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If you did not get a degree after you left high school, you may have thought about going back to school and furthering your education. A lack of a university degree can stall your career or limit your options for growth, and it’s becoming more common for adults to return to education. If you’re considering going back to university but are still on the fence, here are some reasons why you should take the plunge.
Why Go Back to University as an Adult?
Many adults have various reasons for furthering their education, and the benefits can be substantial.
First, gaining new knowledge and new skills can reignite a passion for learning. Adult education can help you stay competitive in an ever-changing job market, potentially leading to better job opportunities and higher salaries. Moreover, going back to university allows for personal growth and networking opportunities. You’ll meet new people, make new friends, and of course: professional connections.
University Can Give You a Better Career
It’s common for people in their 30s, 40s or beyond to find themselves bored of their job and wanting to do something new. University can help get you a better career because:
- More and more jobs now require a university degree — so any kind of career move is likely to require one
- University graduates get paid more
- University graduates are more likely to have job satisfaction
- You have a better chance of getting into interesting and creative careers
- A degree can benefit your whole family — children of graduates also do better academically
Investing a few years in a degree could mean you spend a long time in a job you love, so it can give you a better life.
You Can Gain Confidence
Adults who didn’t go to university or who attended for a while and dropped out, will often lack confidence in their abilities. Completing a university degree is a challenge, but if you can get through it, it will give your confidence a real boost when you’re applying for jobs at the end of it all.
Your High School Performance May Not Matter
In many cases, the reason for not going to university is due to poor performance. Students coming straight out of high school will be judged on a range of metrics, from GPA to SATs, and there can be many reasons why you may not have had perfect scores back then. For current admission requirements, check CampusReel.
When you go into university as a non-traditional student, your performance in high school doesn’t matter. While each university will have its own requirements, many of them will give you a placement test and take things like work experience into account when it comes to admissions.
Do your research and find universities that are prepared to work with non-traditional students. For example, as you will see on CampusReel the Ole Miss Acceptance Rate is fairly high because they accept people from lots of backgrounds and aren’t just hung up on your grades from years ago.
University is About More Than Just the Degree
People often talk about the university experience, and this includes a lot of different things from living away from home, to widening your social circle and taking part in extracurricular activities. As a non-traditional student, you won’t have the same experience as someone who just left high school, but you’ll still get a lot from your university experience.
Whether it’s discovering a new hobby, networking or meeting new people, when you leave university, you’ll no doubt have more than just a piece of paper to show for it.