I'm not sure if this fits exactly under this thread, but here it goes. I think it will be interesting for the book. Some students move straight from their Masters into their PhD, while others, like myself, have a working gap in between. When I was in Masters I couldn't wait to get out. I couldn't wait to work in the real world. I expected to do amazing work and to get recognized for it. I felt that I was ready to leave the neurotic academic world. But you know what - the working world is not as happy and shiny as students think it will be. It's really trading one set of problems for another, and learning to cope ith the new set. Now I"m back at school, and there are good and bads things about it. I consider this "my job" - this is as good as it gets. I've learned not to harbour false expectations about the next phase of my life, when I go back out into the working world with new knowledge and credentials. But I wince when I hear or read students' expectations about getting out into the "real world". This is the real world. Enjoy it. Just my 2 cents.

Anita I agree! School is work and work is school. It drives me nuts to hear younger students talk about how they are going to walk out of school and into the top jobs. What ever happened to the expatation of working your way up? Seems everyone expects to graduate and be the boss the next day! Hello this is not the real world. Experience counts. Chrissie

I agree that students expect to be slotted into great jobs when they graduate. But, from my humble experience, I do think that they also expect to work their way up (at least I did), through promotion as a reward for good work. The problem is, at least in my sector where government cuts have flattened health organizations, that there aren't many rungs to climb. So students get graduate degrees, expect to get a good job immediately and expect to get that super job within a couple of years. Anyway, I really admire those folks out there who do both -who work and go to school. How do you do it?