When is the right time to get your degree? Part 2

In part 1 of this series, we looked at Why you should get your degree while you are still under 30. If you read the article, and you’re over 30, you might think that its going to be a really tough road to a degree – but not so fast. You may no longer have the time and opportunities that you had in your late teens and twenties, but you have a whole bag full of tools that you have collected that you didn’t have back then. Equipped with your tools, getting a degree in your 30s, maybe a lot more straightforward than you thought.

The number one tool that you have is your motivation. According to surveys, An estimated 20-50% of students enter college undecided, while an estimated 75% report having changed their major at least once. That means that only 25% of degree students have an idea of what they want to do with their degree. Remember that they know what they want to do, but they still haven’t worked. You not only know what degree you want and need, but also what your degree will add to your current knowledge. You have purpose and motivation that a younger student could only dream of, that will drive you through your degree program.

Snagajob.com brings Top 10 reasons to go back to college which can be summarized as either making your current job better or desire to change jobs. When you have research and assignments to do during your degree, you already have history, context, and knowledge from your work. You will be applying learning to your degree to get the exact result that you want, younger students have nothing like this.

You are dropping back into the education world for a brief visit, to collect your degree and get back to the real world. Younger students are living in education land and still have to get their degrees and get a job before they can cross the border. This simple fact will drive you through your degree plan with a passion and a purpose. For you, the future is known, unlike your younger colleagues.

With your working experience, you will be able to learn new degree materials through a real-world lens. As a younger student, you not only have to learn how what you are learning may be applied in work, but you also have to learn about work. The value of in-context learning according to The Campus:

Your real-world experience is that very context, and will vastly increase the value of your takeaway from your degree.

You are not only coming into your degree with a head full of knowledge, but you are also coming with an iPhone full of contacts. Rather than only having an academic experience within the books, papers, and other resources supplied by your college, you also have real people who use this learning daily in their jobs. Remember? They’re the ones who do the job that you are hoping to have one day. Use these people to give you an even better context, a better quality of learning, and another trove of experiences, their experiences to bring to the table. While you are earning your degree, you’ll also be earning their respect, that’s a currency like no other in the working world.

You may think that degree plans are all about learning new stuff and getting credit for it. Gaining a degree may be new to you, but your previous education and professional experience can count towards your degree. You’re already on your way. Total Testing offers you the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree through a combination of self-paced online courses and online college credits. You can earn up to 90 credits through college-approved degree requirements, individualized transfer equivalency tests and self-study courses.

We know that no one likes talking about money, us included. A degree, especially an accredited degree doesn’t come cheap. Remember that you are a known quantity in your company and working world. Check with your HR folks and see if there are any programs to help you pay for college, you might be surprised. Also, check with the college or institution about discounts and grants. Check the professional association that represents you, they also may have programs. And even if none of that is available, remember that with your new degree, you will now be a degree graduate with years of working experience, that’s got to earn you something.

Total Testing has programs that help you complete your degree remotely at your own pace. As a working adult, you can work during the day and study at home in the evenings, keeping your college costs low and avoiding slipping into debt. In as little as 10 months, you can earn up to 75 percent of your degree online. As a Total Testing member, you get free online self-study materials and access to our student support counselors. And when you’ve completed 75% of your courses, you can transfer to a partner college to complete remaining credits, and earn that degree.