Quote:
Originally Posted by Janszoon
As I think I've mentioned to you before, my wife is an electrical engineer and through her I know quite a few professional engineers. My understanding is that, if you want to pursue a masters in that industry, you are better off getting a few years of experience working before you go for it. Not only will this help you get into a better graduate program but more often than not your employer will pay for your studies.
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This is an important point that shouldn't fall on the wayside. I am a computer engineering dropout, so I have a
little insight into the matter
...
I had multiple professors who said they got masters degrees before entering the industry, then had trouble finding work! Companies told them they were
too qualified for any of the positions they were looking to fill. Getting a masters actually worked against them in this regard.
It is recommended that engineers get a few years of experience under their belt in the industry before going for a masters. It helps further your career, it helps you in your eventual masters program, and you can stock away some money to comfortably afford your school life. Plus, it you'll get a better picture of how you like the work before dedicating a few more years to studies- especially crucial if you're unsure if you want to do this stuff [my reason for leaving].
Berkeley is pretty cool. There are some seedy areas, and from what I understand the rent control makes finding a place pretty hard. Stanford is like it's own city, the campus absolutely blew me away. Both are great choices.