I can see a number of reasons why someone would do grad school.
1) They plan on doing a Phd and then go into research/teaching.
2) They have been working for a while and want to go back to school to learn some more stuff. This could be while working at the same time, or taking some time off to do school.
3) They just finished their undergrad, and feel for whatever reason that at this point and time they would rather do school than start work. This could be because they are either having trouble finding a job, or are afraid they will have trouble. It can also just be that they are interested in learning more when they are still into the school routine. In many programs, including CS, it often takes until the upper division courses until you start learning the "cool stuff". Grad school is a chance to learn more cool stuff.
With the exception of case 1, there is no reason why someone in CS would NEED to do a masters (with perhaps the exception of some select jobs....which I can't think of off the top of my head.) Are you considering doing a masters program?
ryan, I am in my last semester of undergrad program and I am debating whether to do masters program next September or start working full time in Spring/Summer (because I already have a full-time offer at a big company). Or should I work for about a year and then come back and do masters program? I am afraid if I start working I will not want to go back to school later on. Also, I have a bit of what BeAnBeAn said: "they aren't ready for the real-world/work force" (even though I completed multiple co-op semesters). I think masters program is cool but I don't know if I am good enough to finish it (with research, thesis things etc). I've been thinking about it a lot and it stresses me out!
Edit: forgot to mention that I've been at sfu for more than 6 years already because of many co-op semester, so if I wait to do masters program I will be even older.
Well if the offer is with a company you want to work for, I would do that first. For one companies will sometimes help pay for a masters degree. Also many grad schools like students who have some more work experience already (though I'm not sure sfu really cares). Have you been to any sort of grad school information sessions? Maybe they would be good in helping you decide what to do.
If you do plan to apply to graduate school, there's a seminar put on by the career center on "Applying to Graduate School" on October 24, 2013, 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm at MBC 2290, you could log on their symplicity thingy to RSVP
The Catholic church has brothers assigned to the task of convincing every aspiring priest that he really, really doesn't want to take that route. Grad schools should have the same, but the incentives are tilted in the other direction. If you go and don't finish, they benefit. If you go and get nothing out of it, they benefit. There's literally no down-side for them if you enroll, no matter what happens to you. So, if you want to go to grad school, do well and finish, you have to be on a personal mission.
What's the coolest concept in CS that you've encountered? Fine the one page in all the text books you've had and contemplate spending the next ten years becoming an expert on that page. Reach out to your co-op contacts and ask them what the biggest technical challenges are in their industry. Talk to professors you've had about the same thing. What are the limits of CS that they're trying to break through? Read the last year of each of the most important journals. Ask your TAs about their work. Then take a trip out to UBC and down to UW and ask faculty there too.
Writing a thesis in three months is easy if you've spent the last two years working on a topic. At least, it's easy if you're an Arts student. That's usually the point when scientists discover that there might be something to learned from writing 100 pages a semester. Starting a CS blog isn't the worst idea, as there's no rule against copying that content into your thesis when the time comes. (Likewise for writing journal articles.)
As for the age thing: don't worry about it. It's your life, man. There will always be money to be earned and property to buy. You're free to go to work or go to grad school, but make it your own choice. If others put pressure on you to join the "real world" or "moving on with your life", well, haters gonna hate.
CS isn't my field, but I'll say this: if you prefer Ruby-On-Rails to Assembly, you're probably better off going to work instead.
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What's the coolest concept in CS that you've encountered? Fine the one page in all the text books you've had and contemplate spending the next ten years becoming an expert on that page. Reach out to your co-op contacts and ask them what the biggest technical challenges are in their industry. Talk to professors you've had about the same thing. What are the limits of CS that they're trying to break through? Read the last year of each of the most important journals. Ask your TAs about their work. Then take a trip out to UBC and down to UW and ask faculty there too.
Writing a thesis in three months is easy if you've spent the last two years working on a topic. At least, it's easy if you're an Arts student. That's usually the point when scientists discover that there might be something to learned from writing 100 pages a semester. Starting a CS blog isn't the worst idea, as there's no rule against copying that content into your thesis when the time comes. (Likewise for writing journal articles.)
As for the age thing: don't worry about it. It's your life, man. There will always be money to be earned and property to buy. You're free to go to work or go to grad school, but make it your own choice. If others put pressure on you to join the "real world" or "moving on with your life", well, haters gonna hate.
CS isn't my field, but I'll say this: if you prefer Ruby-On-Rails to Assembly, you're probably better off going to work instead.