Most college seniors will mark the end of their educational career in May of next year after getting their undergraduate degrees and moving onto a set path towards their desired career.

But that won’t be the case for everyone. Some will extend their stay in school for just a couple of more years by going to graduate school.

Caroline Knecht, psychology senior, said that post-graduation she plans on attending grad school for speech language pathology.

“I intend to complete my Master’s degree within the next two years and hope to be working in a hospital setting, in the near future, providing speech and language therapy to pediatric patients,” Knecht said.

Citlali Mascarro, criminal justice senior, will graduate a semester early in December and said she will then start applying for grad school.

“I plan to attend grad school in my hometown of Chicago. I have gotten in contact with the admission counselors at the University of Illinois in Chicago. I want to earn my masters in criminology,” Mascarro said.

For Luke Rose, finance senior, the immediate plan post-graduation is to work, but he says that grad school is definitely in his near future.

“I have accepted an offer to go work for Yahoo in Sunnyvale, California as a Financial Analyst. I’ll start in the summer of 2016. But I plan to go to grad school a few years down the road,” Rose said.

While  Rose said he may not be going to grad school immediately, he knows that it will benefit him in the long run.

“It will either give me an opportunity to pivot my career, if I choose to change the line of business I want to be in, or further my credentials to continue to progress in corporate finance,” Rose said.

Speaking of the advice that she has received during the planning and preparation for grad school, Knecht said most people have told her to stay focused.

“Remain determined to accomplish your goals, but most of all to have confidence and belief in yourself. You have the ability to create your own journey,” Knecht said.

For Mascarro, the advice that she has received the most is to not wait to go to grad school.

“Many factors get in the way of finishing grad school, for example a job, a financial situation and family. The more one waits, the harder it is to finish grad school in a timely matter,” Mascarro said.