curricular activities .Like debating or sports. Nothing worth showing at all.
I'm very good at my job, and am one of the few people in my team to get a High rating.

3) Now My family is middle class and there's no was we can afford 18-20 lakh or whatevere. So Loan is the only way.
But now the issue is that Me and my father already have a home loan on our name .
Will it cause trouble in getting another education loan.

4) Assuming I do the course well enough , not top or something, but respectable enough ..what kind of life can I expect ?

1. Work experience while useful, is only helpful on your application if it's relevant to the program you're applying to.
2. Most of your preparation is already done. Assuming you want to build on your Bachelor's, your undergraduate studies form the core of your preparation. You shouldn't be counting GRE, etc into your prep. Any educated person can get a decent score on these tests and it's not that important to ace them. You just need them to get past a cutoff, but they in no way guarantee you an acceptance. Also, extra curricular activities don't matter if you're applying for graduate studies in STEM fields.
3. As long as there's a bank willing to issue you a loan the university doesn't care. But you should have your finances well planned out before you take the plunge.
4. How you do on your courses becomes secondary once you start your program. How you network with people around you and the right professors who can get you the right opportunities becomes more important. That doesn't mean you start failing. A decent GPA is expected out of any graduate student. What kind of life you can expect is totally up to you.

With that said, you should enroll yourself into a graduate program only if you know what you want to do and not to simply break the rut you're in or because your friends are doing so. Most serious grad students already know what to expect of their thesis even before they're enrolled. If you're not this serious then you'll realize it's a huge mistake halfway through.

 

[Lord Nemesis]

Personally, I would say that M.S at this stage is no use. Most companies won't even see it as an added incentive to hire you unless you are counting on campus recruitment's. if you want to go for M.S, do it for your own satisfaction, not because you think it might add to your qualifications. If you want to go into a managerial stream, MBA from a reputed college would make much more sense. If you have good tech skills and like to stay in a tech role, then I would suggest that you continue your Job and use the time to improve your skills.

 

[stalker]

A Master's degree is definitely going to be helpful if you plan on working in the US.

1. Your age/the gap is of no consequence. Prior experience will be a positive once you get back into the job market.
As @whatsinaname put it so well, if your reason for considering this is 'friends going to the US', consider taking a long vacation.
Make sure you have a much more substantial reason before committing to something like this. It's a huge change.

2/3. The GRE is a simple test. A little messed up like most tests are, but 3-4 months of intensive prep should be sufficient (assuming you have above average language/math skills,).
It plays a very minor role in securing an admit. Also, keep in mind that if you can afford it, you can get into some fantastic universities. In quite a few places, the trend is to be generous with Master's admits so as to 'subsidize' Doctoral students. In such schools, it's well nigh impossible to receive an assistantship. You might find a campus job to pay for living expenses but not tuition (which can, again, be substantial).
Educational loans can seem daunting. However, if you have the confidence to take the plunge and don't manage to 'royally screw up', paying them off shouldn't be a problem at all.

3. IMHO a Master's level course is more about the experience than anything else. You get the choice of doing something that interests you, and it's upto you to excel at it. What you score is irrrelevant (for the most part, again, as long as you don't 'royally screw up') no-one cares about it. The concept of a 'campus recruitment' does not exist in the same manner as it does in India where you can get a job offer based on your on campus interview process. The 'campus interviews' in the US are more of a screening layer and are generally followed by day long grilling sessions on-site at the firm where you interact with teams that might potentially hire you. At the end of the day, what matters is how you sell your positives.

4.Financially, you should find yourself much better off than in India.
The life you can expect is totally up to you. I know people who hang around only with Indians, attend Indian community functions, shop at Indian grocery stores, eat at Indian restaurants, etc.,
IMHO, this kind of defeats the purpose of staying in a different country. Every country offers a lot culturally/socially. If you decide to go ahead, don't forget to take advantage of everything these countries offer, over and above academics.

 

[sahib]

Couldnt have agreed more with stalker!
If you are motivated to go to US then nothing should bother you, but it shouldnt be a ' follow the herd' approach. I've seen people go for Masters with a will to earn a better life and they have succeeded albeit they had to put in tremendous efforts. Also people who screwed up because they never really had a plan and hence no execution. Also if you are interested in SAP , University of Cinncinati has an awesome MSIS course which is extensively SAP oriented.