Grad student speakout: Is it worth the challenge? Grad study requires that you postpone working, make financial sacrifices, and face rigorous academic requirements. Three students tell why they did it

The precariously low graduate enrollments in engineering of the late 1970s have been a major concern to those who worry about the future economic condition of the United States. But there is good news on the way. Today, the sizable undergraduate population in engineering contains a substantial number of people who are seriously considering obtaining graduate degrees. This represents a significant change from the situation in the '70s. In addition, many engineering colleges now have more graduate assistantships to offer than they have graduate students to support. The demand for people with master's or doctoral degrees in engineering should remain high for some time, and the starting salaries for these graduates are higher than ever before, compared to those for undergraduates with baccalaureate degrees.