I have been working at a big company that does not challenge me for about 5 years. I have been meaning to make a change, now that the US is (sort of) coming out of the pandemic.<p>Two things happened recently: I found a cool startup that is interesting to me, and pays more than my current company, and I applied to grad school.<p>Assuming that I am accepted by both opportunities, I figure that I won't be able to do both. My current job is easy enough that I could take night classes and get a masters in a few years, but the startup is small, so I can't slack off with it at all. What sort of pros and cons are there for both paths? If you took one path, do you have any regrets?
Interesting question! But without having a goal in mind, it's hard to comment on it. If you have some goal that you're shooting for regardless of which of these options you choose, and it's just a question of which option will be better for that goal, then explain what the goal is. If you don't have a clear goal, then I don't see how you can compare them.<p>If you are a US citizen or permanent resident, then you have an opportunity to be involved in a cool startup that's closed to most people. And a the same time, you would probably be overpaying for grad school compared to most people. So choosing the startup would be playing to the strengths of your position imo.
What do you hope to get out of masters? After a few years in the industry employers stop caring much about your school and degree (unless it's PhD, that sticks for life). Work experience is a lot more valuable than another degree.