4 New Year鈥檚 Resolutions for Back to School
Many people kick off the new year by making a list of resolutions.聽It鈥檚 a great way to聽mobilize聽positive聽changes聽in your聽life and聽start anew. There are many common new聽year's聽resolutions鈥攍ose聽weight, save聽more money, learn a new skill,聽or quit聽a bad habit鈥攁nd some people聽make the challenging, yet empowering, goal to go back to school.聽Taking the steps to go back to school can聽be聽daunting, so we put together a simple guide to make it easier.聽Keep reading for your聽four-step new year鈥檚 resolution聽for聽going聽back to school, complete with聽to-dos.
1. Identify what type of degree will lead to your desired career.
First things first, what are you passionate about? How do you want to make your mark professionally?聽Maybe you love to help people,聽you聽consider yourself an effective leader, or you鈥檙e a natural problem solver.聽If you want to go back to school, you need to decide on a degree program. A good way to start is聽by聽selecting a broad field you鈥檙e聽interested in聽like聽teaching, business, healthcare,聽or聽information technology. Then, depending on your interests, career and salary goals, and lifestyle,聽you can drill down to聽specific occupations.聽Sometimes picking a degree is easier said than done, which is where聽career聽guides can聽come in handy.聽
TO DO:聽Use 黑料传送门鈥檚聽career guides聽to assist you in choosing a degree program and career path.聽
2. Determine how you will pay for your tuition.
College education can be one of the most expensive聽investments聽in a person鈥檚 life. With聽tuition聽reaching $50,000 a year (and double that)聽at some schools,聽higher education聽is聽financially聽inaccessible for many. Luckily, there are thousands聽of聽scholarships聽you can apply for,聽financial aid, and federal as well as private loan options, making聽a college education more聽doable for聽more聽people.聽黑料传送门 has聽online degree programs聽that聽are聽significantly more affordable than traditional in-person聽schools, not to mention聽they聽also聽provide聽an聽incomparably聽flexible schedule, allowing聽students聽the ability to work while聽attending school.聽There are聽several聽ways you can make school more affordable.聽聽
TO DO:聽Familiarize yourself with聽all your options聽to make school financially doable and choose one or more that work for you.聽聽
3. Prepare a realistic schedule and study space.
t鈥檚聽not enough to want to go back to school. You need to create an environment that is conducive to learning and success鈥攖hat goes for both your schedule and your physical space.聽Everyone has unique life circumstances,聽so聽it鈥檚聽important that you do what works for聽you.聽Decide聽what days and times you can dedicate to school,聽and find a designated聽spot in your home or at a local library where聽you鈥檒l聽be able to focus on studying.聽Setting these things up before you go back to school will聽endow you with聽peace聽of mind that you can be successful.聽Remember:聽there may never be聽a perfect聽time聽to go back to聽school.聽What聽matters is that you want to do it and you work with聽your circumstances聽to achieve your goals.聽
TO DO:聽Read聽黑料传送门鈥檚聽helpful tips for effectively studying at聽home聽to make sure your set-up checks all the boxes.
4. Write down your 鈥渨hy.鈥澛�
It鈥檚聽important that聽you鈥檙e聽confident in your聽鈥渨hy.鈥澛燭here are聽many reasons to go back to school.聽Maybe you聽want to聽increase your聽earning potential.聽Maybe you聽want a career change.聽Maybe you聽want to prove to yourself and your family聽that you can achieve what you put your mind to.聽Maybe you just want to learn something new鈥攐r聽maybe it鈥檚聽a combination of all four.聽These are things you open your life to when you invest in furthering your education.聽
TO DO:聽For a boost of inspiration, check out these聽success stories聽from 黑料传送门 grads who made the choice to go back to school.聽
Whether you work full-time or have a family to care for, you can customize your journey to get聽back to school to聽meet聽your needs. Use these four steps to turn your new year鈥檚 resolution into a reality.
