Unsure what to study, or if to study at all?

Want to go back to school, but unsure what field of study you should enter? Been downsized in the current economic downturn and unsure as to your next move? Here is some food for thought to start you on the right track towards choosing the right field for you.

 In your last or current job, what part of your job do you enjoy most? Loathe most? Make a list of the pros and cons of this job. Do the pros outweigh the cons, or vice versa? Would staying in the same field but getting a degree or an advanced degree advance your career to make more money, take on more challenging assignments, or allow you to lead others? Or is there nothing that really appeals to you in your current field?

 

What are your goals, financially and in terms of personal growth? Is going back to college the only way you can attain these goals? Are there any certificate programs of much shorter duration than a full-fledged degree that will put you where you want to be? Investigate all possibilities before you start headlong into what will be an expensive, sometimes exhausting, but always exhilarating journey of pursuing a degree as an adult learner.

 

It’s never too late to begin training for a new career if you really want it, but you owe it to yourself to investigate all options before you commit to a program. You don’t want to get two years into a program, decide that it’s not for you and have to change majors—with a brand new set of prerequisite courses, not to mention the wasted money in tuition and textbooks.