[摘要]你是否有过想要回归校园，接受更多教育的想法?不想在另一个学位上有任何瑕疵，对吗?实际上，这是一个很危险的想法。追求昂贵的学位资格，却不知道自己能从中获得什么东西真的很危险。
Do you have some vague plans to go back to school at some point, and get more education? Can't go wrong with another degree, right?
你是否有过想要回归校园，接受更多教育的想法?不想在另一个学位上有任何瑕疵，对吗?
Well, no. In fact, that's actually a pretty dangerous assumption.
额，不是的。实际上，这是一个很危险的想法。
Getting an expensive degree without knowing exactly what you'll be getting out of it is a quick way to rack up debt that won't necessarily help you achieve your goals. So, before you (possibly) get yourself in a lot of trouble, here are five questions to consider before applying to school, again.
追求昂贵的学位资格，却不知道自己能从中获得什么东西，很快你就会累积庞大债务，还不能实现梦想。所以在你(可能)让自己陷入麻烦前，你应该考虑下面这5件事再考虑是否应该继续报读院校。
1.What are the requirements, and do they seem interesting to me?
1. 报读的院校的要求是什么，我是否对它们感兴趣?
First things first, are you even interested in additional studies? You never want to get a graduate degree solely because you don't like what you're doing now or because you don't know what you want to do next.
先说重要的，你对进修是否感兴趣?你不会只是因为不喜欢当前的工作，或不知道自己接下来的计划才想要获得一个硕士文凭吧。
This means doing some serious self-reflection and figuring out what concrete evidence you have that you will like what you're learning in the programs you apply for. Take the time to look at class descriptions and syllabi. Do they excite you? Or is just looking at them making you cringe? If you can't make a compelling argument for why you would at least enjoy the next year or two, that's a pretty big red flag.
这意味着你需要谨慎地自我反思，并考虑有哪些具体的例子是自己感兴趣的、足以让自己申请的。花点时间去了解课程内容和教学大纲。这些事情是否让你感到兴奋?还是说这些事情让你退缩了?如果你无法给出一个很肯定的答案，那么这是很危险的。
2.What exact outcome do I hope to achieve by attending this program?
2. 我希望从课程中得到些什么?
Your undergraduate years are a great time to explore your interests, as are your first few years of employment. Doing a master's degree generally is not. The program is too short, and you really need to be spending your time focusing on your goal, which you can't do if you don't know what it is.
你的本科学习是你发现兴趣、也是提前体验工作的最佳时期。然而研究生学习一般就不是这种情况。课时太短，你真切地想要花点时间在自己的目标上，并且是如果你不知道自己的目标是什么你根本完成不了的。
Maximize your chances for achieving your goal by knowing exactly what it is before you go get a graduate degree. It'll allow you to tailor the experience to your needs and use all the resources available to you to their fullest extent. This will also help you gauge which program is right for you.
在决定报考研(课程)究生之前，先明确自己的目标，把能够实现目标的机会最大化。这能够帮助你根据自己需求精进经验，并充分利用所有可获得的资源实现最佳的效果。最后你就知道最合适自己的课程是什么了。
3.What evidence do I have that these outcomes are realistic?
3. 我如何得知这些结果是现实有效的?
Look beyond marketing materials. Assuming you know what you want out of a master's degree, ask to speak with alumni, and comb through outcome surveys for the programs you're interested in. You're trying to see how likely it is for you to attain what you're being promised.
且不看营销材料。假设你了解自己从学位中所得到的，询问身边的校友，并设计一些与课程相关的调查问卷。你就能从中发现，有哪些你想象中想要得到的结果。
Numbers certainly help paint a picture, but speaking with alumni is even more valuable in understanding how the program played a part in helping students reach their goals. If you speak with a few people who felt they were left fairly unsupported in terms of next steps, that should be a red flag.
数据当然可以描绘一副蓝图，而与校友的交谈却是一个更可贵的机会，去了解课程是如何帮助学生实现梦想的。如果你跟一些校友交谈，而他们认为学得不怎么样，那么你就该注意了。
4.Do I need this degree to do what I want to do?
4. 我需要这个学位去做我想做的事情吗?
Ask yourself if you really even need another degree to do whatever it is you want to do. Is a master's in community health necessary to work at that nonprofit you admire? Do you need an MBA to launch that clean tech startup you've been dreaming about? Maybe. Maybe not.
问问自己，是不是确实需要额外的学位头衔去做一些自己想做的事情。硕士学位对于你在公共卫生事业单位所获得的成就很有必要吗?工商管理硕士文凭对你在新技术公司的发展有关键作用吗?也许有，也许没有。