Are you considering an M.F.A., but not sure if it’s worth it? Now that I’m a semester into my M.F.A. program, I can tell you some of the most compelling reasons for taking the plunge. While an M.F.A. is not for everyone, and it’s not worth plunging into enormous debt, it really has proven to be an invaluable experience for me, and not just in terms of improving my writing. Here are five good reasons to get your M.F.A.:

You will meet other writers!

In college, I had only a few literary-minded friends. I made good friends, but I didn’t realize how great it is to be surrounded by fellow-writer friends until I came to my grad program. It’s wonderful to meet people who are struggling with the same things you are, and are ready to support you in your writerly quest. You can compare notes and have great conversations about your shared craft.

You will be exposed to great writers.

In addition to surrounding you with fellow student writers whose work you will find inspiring, M.F.A. programs do a great job of giving you opportunities to meet established and legendary writers. There are readings, talks, Q&A’s, and panel discussions every week. My resolution for the new semester is to attend more of them: every one I’ve gone to has been helpful and interesting.

After the jump: three more reasons to get an M.F.A.

Time, time, time.

Many professors told me that the most valuable thing about getting an M.F.A. is that it gives you more time. That could be time to think more about what you want to do; time to improve your writing; time to make publishing contacts; time to learn more about what the writing life is like; and time to write write write without having the pressures of a full-time job. It puts off that hard decision-making time a little longer, enabling you to really try the writing life out.

You will get information on getting published.

We all go into the writing life clueless, not knowing how to present our work and find success. M.F.A. programs will have lectures, panels, and classes on publishing. You’ll learn about making contacts, writing cover letters, getting agents, and more.

You will get a chance to study the craft.

Most of us studied English in a scholarly way in college. This is completely different from the study of the craft of writing. If you want to study writing and how it is done in a scholarly way, the M.F.A. programs of the world will give you what you’re looking for.