Should We Go Back to Education Later in Life?

If you feel that you’ve hit a sticking point in life, perhaps your career isn’t what you thought it was, or you are looking for some sort of purpose in life, you may very well consider going back to education. One of the big obstacles for many people who have already started down a career path but want to make the switch is that they are “too old.” If you are considering going back to education later in life, what are the things you need to consider?

Can You Educate Yourself Without Going Back to College?

While the short answer to this is “yes,” there are a wide variety of other factors to consider. When you are going back to school, you may consider this an investment in yourself but the financial aspect can be more crippling than you realise. While there are numerous approaches to offsetting student loans and debt, such as the Debt to Success System, educating yourself can comprise other approaches. You don’t necessarily have to go back to university. Many people decide that they need to go back to education to get that all-important piece of paper. In fact, if you want to start educating yourself, there are a multitude of online courses. You can argue that right now with so many educational institutions providing their teachings online that you may as well just find a free version of that course just to dip your toe in. There are numerous resources that can give you the equivalent of a college education for much less.

Do You Want to Completely Switch Fields?

This is one of the main reasons that going back to college is a good idea. If you want to completely do a 180, this is where going back to education is completely justified. But why do you want to switch fields? If you have been in a career for so long and you feel unfulfilled, or you are just fed up with the idea of working, will going back to education completely change everything? You may think that you can get the best of both worlds by obtaining a Masters degree which doesn’t require much physical time in an educational setting, but also allows you to continue working a job. But when you are looking for a reason to leave your job, education is not the answer. As already mentioned, if you really want to change your skills, there’s a multitude of courses online. When you think about the length of a course, it can be between 2 and 4 years, and this could mean you are missing out on other opportunities in the meantime. 

Should We Not Go Back to Education?

It depends on the choice of career. It’s always a good idea to do your research and look at career fields that are suitable for your mindset and also if there is a demand for work. Going back to retrain as a lawyer or a doctor can be sensible because there is the demand. But if you are looking to jump ship because of dissatisfaction with your current job, there are cheaper and less life-changing ways to do it.

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