Should I Go Back to School? Here are a Few Things to Consider

Going back to school as an adult can be a decision as tough as it is exciting, but don’t feel alone if you find yourself wondering if you should, whether it would be worth returning to college, or whether you’re too old.

Many people share these same concerns and more, but reports show a constant yearly increase in individuals going back to school as adult students.Returnees now make up almost 60% of enrolled undergraduates. Going back to school at age 30 and older is a new normal.

The pool of adult learners includes a variety of individuals from different backgrounds and age groups. This means that not all of them share the same needs or goals or are motivated to go back to school by the same reasons. However, increasing one’s earning potential is known to be among the main motivations.

Reasons to Go Back to School

Motivation is what keeps the fire burning. If your goal is going back to college and to graduate, you have bigger chances to do so if you never lose focus of your why(s). Before digging into the difficulties you may encounter and how to overcome them, let’s explore the most common reasons pushing adults into going back to school at 40, 50 years old or more.

Career change: After a decade or two your career may have become boring, frustrating, and even obsolete. Going back to school offers you the opportunity to reinvent yourself professionally.

Career improvement:

In certain industries, your experience will only take you so far, or you might find that your skills are suddenly outdated. To continue to advance your career, going back to school might be the best choice for you.

Flying solo:

If you ever get tired of working for someone else and want to work for yourself make sure you acquire the skills and knowledge to do so. If in the future you imagine yourself owning a business, going back to college can help you fill in gaps regarding company leadership and management.

Making more money:

Of course there are exceptions, but in general a college degree significantly improves your employment prospects and earnings potential. Adults holding a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $2.8 million throughout their careers. This is $1.2 million more than the median for workers with only a high school diploma.

Personal growth:

Learning something new can be really fun, especially if you are passionate about that subject. Moreover, it can be a challenge, something to keep your mind busy, a way to set an example for the young people in your life that look up to you, such as your children or younger siblings. Challenges You Might Face as an Adult Going Back to School Going back to school with all the financial, work, and family obligations of adulthood is a lingering question for many. You’ll need to weigh the pros and cons.

There are not just tuition fees, textbooks, and interest on your student loan, there also might be childcare and housing, health insurance and transportation costs to consider.

To help you make your decision, you should also think about all the responsibilities you have now that you didn’t have when you were 18. On the other hand, you have mastered several more key life skills such as perseverance, planning, focus and self-control that you likely didn’t have in your younger days.

Schools are trying to meet the needs of older students, so they often offer flexible learning options, such as online degree programs that can be completed at your own pace. Some schools also offer affordable on-campus childcare, scholarships, and financial assistance programs. Companies also are recognizing the importance of funding their employee’s education and many offer tuition reimbursement programs and other incentives to go back to school. Do your research and then sit down and assess your personal situation and finances and if you can realistically afford to study again.

If you are going back to school as an older student but also want to work, join Monster today for free. Set up custom alerts to be notified when new jobs matching your selected criteria are posted on our database. Also, don’t forget to upload your resume to attract hiring professionals to your profile, they might reach out to you with incredible job opportunities fitting your skills.