Every morning you wake up and get ready for work. In fact, you bounce to the office looking forward to the tasks of the day. This is not merely a chore, you actually love your job! Your team is great. The perks are great. But sometimes even when you are in a good place professionally, you wonder if maybe you could do more. Like maybe get a few more certifications or even a post-graduate degree. Decisions, decisions. So how do we know when it’s the right time to leave the ‘job sphere’ and pursue a postgraduate degree? Here are a few tips to guide you:
Long term goals
Does this decision align with your long term goals? Sometimes it can be scary leaving your current enjoyable status quo to pursue something else. You may wonder if you’ll get a job as good as your current one when you’re done. So it’s important to know if and how this fits into your life goals.
Seek other alternatives if need be.
Shorter postgraduate courses are also a good option. Or you could do an online or part-time course. Although if you do have the money and are willing to embrace the lifestyle change that comes with going from being a well paid full-time employee to a full-time student, by all means, go for it. Just make sure you do your research and consider all your options and decide what works for you in the long run.
Access to funding
Do you have a financial plan in place? Postgraduate degrees can be expensive and this should be one of the first things you consider when trying to make this decision. Make a list of all the bills you have to pay while in school. It’s not just tuition, there are other recurring costs like accommodation, transportation, feeding, books, etc that you have to consider. So access to funding is important and outside of your own personal money, I advise you to get as much external financial help as you can get. Don’t underestimate your potential costs.
Personal ambition
For some a first degree and a great job are fine and there’s nothing wrong with that. For others having that extra degree or Dr. in front of their name is something they have always dreamed about. So make sure it’s a personal desire and not something that has come from societal or even parental pressure. Postgraduate degrees are intense and tasking, if you’re doing it because it’s what others think you should do, or you feel everyone else is doing it so you should too, you may come out feeling like you wasted a year or two of your life. Though I personally believe no knowledge is wasted.
So if this is something you really want to do and you’ve ticked all the boxes of what to consider before doing it, by all means, go for it. All the best!