What to Consider When Going Back to School
- May 20, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: May 25, 2021
Written by: Linda Evans, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
So you’re older than 22 and considering getting a more formal education. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the whole decision-making process! This article is for you.
I’m a strengths-based career coach who has been helping clients advance their education and careers for 10 years, and I’ll break down this process into digestible pieces for you.
First, get clear on what you really want:
More options? You may need a certain degree or credential to advance within your current field or break into a totally different field.
More pay? You may need another degree or credential to justify asking for a raise or qualifying for higher-paying roles.
More prestige? You may want to be recognized as among the top experts or professionals in your field.
More skills/knowledge? You may be thirsting for more formal learning and mentoring that you can’t get on your own.
Second, ask yourself if you really need more formal education (enrolling in a structured program at an established institution) or just informal self-education (books, articles, podcasts, conferences, workshops, etc.) Both are valuable for lifelong learning and growth, but formal education is substantially more expensive, so it is important to consider other ways you may get what you want before investing in a specific program:
More time and on-the-job training
More mentoring from key leaders
Taking on different work projects or side hustles
Changing your work style
Changing jobs or employers within your field If you are looking to change career fields completely, do thorough research about the realities of the new field with successful and satisfied professionals as well as look on helpful websites like the U.S. Labor of Bureau Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Third, if you decide that you indeed want to pursue further formal education to achieve your career goals, determine which degree is right for you.
Professional Certifications (<1 yr)
Associate (2 years) - AA, AS
Bachelor (4 years) - BS, BA
Master (2 years) - MA, MS, MBA, MPA, MPH, MHA, MEd, MFA, MSW, etc.
Doctorate (3-5+ years) - PhD, MD, JD, DPT, DPharm, PsyD, EdD, etc.
Fourth, decide on the area of study that will be most useful and interesting to you. Strive to find a program that covers all 3 areas:
Passion - what you love to do and learn about
Strengths - what you naturally excel at
Demand - what others will pay for
Fifth, decide the format that works best for your current career and personal life:
Full-time (3+ classes per semester/quarter) or part-time (1-2 classes per semester/quarter)
Online or in-person
Cohort (students who start at the same time follow a similar course sequence and graduate together) or self-paced (students have more flexibility in choosing their own courses and sequence)
Synchronous (professor and students gather at the same time) or asynchronous (students access materials on their own schedule)
Weekday (classes spread over the day on Monday through Friday) or executive (classes concentrated for longer hours on weekends or evenings)
Your options will largely depend on what programs are available in your geographic location or if you are willing to move to attend a certain program.
Sixth, determine the type of institution you wish to attend and the legitimacy of their programs:
Community college (for associate’s degrees) vs. university (for bachelor’s degrees and higher)
Private (more expensive but may offer more scholarships, may have more competitive admission) vs. public (cheaper for in-state residents)
For-profit vs. non-profit
Online vs. in-person
Whichever institution you choose, be sure it is accredited.
What is accreditation? It is a system of quality control for educational institutions and programs to verify that they meet standards for curriculum content, faculty credentials, classroom resources, and many other factors that are important to ensure you are making a worthy investment in your education that results in a recognized credential. Accreditation bodies consist of professionals who conduct thorough review processes at the regional level for institutions and program levels for specific degrees. Once approved for accreditation, institutions and programs need to be renewed every few years.
Other factors to consider when evaluating the quality of a program include
Specialties - if there is a niche area you’d like to study within a field, be sure the program has a track or emphasis that matches your interests.
Faculty - graduate programs will often have you paired with a faculty advisor, so look through the faculty’s research interests be sure there will be good mentors for your interests.
Graduation rates - this is somewhat of a reflection of the quality of the institution’s student services to support students through to graduation, and admissions staff should be able to readily provide this information to you if it’s not already on their website.
Job placement rates - the institution’s career services office should track and publish the percentage of students who find full-time employment after graduation or go on to more education, usually within 3-6 months.
Alumni network - look up the institution’s official page on LinkedIn and explore the number and variety of graduates; they may play an important part in helping you obtain future professional opportunities.
Seventh, figure out how you will pay for your education. It will likely include some combination of the following:
Personal savings
Jobs can provide valuable real-world work experience - preventing a gap in your resume - as well as provide financial means.
On-campus jobs can provide tuition remission in addition to salary, meaning you pay a much smaller percentage of tuition, but those savings are annually taxable above $5,250 in the United States, and you likely will need to pass a 3-6 month probationary period on the job before receiving tuition remission.
Off-campus jobs may provide tuition assistance in addition to salary for an exchange of agreeing to stay and work at the company for a certain time period after graduation.
Assistantships/fellowships - graduate programs may provide part-time jobs on campus that provide a stipend, housing, mentorship, or other benefits while doing one of both the following:
Teach undergraduate courses, grade assignments, and tests, hold office hours to offer tutoring services, etc.
Research in labs, analyze data, conduct literature reviews, check sources, draft articles, etc.
Grants/scholarships - free money you don’t need to pay back.
Need-based (if you demonstrate the need for financial assistance, usually through tax documents) or merit-based (if you demonstrate academic excellence, usually through transcripts and test scores)
From the federal government (i.e., Pell Grant, work-study) or the educational institution (scholarships)
Loans - money you pay to borrow and repay later. ○ Private (through banks and credit unions with higher interests) ○ Public (through the federal government with lower interest rates)
Eighth, negotiate and prepare for lifestyle adjustments, of which there may be many!
Housing - Will you need to move to be closer to the institution? Will you need to downsize or live with roommates? Will you need to put things in storage?
Schedule - What do you need to cut out of your life to make time to attend and study for classes? How might your commuting time change? What chores can you outsource? How will you maintain enough time for proper sleep, exercise, and recreation, so you don’t burn out?
Relationships - How will you maintain relationships with romantic partners, children, family, and friends? How might childcare arrangements need to change?
Space - Where will you study? Where will you store your new books and papers?
Okay, so getting more higher education may still all feel overwhelming, but at least now you have a step-by-step roadmap through the process!
I love helping clients through this process, so reach out if you’d like a Career Coach through this journey.
Linda Evans, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Linda Evans is a strengths-based career coach, speaker, writer and personal branding expert. In 2011, she founded her virtual career coaching business, Launched by Linda, LLC. Her full-time career has been in higher education since 2012, and she currently works in Career Services at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Linda has a B.A. in American Studies and a minor in Ballroom Dance from Brigham Young University, and an M.A. in Psychological Counseling from Columbia University. She is also a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and has certificates in Positive Psychology and Public Speaking.
