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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Acmite" data-source="post: 613841" data-attributes="member: 183">Well, you're a smart hero, so that's a good first start.I'm working on my Masters degree right now in Geology.  I'm not sure what the differences are between Canadian graduate studies and American graduate studies, but I think we're similar (unlike the British).When I was accepted, I was guaranteed a set level of funding for my research.  That basically meant I was guaranteed a certain amount of TA positions and a certain amount of RA positions over the course of my degree, plus scholarships.  Every semester I either have a RA or a TA.I'm in a research-based program, while one of my friends (and fellow EN Worlder) Cor Azer was (he basically finished today!!) in a course based program (Computer Science).If you like working on the same project for long periods of time, go research.  If you like taking a lot of courses, writing exams, and doing assignments, course based seems right for you.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />Seriously, though.  It's a big decision.  You are probably more likely to get out in 2 years if you go course-based.  Research has a way of dilating time--it will always take longer than you planned.If you plan on continuing in Academia, you basically have to do research based.  If you plan on going industry, I'd go course-based.Do you like conferences?  Do you like teaching?  Do you like being published in high-caliber refereed journals?  If so, reasearch and academia are the route.Do you like money (with the risk of lower job security)?  If so, course-based en route to industry.I hope you get in to your first pick.  The first peice of advice I was given, and it's a great one, was:  Talk to your potential supervisor and (more importantly) his current grad students.It's the only way you are going to find out if you are going to get along with this guy (or gal) or if the next 2-3 years of your life are going to be absolutely frelling miserable.Now, I just finished working on an abstract for a conference that's due tomorrow, so I'm pretty wiped, so I'm going to sleep now (it's been a few days now).PS.  I game more now than I ever have despite the fact that I'm busier than I ever was.  Research-based grad students tend to be able to set their own schedule a lot, so I can game late if I want and make it up some other night.PSS.  Ya might want to get used to the idea of always working the weekends, though.  Even if it's only 4 hours Sat and 4 hours Sun.PSS(3)  If you're not attached, keep in mind that some of the cute undergrads you'll be TAing are not legal yet--nothing good can come from dating your students. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />   But, it happens all the time.  (Not me, though.  My girlfriend would skin me alive).  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />Acmite</blockquote>

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