Going Back to School

Going Back to School

Going back to school is an important decision in a person’s life, but it may be a wise decision especially in particular circumstances. The choices are abundant. You may enrol in a university, a college or a vocational training facility. Of course, that all depends on your goals and on the certificate, degree or other credentials you wish to get out of the undertaking.

As a general rule, private colleges can be quite expensive, but they provide you with certificates and placement opportunities which can lead to permanent, full time jobs and perhaps even a career. However, that is not guaranteed. University degrees carry more weight, but they take much longer to complete, especially if you’re going after a 4 year degree, as opposed to a certificate which can take a year to complete.

Going back to school. Illustration by Elena

The lack of guarantee is one of the problems with going back to school. For example, some people get stuck in unemployment and cannot find a decent job. Employment consultants may advise such persons to get training and education on board. But if there is no guarantee that studying will bring about a job (let’s say because the main problem is lack of experience and serious gaps on one’s resume), many people are reluctant to invest money, effort and time in an endeavour which may or may not bring about the expected result.

On the financial side of the question, there are different solutions, such as loans and bursaries. However, these can come with many conditions (such as specific trades or being considered a youth ages 18 to 29) and even if there are no conditions loans must be repaid. Bursaries don’t have to be repaid, but many people complain that loans and bursaries fail to cover all the costs related to living while studying full time. Of course one may also study part time, but loans and bursaries typically require a full time engagement in education or vocational training.