Written by Kerri Anton

I knew I was not ready for more school when I completed my bachelor’s degree. I had worked so hard throughout high school and college and I needed a break. I wanted to eventually further my education, but I also wanted to see the world.

When my father passed away a year later I received a small lump sum of life insurance money and was able to pay off my undergraduate student loans. This bittersweet gift gave me the freedom to think about my future. I was in a comfortable, boring government job but instead of putting a down payment on a house I decided to apply to grad school – on the other side of the world.

I always wanted to travel and I knew at some point I wanted to go back to school so I applied and was accepted into the Master of International Health program at the University of Sydney in Australia. Since then I’ve never looked back – the degree led me to a new job that I absolutely love (and get to travel for!), It has also allowed me to continue to live and work in Sydney.

Basically for me, choosing to go to graduate school was all about opportunity. It has paid off in dividends (though I still have a few grad school student loans) – I know I am very fortunate to be where I am. There are many factors to consider when deciding whether or not to take that leap – so check out this article below weighing the many variables and share your thoughts!