46: Industry vs Grad School: The MSE Student Perspective (ft. Lily Turaski & Sam Williams)

It’s an outstanding achievement for students to finish their courses and get a degree in college. However, there is one question ahead that comes to mind: Should you go to industry or grad school?

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Today’s guests are Lily Turaski, a Ph.D. student in MSE at Stanford University, and Sam Williams, a Senior Associate Electrical Engineer at L3 Harris Technologies. In this episode, they discuss a dilemma that many students have taken years to decide and give actionable advice on which path to choose: Industry or Grad School.

In this conversation, we discuss the following topics:

• The driving factors behind one’s own decision to go to industry and grad school.
• The benefits and disadvantages of each chosen path.
• How academic research differs from industry.
• How can it affect one’s physical, mental, and financial health when they’re in the industry versus grad school? 
• The words of encouragement and advice for MSE students that may help them make their decision more confidently. 

 

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Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.