Identify Your Motivation For Finishing Your Degree
Identify the exact reason youre returning to school to complete your degree. Whats stirring your renewed interest?
- Did you stumble upon a dream job, only to find that it required a more advanced degree?
- Is it the limited earning potential of jobs at your current experience and educational level?
- Are you looking to change careers?
- Or when you left school the first time, did you swear to yourself that youd finish your degreesomeday?
Keep the reason for your decision at the forefront of your mind and revisit it on at least a weekly basis. A regular review of your why will be the key to successfully returning to school and completing your bachelors degree.
Going Back For A Second Degree: Bachelors Or Masters
If youve previously completed a degree and are considering going back to school, you have many educational options available to you. Pursuing an additional college degree is an important choice that can help you embark on a new career path or broaden your skills and knowledge.
As youre considering going back for a second degree, or even a third degree, you may be wondering if you should choose a bachelors or masters degree program. Lets explore the potential prerequisites and requirements as well as the financial aid options available to you as you weigh the pros and cons of each type of program.
Take Advantage Of Student Services
Meet with a student services advisor at your prospective school so they can help you design a tailored degree plan. When speaking with the advisor, share your why. Your personal and career goals can be used to better customize which classes should make up your degree, when to take them, and how this will fit with your current work and family commitments. This might mean enrolling in summer or half-term courses to finish your degree quickly. Student services departments are there to help traditional and non-traditional students complete their degrees as scheduled.
Don’t Miss: Ashworth College Hvac Reviews
Explore Your Options And Go Back For A Second Degree
The idea of going back for a second degree, or a third degree, often prompts much discussion. It ultimately depends on your personal circumstances and the field of study you want to pursue for your next degree.
The undeniable fact is that, if you make the right choice, an additional degree can have a huge impact on your career prospects. Are you ready to go back to school for a bachelors, masters, or doctorate degree? Or are you ready to explore your other options via an online certificate program? Consider talking with an advisor at Maryville University today.
Recommended Reading
Use Tuition Reimbursement Programs
Your employer might help with funding your degree. Some employers offer tuition reimbursement as a recruiting tool, hoping to attract and retain employees by adding this perk to the employee benefits package. Contact your human resources department to see if your employer has a program to help pay for the cost of finishing your degree. Program eligibility requirements vary, so its important to learn about these details before enrolling in classes.
If your employer does not offer tuition reimbursement, it may be worth considering changing jobs, especially if you were already planning on changing careers. A tuition reimbursement program could mean up to $5,250 a year towards your tuition bill.
And if you use your employers annual tuition reimbursement limits wisely, you could drastically reduce the cost of returning to college. For example, instead of taking four classes per semester and having to pay for one out of pocket, you might consider only taking three and having your semester fully funded by your employers program. It may mean completing your remaining coursework over a longer period, but in the end, you could end up paying less for your degree.
You do not repay the funds received from tuition reimbursement programs however, be prepared to pay for your tuition upfront. Reimbursement timelines will be described in your employers written policy.
Don’t Miss: Average College Dorm Size
Situations Where A Second Bachelors Degree May Be The Right Choice
Although each individuals case is different, getting a second bachelors degree may be a good option for those looking to pursue further post-secondary education. Consider the following example situations:
- Youre unhappy in the career that youve chosen and want to move into a completely different field. Pursuing a second bachelors degree can give you expertise in a new area and help you qualify for positions with specific undergraduate degree requirements.
- You want to progress in your current industry and increase your prospects for career advancement. A second bachelors degree that complements your first degree may make more sense than a narrower masters program if you are looking to broaden your education.
Have you been thinking about making the switch to a job thats more fulfilling? Check out the programs that are available to you, and see how they can help you discover your new career path.
Some Interesting Stats On College Debt
According to this WSJ article, this generation is in trouble .
The average class of 2015 graduate with student-loan debt will have to pay back a little more than $35,000.
How will you be able to pay off $35k of debt if you cant find a job? How will you start saving up for that home or wedding if you owe so much money? How will you even think about that first trip that you so badly want to go on?
Recommended Reading: How Can I Sell My College Books
How To Succeed The Second Time In College
- Study efficiently With the limited time you have, you need to learn to study efficiently. When your time comes to study, you study. So figure out your best method to learn and stick to it. That could mean watching videos and taking notes, going straight to practice questions, or explaining it to yourself. Have your own method. Whatever your method, stick to it.
- Block Distractions- You simply cant study efficiently with distractions. Even having distractions near you can negatively impact your studying. The best way to deal with distractions is eliminate them completely when you study. Put your phone in another room, study at library. Personally, I easily get distracted online and end up wasting time I wont get back. Get Freedom.to, it will block any sites for how ever long you want. I personally recommend it to anyone who is serious about taking charge of their time.
- Make sure you understand the material- You HAVE to understand the material. I dont care if you keep asking the professors, form study groups, or study by yourself. Do whatever you need to do to understand the material. Dont feel like you are frustrating the professor by asking questions, its their job.
Can you go back to college for a second degree?
You are allowed to go back to college for a second degree. You would just be considered an undergraduate again. However, your second degree will take less time since you have already completed the basic general education courses.
Going Back To School As An Adult
Just because youve left college once doesnt mean you cant ever go back. Many of the people with college degrees got them not on their first try. Even if they faced setbacks, they werent so great that they couldnt come out having eventually accomplished what they set out to.
People leave college for many reasons. Some have to withdraw due to health issues. Others have trouble covering the costs. Others realize that they dont feel comfortable in a college environment and they arent sure exactly what they want out of life yet.
Whatever the reasons for leaving are, the reasons for coming back can be pretty strong. They can see how not having a college degree can greatly limit their career options. They can also feel ready to come back to school, knowing that theyre finally in a place where theyll be able to do well in school. While many adapt to college right after high school and finish in four consecutive years, others find the change to be very jarring. This is the first experience that many have with adulthood, but just because youre legally an adult, it doesnt mean youre mentally one.
Don’t Miss: Is Grammarly Free For College Students
Welcome Second Degree Students
Second degree students have already completed a bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university and now willing to invest a substantial amount of time, money and effort to complete another BA or BS degree in a major area entirely different from their previous major.
Before you apply, you should know that a second bachelors degree is not a highly regarded credential, and that undergraduate study beyond the first degree is sometimes interpreted as redundant or as a sign that the student is unable or unwilling to take on the challenge of graduate school. In other words, if you have the preparation to move on to graduate work, you should. Many masters programs do not require completion of an undergraduate major in the same field of study. If you are planning to apply to graduate or professional school but need to complete some undergraduate prerequisites first, you may be better off completing them as a nonmatriculating student. Second-degree students enrolled in other Rutgers-New Brunswick schools are not eligible to transfer into SAS.
Choose The Right Learning Format For Your Needs
Today’s colleges and universities offer degrees in a range of formats, including traditional campus-based courses, online classrooms, and hybrid courses combining both online and in-person learning. Each format offers different benefits therefore, it may be worth taking the necessary time to decide which ones are most appealing to you based on your availability and preferred style of learning.
Busy parents and working professionals may appreciate the flexibility that online learning or blended programs offer, including features like:
- Mobile learning apps
- Virtual classrooms and discussion boards
- Archived lectures and lesson plans available at any time
- 24/7 technical support
- Adaptive learning platforms
Selecting a format based on your personal needs, career goals, individual strengths, and learning objectives can help provide the support needed to complete your degree.
Also Check: Awesome College Dorms
Prior Learning Assessment And Recognition
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition helps adults demonstrate and obtain recognition for skills and experiences acquired outside of the classroom. PLAR focuses on what adults know and can do, including skills and training gained on the job through volunteering, leisure activities and even travel.
Some provinces and territories offer PLAR to adults at the high school level. This can help you get your high school diploma.
Tips On Going Twice To College
Make sure its your decision-
Dont let others make this decision for you. They can advise you but they shouldnt make the decision. Its all up to you.
Look, its a big commitment. You are spending both money AND time. In the end, youre the one whos going to go through it, not your mom, sister, or significant other. Take some serious time to yourself to weigh in the pros and cons. If you believe going back is worth it, do it.
Youll need to have belief in whatever you decide. If you decide to go back, the first thing you need to do is believe in yourself. Going twice to college will require resilience and that starts from believing in yourself. Which leads me to my next point.
What will you do differently-
A 24 year old father who sat next to me in biology scored better than me because he believed in himself. He already made up his mind he was going to succeed, there was no other outcome. After you made up your mind, the only thing left is executing.
It doesnt matter how much you believe, if you dont do the right things, you wont succeed. That means figuring out exactly what youll do to succeed. If you failed the first time, you cant do the same tactics.
Read Also: What Are The Six Military Colleges
Start By Understanding Your Motivation
Returning to school to finish your degree is a monumental decision to make, and it is understandable that you might be nervous about taking that leap. But its important to remember that a bachelors degree is within your reach. The first step is to understand your motivation for wanting to return to college. Once you know the why behind your decision to finish your degree, you can select the program that most closely aligns with your goals. From there, you can use the remaining strategies outlined above to support your decision and change your life.
To learn more about earning a bachelors degree from Northeastern, explore our degree completion programs, or connect with our team to have your questions answered.
How Many Credits Can Be Considered For Your Second Degree At Uopeople
If you have a bachelors degree similar to the new degree you wish to pursue, you can transfer equivalent courses for your second degree. However, in the case that your first degree is very different than the second, such as a first degree in education and the second in computer science, you can transfer some or most as electives based on their discipline. Lets try to explain: At UoPeople, everyone enrolled in a bachelors program must take general education courses, which includes courses in social disciplinary areas, humanities, social behavior, natural sciences, and technology. It is possible to use courses from your first degree to be exempt from taking these. The courses do not need to be an equivalent course to be awarded a transfer credit. The requirement is that they fit into one of the categories mentioned above.
For example, UoPeople does not offer American History as a course, but if this course is on your transcript, it could count towards your humanities credit.
There are many benefits of going back to school to earn a second bachelors degree. It provides you with an opportunity to be up to date on current trends in your field. It gives you a chance to learn something new about studying and potentially finding out how you best study and learn. It most likely will not take as long as your first degree since some of those credits could be accepted as transfer credits.
You May Like: Study Com Transfer Credit
Second Degree Seeking Students
Students pursuing a second Bachelor’s degree after they have already completed their first degree are referred to as Post-Baccalaureate. Second degree requirements differ slightly because much of the first degree can apply to the second degree. For the most part, a second degree is focused on the major requirements and university residency.
The purpose of completing a second undergraduate degree is to expand your academic knowledge and skills. Largely, students are picking up necessary coursework to meet career and post-secondary school requirements. Students must select a major that does not significantly overlap with their first major.
For example, a student with their first degree in Political Science may return to school to pick up a World Languages & Cultures degree to expand their opportunities in international affairs or business.
Knowing your purpose for pursuing a second undergraduate degree will help you to determine which major is right for you. Because there is less to complete in a second degree, developing a plan to use your courses to meet your career goals must be a priority. Please take advantage of meeting with an advisor to ensure that the major you select will provide you the opportunities to accomplish the goal you plan to achieve.
How Long Has It Been
If youve been away from Indiana University for at least two regular semesters , but it has not been eight years since you began your studies, you must submit an Undergraduate Status Update form in order to get clearance for registration. After you submit the form, you will be contacted by the College Recorders Office about your registration status. Be sure to also talk with your academic advisor in the College before enrolling.
If it has been eight or more years since you first enrolled, a review of your record will be conducted. This process is referred to as an 8-Year Review. An 8-Year Review will determine your remaining requirements prior to the start of your first semester back. Each students case is reviewed individually. The process involves multiple offices on campus. Please be aware that the entire process can take 8-12 weeks and plan accordingly. There will be people each step of the way offering you assistance and updates.
From the College Bulletin
For an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in the College of Arts and Sciences at Bloomington, the applicable degree requirements are those in effect at the time he or she first enrolls at the Bloomington campus of Indiana University as a degree-seeking student. A student who fails to complete a degree within eight years of matriculation will forfeit the automatic right to use the requirements in effect at the time of matriculation.
Read Also: Is Ashworth College Recognized By Employers
Remembering How You Learn Best
There are also different approaches towards studying. You can memorize all the material before a test and then most likely forget it, you can try teaching it to someone to better grasp the concept, or you could even find someone that previously took the exam, and study of that. My favorite method of studying is memorizing. I find this to be the best method for me. I memorize everything before a test, use it on the test and then in most cases forget it after, but everyone is different.
You could also figure out your learning style, to better understand which method works best for you. Perhaps youre a visual learner, or perhaps you need to hear everything, write down everything or read your notes again. It could even be a combination of the four. During my experience throughout school, I learned that I needed to repeat things out loud after writing study guides. Just rereading my notes did not help me. Everyone learns in a different way. What works for one person, might not work for you. You most likely already know about your learning style and how it affects your study methods. Take some time to remember that and include it in your next degree. Use the opportunity of going back to school to really learn how you study best and learn from it.