The workforce can be a scary place for new joiners.

Recently booming sectors like technology and finance are shedding staff. Daily headlines warn of artificial intelligence’s impact on all types of white-collar jobs. It’s enough to send many Gen Zers back to the comfortable bosom of academia in the hope that a few more years and an additional degree will unlock the promises of higher education.

The truth is grad school is a terrible idea if you’re using it to escape an unstable workforce, worried about finishing college during a recession or not entirely sure what direction to take in your career.