Traditionally, our academic adventures end when we graduate from high school or college.
We then move on to other phases of life such as starting a career, getting married, and having children. But sometimes there’s either an urge or a need to further our education, which raises questions such as, “Am I too old to go back to school?” or “I want to start a new career, so how do I find a school near me?”
First, there’s no such thing as being too old to go back to school, nor is there a bad reason to do so. There’s no shortage of educational opportunities, with options ranging from degrees to vocational training. Subject to where you live, there may be schools you can attend in person, but many schools and training centers offer online classes. Your schedule becomes less of an issue when attending an online school, where, other than scheduled teleconferencing classes or meetings, you can complete assignments when it best suits your schedule.
The next question to be answered is, why do you want to go back to school? It may be to finish a degree that was interrupted by work or having children. It could also be to advance at work: Many employers encourage staff to either attend industry-specific courses or work toward a degree.
That brings us to the next question: If you decide to go back to college, will it be to earn an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a post-grad master’s or doctoral degree? All are readily available both at in-person and online schools.
How should you choose a school or program?
If you live near a school or university, attending in-person classes may be an option, as long as the class schedule fits your schedule. Some schools offer weekend and evening courses, and many schools offer online courses.
When carefully chosen in terms of the curriculum and accreditation, online courses are every bit as educational as in-person classes. Many prestigious universities offer remote learning, including Harvard, the University of California, Michigan State, and the University of Miami.
Some even offer free courses. Harvard currently has 600 courses that can be audited at no charge, or you can receive a verified certificate, for a small fee, in topics such as introduction to computer science, contract law, principles of bio-chemistry, and calculus.
The medical field is booming, making it an attractive option for those seeking to make a career change. In addition to traditional courses offered by universities, a growing number of specialized schools, such as DeVry University and Cambridge College of Healthcare and Technology, also offer associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in physical therapy, radiation technology, and various health care management areas. They also offer certificate programs in high-demand areas, such as medical billing, phlebotomy, and computer networking. Such certificates typically require less prerequisite coursework to qualify.
The hands-on nature of these courses requires in-person attendance, but there are many schools with multiple campuses across the country, and several of the courses can be taken at local community colleges. One such unique specialty school is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which specializes in aerospace engineering or aerospace physiology and other aviation-related programs.
Specialized programs are offered at some universities as well. The PGA Golf Management University Program, which is available at 18 universities nationwide, offers industry-specific management training, and the program claims a 100 percent employment placement rate for its graduates.
With automotive techs being highly paid and in high demand, several schools across the country, such as Universal Technical Institute, provide specialized training, with many offering placement assistance to graduates. The General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program helps place graduates of the two-year program at GM dealerships. Similar programs with placement assistance are offered for marine and motorcycle techs.
While there are many options for continued education, regardless of whether you pursue an associate’s, bachelor’s, or post-grad degree or a certificate, the phrase “buyer beware” must be heeded, especially if you need to attend an accredited institution in order to meet employer-reimbursement standards or to use the course credit toward a degree from an accredited school. If you’re taking courses strictly to fulfill personal desires, accreditation is less critical, but it does ensure some level of academic quality.
If your reason for going back to school isn’t financial, but rather to satisfy a personal desire to finally complete that English degree or to become a motorcycle tech to work on your personal collection, accreditation and other concerns become less important, and your options are greatly expanded.
Undertaking more education pays dividends beyond the skills taught, in terms of new relationships and a broader appreciation of previously unknown topics. Brigham Young perhaps said it best: “Education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the world’s work, and the power to appreciate life.”
