I'm definately in a different mindset in gradute schol then I was in for undergraduate and even high school...

People would always tell me that high school was the best time of their lives... I think it was my worst. I didn't enjoy it. I felt pressured to go to school and "perform" to someone else's standards. I honestly think the only skill that I actually learned in high school was how to bull$hit. It is four years of my life I want to forget.

Undergraduate college was the best four year of my life IMHO. I had a great time. I met a TON of friends and felt good about what I was doing. But I still attended because I "had to". You can't get a decent job anymore without that magic peice of paper. So while I enjoyed the four years and loved doing what I did, it was still something that was just assumed you had to do.

But my graduate time, while still only in its infancy, is turning out to be completly different. The students and even the professors are in a different mindset. Everyone works and understands that you work (it is a night program). The work load is a different kind of load since I'm used to engineering type assignments. Still tough, but a different kind of tough... More importantly, I wasn't forced by anyone or any group to attend. I chose to go to grad school on my own to better my career. That is definately something I cannot say about my bachelor's degree or high school.

It's also very motivating. I'm encouraged by the different style of classes and the way thing work out. I'm very excited for the coming years. And, when I finish it all, I hope I can walk away feeling content and happy with what I just accomplished. Instead of just walking away saying, "OK, now I have a degree, my magic piece of paper. So what do I do now???"