More people than ever before are going back to school later in life. Some people take a few years out after high school to work and explore other interests before deciding to head on to college a little later. Others graduate or start on a career path, only to go back to school after working for years because they need or want to learn more. Some people even go back to school much later, after retirement. They have a successful career, retire, and find that they need a new challenge.
Whenever you decide to go back to school, there are many benefits. Whether you have had a short break from education, or a much longer period away, it will undoubtedly be an adjustment, but it can be well worth it. Here is a more detailed look at the benefits of going back to school.
You’ll Get to Follow Your Interests
Going back to work doesn’t have to be about advancing your career or getting on a new career path. You could choose to study to further your interests. You might want to learn more about a hobby that you enjoy or a specific field that you feel passionate about. Sure, this could lead to a career one day, but that doesn’t have to be the motivation, you can just learn about what you love.
It Could Facilitate a Career Change
You might have decided that you want to learn something completely different, like pilot studies. This could be to change career, which is more possible now than it has ever been before.
Once, we were tied to our careers. We invested time and money training, and once we entered a career, that was it. We could move companies, but once we’d got a profession, that was it. We could move to unskilled work, but we certainly wouldn’t have had the opportunity to go back to school to retrain for something new.
Now, things are different. More and more people are changing careers. Some are even tackling an encore career after they’ve retired from their first profession. Now that education is more readily available, and we have the option to study online or part-time around our jobs and family, it’s never too late. You are never stuck in a job that makes you unhappy. If you want a challenge, the opportunity is there. You don’t have to leave your dreams unfollowed. If you want to change your career, go for it.
Or Help You To Start a Business
In 2016 there were 25 million starting or already running their own business. Of these, 60% were between 40 and 60. For most people, the company that they start isn’t their first job. Some stick to an industry that they know. But others want to launch a business that’s totally unrelated to their careers so far. They want to follow a dream or try something brand new. Going back to school to study a new subject can give you the skills that you need. Alternatively, you might choose to study business to help you get started on your own.
It Might Help Push Your Career Forward
We don’t all study because we want something new. Many of us go back to school to push our roles forward. It’s common to hit a plateau with our careers. You might find yourself stuck, not moving forward, unable to get a promotion, and being overtaken by new graduates with more up to date knowledge. Going back to school or taking a training course offered by your employer can give your career a big boost and help you to get moving in the right direction again.
You’ll Appreciate it More
Few of us appreciate education when we are young, and it is compulsory. We can’t wait to leave school and start our working lives. It’s only later on that we begin to regret this. We wish we’d taken it more seriously and made the most of the opportunities that were readily available to us.
Well, it’s never too late. Don’t waste time with regrets, head back to school, and give yourself a second chance.
You Might be More Financially Stable
One of the main reasons that we don’t continue to college straight after school is the cost. When we’re young, it’s hard to make enough money to fund education, and you might worry about starting your working life in debt. After a break, you might be more financially stable and less worried about the cost. You might also appreciate the value of education more.
It Can Improve Your Confidence
Confidence is a tricky thing. It’s hard to build up but terribly easy to lose. We face a knock at work or in our personal lives, and our confidence falls. Sometimes, it fails us for no reason. We just find that we feel lost, or like we’re not good enough.
Education can be a great confidence boost. It can reassure you and open your mind. Once you start learning and get into the right frame of mind, you’ll find it easier to learn more. You’ll begin to feel more confident in your knowledge and your abilities. As well as proud of yourself for going out and doing something positive. This can all be a brilliant mental health boost in a world that is increasingly negative and stressful.
Adult Courses Can be Much More Flexible
Full-time school can be intense. You might worry that you don’t have the time for this kind of commitment. Those of us that return to school later on in life are often studying around other commitments after all. But, adult education doesn’t have to be full-time. You can study part-time and even online from home. You’ll have more options and be able to change how you study as time passes.
You’ll Gain a Huge Range of Skills
Studying doesn’t just give you knowledge of one specific subject. You’ll develop a massive range of skills. You might become more organized and better at managing your time. You’ll develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These skills, as well as a clear willingness to learn, could also boost your career and give you more options in the future.
You’ll Be a Great Role Model
Going back to school will make you a great role model. It will help your own children to see the positives of education and the ways that it will help them in the future. Children whose parents read are more likely to read themselves, and children who see their parents freely learning are more likely to do the same.
Education Can Keep Your Mind Young
As we get older, our minds start to age. We stop using parts of them, and they stagnate. As you age, this can be detrimental. The best way to keep your mind young is to learn. This is why so many people are going back to school or launching new careers even after retirement.
Going back to school can be hard, especially if you have been out of education for a long time. You might not be used to learning independently. You might have forgotten what it’s like to sit in a classroom. If you are much older than your classmates, you might feel intimidated or worried about fitting in. But, it’s almost always worth it.
Education isn’t just for the young. You might find that your class is filled with a varied range of people, that you fit in well, and that learning comes back to you quickly. You might just need to make some lifestyle changes and get back into the right frame of mind.
