School

How to Go Back to School as an Adult: The Steps Explained

January 20, 2021 by Guest Contributor

Are you among the 36 million Americans with some college education but no degree? Or maybe, for one reason or another, you never had the chance to attend college in the first place. Either way, it’s never too late to consider going back to school as an adult. In fact, in 2020 there were 7.5 million college students enrolled who were over the age of 25.

These are encouraging numbers, but what about you and your unique circumstances? How can you find the time, money, and motivation to reach your goals?

In this post, we’ll explain how to go back to school as an adult and provide actionable steps you can take to make it happen. Your educational journey begins now, so keep reading!

Clarify Your Goals & Expectations

We all have different reasons why we didn’t finish (or start) college right out of high school. Likewise, we all have different motivations for deciding that “now” is the time to go back to school.

Do any of the following scenarios apply to you?

You took time off for personal reasons and now you’re ready to finish your education
You need specific training or a higher degree to advance your career path
You want to increase your earnings and move into a higher income bracket
You want to switch to a career field you’re truly passionate about
You need further qualifications to remain competitive in your current field

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers here. It’s all about defining your reasons and getting clear on your “why for returning to school.

Do you want to open your own business? Enter a field you love? Achieve financial security? Or just broaden your horizons and learn for the sake of learning? The more specific your goals, the more likely [Read more…] about How to Go Back to School as an Adult: The Steps Explained

Benefits of Going Back to School Before Making a Big Career Change

October 21, 2019 by Tim McMahon

Making a big career change can be scary, but there are things you can do to become more successful. Going back to school is a common choice, especially among those who want to pursue a radically different line of work. We’ve looked at lots of ways to get into careers like IT without a college degree. But sometimes going back to college can help you to make your transition to a new career a little more successful.

Getting the Degree

While it’d be great to say that college is beneficial only for what you learn, the piece of paper that you get at the end of your studies can be quite valuable. Getting a degree can help to distinguish you from other job candidates and might even help you to qualify for more jobs. Having a degree can really change the way your job search works.

Building up New Skills

You can also spend time in college building up the new skills that are relevant for your new job. Learning the basic theories behind the tasks that you’ll do at work can help you learn how to make better decisions and improve your ability to accomplish your goals at your new job. Sometimes just getting a little more education can make the difference between success and failure.

Learning What’s out There

Going back to school doesn’t always mean [Read more…] about Benefits of Going Back to School Before Making a Big Career Change

School Counseling Through the Ages: How the Job Changes as Students Grow Up

August 14, 2018 by Guest Contributor

Most adults hardly remember their school counselors – if their schools offered any counseling services at all. In the past, school counselors did little more than proffer college brochures and chastise “problem” students. Yet, as educational institutions progressed, so did the school counseling position.

These days, school counselors take much more active roles in students’ academic and personal lives. However, how school counselors function – their daily and year-long responsibilities – vary depending on the age of their student populace. If you are on the verge of earning your master’s in school counseling online, you should consider which grade levels you are interested in serving and how that could affect your career.

Elementary School

Grades K Through 6 or 8 / Ages 4 Through 11 or 15

Because younger children don’t often have academic concerns – on the level of “What courses should I take to prepare me for this career?” or “How will my college application benefit from this extracurricular activity?” – elementary school counselors often only see students when there are emotional or behavioral concerns from teachers and parents.

Usually, a counselor’s workload will depend largely on the socio-economic status of the district. Students coming from families of lower income tend to have more trouble at home, perhaps lacking essentials like electricity or regular access to food and clean water as well as experiencing drug and alcohol use, the incarceration of relatives, and noisy environments preventing study or even sleep. However, there are some issues that arise regardless of income, such as physical and sexual abuse, depression and anxiety, self-harm and peer pressure.

Counselors at this level tend to have more autonomy than counselors at more advanced educational institutions. You will likely be the only counselor serving a school, and you might serve several schools at once. Though you will answer to school administrators, like vice principals and principals, you will likely be able to schedule your own day.

Middle School/Junior High

Grades 6 or 7 Through 8 / Ages 11 Through 15

What is true of children at elementary schools is also true of middle school kids – with the added complexity of burgeoning hormones. Puberty begins for most modern adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14, so almost all students in these grade levels will begin experiencing physical and emotional changes that often translates to more trips to the school counselor. In addition to troubles seen at younger grade levels, social, romantic and sexual issues begin to appear as does experimentation with various substances. [Read more…] about School Counseling Through the Ages: How the Job Changes as Students Grow Up