Things to Consider Before Going Back to School
Deciding whether or not to go back to school will set the tone for the rest of your life, for better or worse.
Going back could lead to you taking the next steps in your career, and finding the job you were destined to have. It could also plunge you into student debt and end with you landing another dead-end job to pay the bills.
If you are considering going back to school, take a look at these tips before making any final decisions.
Decide What You Want to Do and Whether College Will Get You There
Think about what you want to end up doing in life. If the end goal is just to make money, college isn’t necessarily going to be the road to that future. However, if you have a passion for something and a higher education could pave the way to that future, than it just might be.
Sit down with some friends and family members and chart out where you want to be in the next five years and the steps that can lead you there.
Do You Have the Time and Money?
College is not cheap. Do your research to find the best value among colleges.
If you are looking o go back to school, you need to realize that you are going to be forking over some serious money to make that happen. Even if you go to a public college in your own state, you will still pay nearly $10,000 on average per year.
Even if you can afford to make college happen, ask yourself if you have the time to do it. Remember, if your degree is going to take 120 credit hours, you will basically be a student full-time. If there are other things in your life that require a lot of your time such as a job or family obligations, this might not be the time to go back.
Is College the Best Learning Environment for You?
Think about the times in your life where you learned the best. Ask yourself how the information was delivered to you that made it easier to retain.
A lot of people need hands-on experience in order to best figure out how to retain important information. Unfortunately, very few of your classes are going to give you hands-on experience. Even if you are able to work your way to a passing grade, there’s still a chance that you won’t retain any of the information that was taught to you.