It’s been a while since “going back to school” first started being promoted as the in thing to do. Despite rising student debt in many countries, school continues to be something much of the world sees as an investment. What’s even more fascinating is that long ago there was a time frame for learning; this was more along the lines of, don’t you think you’re too old for that? But today it’s socially acceptable that you can go to school at any point. This begs the question: is going back to school really worth it?
Is Going Back to School worth it?
Some people go to school for most of their lives and never find much worthwhile. Others spend less time in school or none at all and become more successful than most people. And of course this works vice-versa as well. It’s therefore understandable why the average person would likely prefer to just err on the side of caution; caution here means to spend as much time in school as possible believing it would increase their chances of success. After all, there’s a common belief that it’s better to have something of value than to have nothing at all. However, is it better to be in simultaneous relationships with four women instead of none? While to each his or her own, the simple fact remains that more may not always be better.
More school, less vision
Chances are you would know someone who always seems to be in school or studying something new; I know a few and at first glance their resume often appears more impressive than all the lecturers’ resumes combined! These people seem to have done everything under the sun. Think degrees or courses in sciences, arts, engineering, communication, music, teaching, three foreign languages, history, math and english. And then there are courses they may have done that you didn’t know exist.
Yes, the above sounds very impressive … until you find out the person is either unemployed or underemployed. When you look at things a little deeper you may even find yourself asking a myriad of questions. Sure, these heavily schooled people got all of these things. But how many employers would be willing to pay for all of them? Or better yet, how do they easily determine what they should actually pay for?
On the other side of things you may come across other types of people. There are those who have less education than the above but are either contemplating obtaining more, are certain or unsure. So how should you determine if you should go back to school? Firstly, you must clearly define your purpose for going back to school. Ensure that your purpose coincides with both short and long-term vision.
The fuel analogy
If you put fuel in a car and have no idea where you hope to end up you would likely just drive to anywhere. This is what a lot of people do by going back to school; they put fuel in the car and just drive. And the moment the fuel looks as though it’s about to run out they put more fuel again—any fuel. So they’re never really sure where they’re going. But they’re convinced school is where they need to go; in their minds having a car with no gas just makes no sense, so they must keep it running.
But some people take the idea of more schooling being better and transforms it into something that is highly uneducated. Just imagine someone applying for a managerial job in finance while having 25 certifications in everything but finance. The attempt alone confuses people and makes it look like you’re not sure what you want to do in life. The only thing people may remember you for it that you just like to take the car and drive.
Less can be more
Going back to school is pointless if you’re just doing it to fill time. Whether you just want to learn more about a subject or to earn higher income you need to evaluate everything. Before you invest time and money into going to school you need to properly think. While this would appear to be common sense, a lot people already know this yet do otherwise. The moment they feel as though time is passing and nothing new is happening in their lives they run back to school. And they run back without considering the consequences of doing so. At least it’s better than doing nothing, they say. No, not always. Something what you really need to do is just stay still and stay out of school.
Ask yourself, what is about school that fascinates you so much? Is it that you just like learning? Do you like being around people or only learn when someone one teaches you? Do you just love the concept of school? Because if you just like to learn you may benefit more from using the Internet or online tutorials to teach yourself. If you just like being around people, teachers or schools then maybe it may be worth becoming a teacher. i.e if you don’t happen to already be one. The point of this self-reflection is to understand why you’re doing what you’re doing and to remember that more is not always better.
Stay focused
Those who remain focused or specialized in particular areas usually tend to thrive more than the wannabe swiss army knives. Sure you can do a little bit of everything because you learnt it all in school; but how relevant any of it would be to fulfilling your desires in real life is a different story. Going to school can be beneficial but only if you have a set plan for the education you would obtain there. “Getting a better job” is not a plan, “Just wanting to learn more” is not a plan and neither is “It would make me look more official.”
Understand that just like a church, a school is just a building or institution. If you’re relying only an external source to validate your capabilities or existence then you may truly be selling yourself short. Accept school for what it is and you would never be disappointed; school is just a place to learn and possibly meet new people. But if there were no schools then how would you learn? School may be a good place for learning but the world is the best place for growing using everything you’ve learnt to your advantage.
