Education is always a good investment. The more educated you are, the easier it will be to find a better-paid job with prospects. People with no education usually end up in low-skilled jobs or unemployed. There are exceptions, of course, but they are rare.
Education can be expensive, especially if you want to study for a degree or post-graduate qualification. Tuition costs can be as high as $50k a year, depending on the course and college. Nevertheless, leveling up your skills is still a worthy investment.
There are plenty of ways to invest in your education if you want to kickstart a new career or boost an existing one. Here are a few tips for getting the biggest bang for your buck.
Study for Free
There are loads of free courses available online. No matter what your field of interest, you’ll find a course that fits. Platforms like Skillshare offer 1000s of online video-based courses in a range of areas, including design, photo & film, and business. Udemy is another popular online learning platform.
Many courses are available for free, but some will require a subscription.
If you are interested in a topic, search for free online courses. You may find that the subject area is not for you once you delve a little deeper. In that does happen, you haven’t wasted any money. But if you fall in love with a subject and want to learn all there is to know, look for more in-depth courses.
Study Online
Studying online is always cheaper if you want to take your education to the next step. There was a time when an online degree had no value whatsoever, but things have changed and these days, most larger universities offer online equivalents of their most popular courses.
These courses are cheaper because the college has fewer overheads when teaching students online. Courses are taught via an online cloud-based platform and students can study in their own time. You can gain a qualification by studying around a full-time job, from a university on a different continent. The number of courses available is extensive. Whether your interest lies in business or psychology, there’s a course out there for you.
High school students can also benefit from taking online summer classes for high school, as these classes are designed to give students an immersive learning experience during the summer months, providing them with a greater understanding of their chosen subject before they begin college or university. Many universities even offer credits that can be transferred toward future degree programs. This is especially beneficial if you’re looking to get into a more competitive college that requires applicants to have some form of higher education background.
Look for Education Deals
Before you sign up for a course, search for education deals. You may find that a college is offering a half-price course or there are free places for people that tick certain boxes. With so many courses out there, there is never a better time to save on education products than now.
Shop around and see what’s available. If you find a course you want to study but it’s out of your price bracket, contact the course provider to see if they can help. They may be able to offer you a discounted rate. If you don’t ask, you won’t know!
Ask an Employer to Invest in You
Many employers are more than happy to invest in their employees. Paying for an employee to learn new skills and gain an extra qualification is a win-win for them. Not only will the employee be more productive and useful in the workplace, but they’ll be less likely to leave if they feel valued.
Talk to your employer if you want to improve your skills. Ask them to invest in your education. If necessary, prepare a presentation outlining all the reasons why it is a worthy investment. If they can’t or won’t agree to fund the course, at least try to persuade them to give you time off to study. And if that doesn’t work, consider looking for a new job and an employer that values you more.
Education can be expensive, but it’s always money well spent. It’s also good to learn new skills later in life, as exercising the brain helps to ward off dementia.