Going to School with a Full-Time Job or Career

When 18-year-olds are pushed into higher education before really knowing who they are, it creates an unfortunate chance that they’ll spend a lot of time and money earning a degree in something they don’t care about, aren’t very good at, or just don’t see themselves focusing on for the rest of their lives. Going back to school becomes a desire for many working adults who already have degrees.

Similarly, there are working adults who weren’t able to go to college when they graduated high school or turned the chance down because they didn’t know what they wanted to study. However, they have full-time jobs now, and though they want to go to school, their time and resources are a bit scarce.

This article is for those two groups of people. How can you go back to school when you work and have other full-time responsibilities? We have some recommendations for you.

Choosing Right This Time

What college you go to, how long you’ll spend there, and what you choose to study is something you’ll know a lot better after being on your own for a few years. You have a better idea of who you are after taking on more responsibility. Before choosing to go to school for anything in particular, ask yourself some questions.

1. What do you plan on doing with your degree?
2. How much are you willing to spend on school?
3. How will you pay for school?
4. How much time are you willing to spend pursuing a degree?
5. How much time do you have to pursue this?

Online, Part-Time, and Remote Education

Since you are a working adult with a full-time job and additional responsibilities, you need to find an education system that will set you up with the best deal for you!

Online schooling is an option a lot of people seem to be taking advantage of. The pros of it are that the work is often done completely on your own time. The con, however, is that it can be hard to stay motivated.

Part-time education is another option. If you’re seeking a degree, this route will require patience. You will, however, be able to get the classroom experience, which works best for some people. You won’t be able to earn a degree as quickly as if you were going to school full time, of course, but it may be best for your schedule.

Remote education as this author defines it is similar to online education but follows the curriculum of a normal class. There are deadlines, group projects, and times you need to skype in for lectures. This may be good depending on your responsibilities or current location, but you’ll need a good chunk of time to be able to make it work. Anything from a full, well-rounded liberal arts education to a more business or science-based education can be done remotely. Just remember, this can be hard to pull off.

Using Your Education to Advance Your Current Career

Some would say that the skills gap is a knowledge gap. Therefore, if you want to advance in your current career, seek more knowledge. Of course, higher education is one of the best places to seek such knowledge. Your school and job experience may complement each other, even in a career path you’ve already started on.

This is an example of an advantage of waiting to go to school until you know what you want to study. Passions and talents intersect with education, and even after high school you may need some time to figure out who you are and what your passions are. If that comes from your profession as a person who hasn’t yet pursued college education, then leverage your education as a means of becoming a better professional in the field you’re in.

 

If you’re considering going to school under the circumstances listed above, what do you plan on studying? We’d love to hear about it. Drop us a line in the comments below.