Should You Go Back to School?
- Jackie Vermeulen
- May 30, 2016
- 3 min read
Going back to school to further your education can be a valuable option when you are seeking to advance your career or considering a career change…just forget the frat this time. Expect less time for fun (unless, of course, you had a straight-forward experience the first time) and more commitment.
This investment in yourself is just that: an investment. And quite possibly an expensive and time-consuming one. So it is important to decide if the benefits outweigh the initial cost and time.
Start by developing your career plan. Where do you want to see yourself in three years? Five? At retirement? Search for people in those ideal positions (a career network site like LinkedIn is a great start), and see what their resumes look like and if it includes a higher education.
Look into financing options. Will your work pay for it? Some have a policy or will if it will increase your contributions to the team. How much will you have to pay out-of-pocket?
You’re going for the sheep skin, so unless your dream includes an ivy-league education, the name of the school is less important than the title of your degree.
Consider the time commitment. Long gone are the college days of getting up early at 11AM. How many hours will you have to devote to your schoolwork after your work and family obligations? Is there a program you can complete online to save time?
Based on the answers to these questions, determine how many credits you will be able to manage, then how long it will take you to get your degree. Remember, the time will pass anyways; whether or not you have the time and choose to use it to further your education is up to you.
One mentor fondly remembers coming home from a long day of work and studying until it was time for his baby’s first middle-of-the-night feeding, usually around 1AM. The hard work and long hours were well worth the pride he felt as he earned his Master’s degree in business.
Speak with your loved ones. Anything you do is an uphill battle without the support of your spouse, family, and friends. Will they understand the time commitment you will have to make? Are they able to pitch in and take over some of your other responsibilities, like making dinner or picking the kids up from practice?
Remember: it’s school without the Thursday through Saturday beer pong tournaments. Will they be supportive when you say you can’t go out for drinks Friday nights because you have to get done work the next morning? (Of course an evening of fun here and there won’t hurt anyone.)
Let your manager know once you have made the decision to go back to school so she can advocate for you and your time.
There is no right answer to the question of whether or not you should return to school. It is a very personal decision with many personal factors involved. The biggest thing: do your research! Besides, it’s good practice for the hard work you’ll put into earning that new degree.
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Jackie Vermeulen is the founder of The Career Mint. She is the messenger (put the gun down, you!), working closely with the mentors and some off-site experts to address the hard-hitting career topics in articles like the one you’re reading now.
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