Can someone please explain graduate school to me?

Graduate School
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<p>I’m sorry for my ignorance; I’m a high school senior…</p>

<p>I just have a few basic questions:

  1. I’ve heard many people get paid to attend grad school. Is this hard to come by? What percent of people get to go for free/paid vs. having to pay?
  2. Do you have to be a TA?
  3. How does homework and class work? (engineering, specifically) Do you still have tests and such, or is it mainly just papers/research?
  4. Is the usual time spent in grad school 2 years? (I now have the opportunity to get my BS + MS in chemical engineering in 5 years…should I do this?)
  5. When getting a PhD, do most people get a masters’ first then the PhD, or do they go straight from undergrad to PhD?</p>

<p>Thanks… =]</p>

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<p>There’s an entire thread called [Graduate</a> School Admissions 101](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/graduate-school/348756-graduate-school-admissions-101-a.html]Graduate”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/graduate-school/348756-graduate-school-admissions-101-a.html) stickied right above this thread. I suggest reading that and utilizing the ‘search forum’ button.</p>

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<p>1) In science and engineering, it’s normal for PhD students to be “funded,” whereby their tuition is paid for and they receive a small (10-30k) stipend. Sources of funding include government fellowships, school fellowships, your research advisor’s research money, or being a TA for the department. [so if you’re planning to get a PhD, going to the 5-year BS/MS program won’t save you any money - it might actually cost money]</p>

<p>2) Some programs have a TA requirement, where you must TA a semester or two to gain teaching experience. You also may have to be a TA if you cannot secure funding from another source.</p>

<p>3) If you’re getting a PhD, usually the first 2-3 years are spent focused on coursework (where you earn your masters), and the next 2-5 years are spent focused on doing research.</p>

<p>5) It’s easier to do MS/PhD at the same time, but it’s also fine to get an MS first and then a PhD somewhere else afterward.</p>

<p>I’m a college senior about to enter an MS/PhD program in the fall, so I’m not an expert.</p>