Applying to college to receive an undergraduate degree requires a high school diploma, patience to manage admissions procedures and processes, and the ability to appropriately manage your time to meet application deadlines. Graduate school applicants are expected to have stronger research and writing skills as well as an added ability to be able to utilize applicable knowledge. Graduate school also demands an admissions essay that articulates primary goals to achieve prior to graduation.
Getting your undergraduate degree means taking general subject matter courses in history, math, English and science while simultaneously studying a variety of elective subjects that appeal to the student's personal interest. Graduate school dictates that the student should know even prior to applying for acceptance into his program which content he desires to focus on and then register for classes that solely address that specialty. Significant attention is given in these advanced classes to acquiring expertise level knowledge.
Acquiring an undergraduate degree requires less course workload and studying than graduate classes. Although students may be juggling the same amount of in-class responsibilities in terms of expectations being met to fulfill professor demands, most advanced degree-seeking students also contend with holding down a full-time job and fulfilling personal and family responsibilities while juggling their course work. As a result, undergrad individuals often have more time to unwind when not in class.
Upon completing the average four years required to be awarded an undergraduate degree, students have not only mastered academic requirements that suit their major goals, but are also well practiced at communication and social skills. Applying these skills in job interviews and the workplace is another positive result. Likewise, graduating with an advanced degree affords individuals the option of applying for higher level positions in their workplace or teaching at university level.