What is happiness?

[while1]

So for the last few months I've been struggling over deciding which path I'm going to take next in my life- graduate school or get a job in industry.  In terms of preparation and future success, I will be able to find a place in either since I have both research and internship experience.  My list of pros and cons for each is full of lengthy rationalizations for and against each... but what it really comes down to is which will make me the most happy?

After I Wikipedia'd happiness, I realized that this is more of a philosophical question than I expected.  Up to this point I've based my own happiness upon my academic and professional success.  I've lived most of my life under the pretense that if I can make a comfortable living through the foundation built by my own academic and professional successes, then I will achieve happiness in my life.  Yet I can't help but wonder if this really is only pseudo-happiness.  I've kind of scared myself thinking about this subject because I can't really think of times I've been truly happy in the last four years, besides from things related to academics and professional pursuits.

How do you define happiness?  What truly makes you happy?

[Hitmen]

lol. I think if you try to use wikipedia to figure out what makes you happy, you have problems that none of us can help you with.

[Warrior]

what is love?
baby dont hurt me

[topaz~]

Ahahahahahahaha


ahahahahaha


you poor guy

[Sidoh]

It's a meaningful question, but I don't think this is the right medium.

Good luck on the job/grad school decision, though.  That's an important one.

I've always heard that it's pretty hard to go back to school once you've started a full time job, so definitely keep that in mind if you weren't already considering it.  If you'd like to do grad school at any time, you probably won't find a better time.

[Rule]

I heard for comp sci, that if you do grad school, usually your income does not go up very much (if at all), but the jobs you end up doing are a lot more interesting, and you have more control over what you do.

[Sidoh]

I heard for comp sci, that if you do grad school, usually your income does not go up very much (if at all), but the jobs you end up doing are a lot more interesting, and you have more control over what you do.

I'd imagine that's true, depending on what you're planning to do.  I know the company I worked this summer did give those with masters degrees a pretty significantly better entry job offer than those without (I think two promotions ahead), but as you said, that's not that great in the grand scheme of things.

If I go to grad school (and I'm almost sure I will at this point), it'll be because I want to further my knowledge of the subject -- and this is because I find it interesting -- not because I want a bigger paycheck.

[Rule]

I heard for comp sci, that if you do grad school, usually your income does not go up very much (if at all), but the jobs you end up doing are a lot more interesting, and you have more control over what you do.

I'd imagine that's true, depending on what you're planning to do.  I know the company I worked this summer did give those with masters degrees a pretty significantly better entry job offer than those without (I think two promotions ahead), but as you said, that's not that great in the grand scheme of things.

If I go to grad school (and I'm almost sure I will at this point), it'll be because I want to further my knowledge of the subject -- and this is because I find it interesting -- not because I want a bigger paycheck.

That's cool.  Did the masters degree have to be in any particular field of computer science?  e.g. software engineering?  Or would anything "reasonable" do... like computer vision?

[Sidoh]

I heard for comp sci, that if you do grad school, usually your income does not go up very much (if at all), but the jobs you end up doing are a lot more interesting, and you have more control over what you do.

I'd imagine that's true, depending on what you're planning to do.  I know the company I worked this summer did give those with masters degrees a pretty significantly better entry job offer than those without (I think two promotions ahead), but as you said, that's not that great in the grand scheme of things.

If I go to grad school (and I'm almost sure I will at this point), it'll be because I want to further my knowledge of the subject -- and this is because I find it interesting -- not because I want a bigger paycheck.

That's cool.  Did the masters degree have to be in any particular field of computer science?  e.g. software engineering?  Or would anything "reasonable" do... like computer vision?

I don't think so.  The guy I worked with had the title "Software Engineer".  He didn't mention what his thesis was on.  All he said was "MS in Computer Science".

One of the other interns I worked with was in one of those 5-year programs where you get a BS and an MS when you graduate.  From the impression I got, it seemed like he'd get the same offer when he graduated.

Granted I don't think the company I work for pays nearly as well as some of the other popular places for CS people to work.  I think I read some article the other day that said 88% of MS new-hires make >= $70,000/year.  I think it was closer to 50-60 for LM.

[Chavo]

Cost of living affects those figures quite a bit.  A $50k offer in Illinois is noticeably better than a $70k offer in Los Angeles.

I'm my professional experience, 2 years of in-company experience is a lot more valuable than any piece of paper.  Most people that go back for additional degrees either go for an MBA to move to management, or want to change their career in some other way (like going back for an EE degree after graduating in CS).

[iago]

I think it greatly depends on what you ultimately want to do. My line of work, for instance, doesn't require a graduate degree (and I don't know anybody who HAS one) -- it's all about experience. Other jobs may not be so.

It really depends what you want.

[while1]

I wouldn't be going just for a Masters.  People always assume my graduate pursuits are because I wish pursue a Masters.  No, I'm applying to PhD programs.  If I just wanted my Masters then I likely wouldn't be having this problem, since then I would just get a job with a good company that would have education benefits (i.e reimbursing me for a percentage or all of my advanced degree).

Noone really answered my main questions...

What is happiness?  What makes you happy?

I'm interested in seeing how people view their own happiness...

[Sidoh]

Cost of living affects those figures quite a bit.  A $50k offer in Illinois is noticeably better than a $70k offer in Los Angeles.

I'm my professional experience, 2 years of in-company experience is a lot more valuable than any piece of paper.  Most people that go back for additional degrees either go for an MBA to move to management, or want to change their career in some other way (like going back for an EE degree after graduating in CS).

Ah, that's true.

This is kinda neat:
http://swz.salary.com/CostOfLivingWizard/layouthtmls/coll_metrodetail_163.html

Looks like the cost of living in Seattle is higher than it was in the area I was in.  They don't list the St. Louis suburban area or Redmond, though, so it's probably not that meaningful.

I think it greatly depends on what you ultimately want to do. My line of work, for instance, doesn't require a graduate degree (and I don't know anybody who HAS one) -- it's all about experience. Other jobs may not be so.

It really depends what you want.

Yeah, that's true.  Like you said, it depends on what you want.  Like I mentioned earlier, I want to go to learn, not to get a better job.

I wouldn't be going just for a Masters.  People always assume my graduate pursuits are because I wish pursue a Masters.  No, I'm applying to PhD programs.  If I just wanted my Masters then I likely wouldn't be having this problem, since then I would just get a job with a good company that would have education benefits (i.e reimbursing me for a percentage or all of my advanced degree).

Noone really answered my main questions...

What is happiness?  What makes you happy?

I'm interested in seeing how people view their own happiness...

There are organizations that pay for PhDs too, you know.

I didn't really assume you'd stop at masters.  I'm not planning on it either. ;P

I answered your question:

It's a meaningful question, but I don't think this is the right medium.

[Chavo]

There are lots of things that make me happy.  Asking someone to qualify the aspects of their happiness is silly and shouldn't have any bearing on how you determine what to pursue in order to make you happy.

Regading the MS/PhD discrepancy, it doesn't really matter.  The major difference between people pursuing 'just' a Masters versus a Doctorate is that people who start off looking for the Doctorate typically want to do research or teach rather than exist in a more traditional job.  It's not like you can't go to graduate school for a Masters degree and then decide whether to complete a PhD or not when you finish it

[Newby]

Helping people out seems to make me happy. I dunno why, but I find myself satisfied if I help someone with something, regardless of the ethics behind my actions.

Be it writing someone's essay or explaining schoolwork to someone, if they're content, I'm content.