Ongoing Education – It’s Never Too Late

Posted by andy Mccoy on September 20th, 2021

Do you wish you could go back and finish your degree but feel that you’ve left the opportunity to do so a long way behind you in the past?  Perhaps you’d like to apply for a new position with your current employer but lack the certifications to do so.  Maybe you want to move into a different field, and need to complete some training to make that possible.

Whatever your reasons for wanting or needing to do so, there's never been a better time to pursue your educational ambitions than right now.  You have a wide range of accessible options, many of which would have been unheard of a few decades ago.

However, prior to making a decision about your educational future, you should thoroughly review your options to see which one is best for you.

It’s All Or Nothing

This approach involves a significant amount of risk.  It requires you to quit your job, pack up your belongings, and head back to an educational institution with your hopes of a brighter future resting solely on your ability to succeed.

Whilst this strategy has the potential to yield fast results, many professionals have families and professions to think about when they take this risk.  Do you take that leap of faith and rely on your savings or your partner’s income to support you and your family whilst you study?  It’s certainly something you need to think about very carefully first.  It may be that the potential risks far outweigh the benefits to your family and career.

Attending Night School

Most community colleges and universities offer a broad variety of night programs for students who work during the day yet want to continue their education.  People take night classes for a variety of reasons.  Some just prefer to work or study at night whilst others have day jobs or family commitments.  One thing you may notice though studying at night is that students who attend night classes often develop a unique feeling of camaraderie that is rare in daytime classes.

The Convenience Of Online Courses

Numerous universities and community colleges now provide online courses in a wide range of subjects and degrees.  Since their inception just a few decades ago, demand for online classes has increased to the point where most educational institutions have made online versions of their degree courses available. 

It isn’t just degree courses and hobby classes either.  Professional bodies like the American Heart Association, American Red Cross and many other similar organizations now offer online modules of their core certifications.  The critically important American Heart Association’s Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support course or AHA ACLS for example is available as an online course.

Online courses may be seen as something only ‘computer whizzes’ can do.  However, the reality is that you don't need to be a computer genius to take an ordinary online or Internet course.  Most of these courses demand very little technical expertise at all.  You just need to know how to use search engines, find and visit websites, check your emails, and perhaps download files.

Indeed, for individuals juggling a full-time job and a family life, online courses are a godsend.  Many returning students also choose this option as it doesn’t encroach on their lifestyle too much. In other words, it’s all about convenience.