We’re all well aware that having a college degree is a key indicator of a successful career, but what if you didn’t go to college after leaving high school or you started your studies but didn’t complete them? The good news is it’s never too late to go back to school and gain further qualifications. So, if you’re in your thirties and thinking of going back to school, here are five things you’ll need to consider.
Decide How to Pay for Your Studies
One of the main considerations when returning to school as an adult learner is the cost. Will you continue to work full or part-time while completing your degree? Are there scholarships available for your chosen course? Are you entitled to any kind of financial aid? Does your employer offer a tuition reimbursement scheme? If you need to fund your studies and pay for your college course yourself, student loans are one of the most popular solutions. There are several ways to access funds, including taking out a loan from a private lender to pay your way through college. It may be possible to save money by finding a school that accepts on the job experience or previous coursework or study as credits to offset the length/cost of your course.
What Do You Want to Get from Your Degree?
Before you start your course, you need to know what you want to get out of it. Perhaps you started a degree in the past and now want to complete it. Perhaps you are looking for a career change or subscribe to the idea of lifelong learning. No matter what your reason for starting, knowing why you are studying will help you to stay motivated for what could be several years. Therefore, you need to determine the reason why you are doing your degree. Knowing this will also help you to choose the correct program.
What Do You Want to Study?
Even if you have a clear idea of what you would like to study, you will need to do your research before you commit to a course. Speak to professionals in your chosen area, research the current job market; what is the market demand for your chosen profession, what kind of positions are available and what are the industry-standard requirements for these positions?
Find the Right School and the Right Program
As a mature learner, you’re unlikely to have the guidance of school counselors, teachers and parents to help you with your decision, so you’ll need to research potential schools independently. This means carrying out in-depth research into your chosen colleges. Whether you’re planning to attend college in person, enroll on an online course or a combination of both, you need to know that the college meets your needs. Find out about the age, accreditation, and cost of the program, together with its reputation within your chosen career field. Review the program – will there be other adult learners on the course (if this is important to you) and is the course structured so that you can fulfill any family and work commitments while you study?
Create an Achievable Plan and Stick with It
Starting college is an exciting time and sometimes it’s easy to get carried away when creating your study plans. As a mature student, you may have many things to juggle other than college life, so you need to be realistic. Create an achievable study plan that will help you to stay focused while giving you time to fit in your other commitments. It may help to include milestones and rewards to keep you on track and motivated. Effective time management is key to ensuring that you achieve everything you need to achieve, and calendars and to-do apps can help here. Learning the art of multi-tasking such as learning while you eat or travel can help to make the best use of your time.