Furthering Your Education is Stressful, but Well Worth It

If you’ve recently found yourself considering furthering your education and obtaining an advanced degree, gaining a deeper understanding of the benefits of more education can make it easier to make a decision. While there is a certain amount of stress that comes with any degree program, if you take the time to take a look at the pros and cons, you’ll certainly realize that furthering your education is well worth it.

Knowing the benefits that can come from getting an advanced degree, along with the ways that you can make getting one less stressful, can help you take the leap and become more qualified in any field that you choose.

The Benefits of Furthering Your Education

While the thought of going back to school and obtaining an advanced degree can be daunting, furthering your education will come with a slew of benefits that have the power to improve your life in many ways. Having a clear understanding of these benefits will make it easier to pull the trigger and start furthering your education and pursuing an advanced degree.

1. Higher Pay

If you’re looking to advance your career by stepping into better roles that allow you to command a higher salary, furthering your education can help you get there. This is because advanced degrees will allow you the opportunity to specialize in a field while also becoming more qualified for advanced roles that typically come with higher salaries.

For example, if you’re looking to further your career prospects in business, an MBA can help you do so. In addition, getting an MBA has never been easier and there are many reasons to start an online MBA program. These reasons include being able to qualify for higher salaries while also enjoying a flexible schedule and the ability to learn from the comfort of your home.

No matter what field you intend to specialize in, chances are that an advanced degree will give you a greater ability to climb the career ladder in your field. This means that you’ll be able to lock down roles with higher salaries and gain more wealth as a result.

2. Job Security and Standing Out in the Crowd

Today, more and more fields are becoming highly competitive as a result of an influx of newly qualified individuals. This being the case, individuals’ intent on landing their dream roles and staying valuable to their companies must find ways to stand out. One surefire way to do this is by becoming a specialist in your field by obtaining an advanced degree.

In today’s world, it can be difficult to stand out amongst other applicants when applying for jobs. By obtaining an advanced degree, you immediately are able to gain a leg up on the competition. In this way, landing the roles you want will become easier as a result of furthering your education.

In addition to standing out as an applicant, obtaining an advanced degree will make you more valuable to your company. In times when a company must downsize, individuals with highly specialized skills and knowledge will be seen as more valuable and, therefore, will be less likely to be let go. This being the case, furthering your education can provide you with job security by making you more valuable to your company.

3. A Greater Sense of Confidence

In our society, many people judge others on the basis of their education. While some may disagree with the validity of these judgments, the fact remains that how people view us can affect our confidence, self-worth, and self-esteem. This being the case, furthering your education can instill you with more confidence and a greater level of self-worth.

In addition to positively affecting how others may view you, completing an advanced degree program is a massive accomplishment that you can be proud of. By accomplishing such a difficult task, you’ll feel more capable as a person and will likely be more motivated to tackle other goals you have and find success in a number of other areas.

4. More Opportunities to Make Career Connections

You may be surprised to find out that the vast majority of job roles are filled through referrals and not the typical application and recruitment process. This being the case, having a wide network of other professionals that you know becomes extremely valuable. Engaging in an advanced degree program can help give you the opportunity to make these valuable connections that may one day help you further your career.

When you further your education, you’ll typically be in classes with many other individuals who are going on to work in the same field. This means that you have the opportunity to form relationships with many other individuals in your field who may one day be able to help you land a great job role with a higher salary.

Being aware of the networking opportunities that an advanced degree program provides is extremely important when furthering your education. While the education and specialized knowledge that you’ll receive are significant, the connections that you make in your program may prove to be just as significant if not moreso. This being the case, going into an advanced degree program with the intention of growing your professional network can greatly bolster your chances of landing an amazing and fulfilling job role in the future.

5. More Mobility as a Professional

For many professionals, there will come a time when one wants to switch gears and move into a new role or field. If you’re someone who values having the option to explore new career avenues, furthering your education can allow you to experience this career mobility.

The more qualified you are as a professional, the easier it will be for you to step into different roles and different industries. Obtaining an advanced degree can help you become more qualified as a professional, therefore giving you more power to choose the roles that you step into.

This greater sense of career mobility can give you a better chance of finding the career roles that provide you with the most fulfillment and happiness. As such, furthering your education has the potential to help you find the roles that you’re perfect for.

Understanding Your Options

Before diving into the benefits of obtaining an advanced degree, it can be useful to first understand your options. Today, you have more choices than ever when it comes to furthering your education. Understanding the different ways in which you can further your education will make the process feel less daunting, complicated, and overwhelming. Here are some higher education options to be aware of when thinking about furthering your education.

• In-Person Programs

Traditionally, almost all university programs have been held in person. While this started because the technology wasn’t always able to accommodate remote learning, there are several benefits to learning in person vs an online degree. For some, learning in a classroom allows one to focus more deeply and feel more engaged than learning on a computer. For these individuals, this will mean that learning in a classroom will allow for more retention of ideas, concepts, and other types of information. 

While different subjects, fields, and programs can vary, many types of majors can be conducive to in-person learning. For example, if you’re pursuing a Master of Business Administration, in-person programs will allow you to form deeper bonds with your peers and make networking more accessible than online programs. In this case, choosing to pursue an in-person program may be a more suitable choice.

In addition to networking opportunities, in-person programs also allow you to feel a deeper sense of community. By being able to interact with teachers and peers in person, it can be easier to form friendships and meaningful relationships with others. If you’re looking to form deep bonds with others while pursuing an advanced degree, then looking into in-person programs may be a good option.

While the focus that a classroom can provide and the friendships that can develop in person are some great benefits to in-person programs, there are also some downsides to these types of programs.

One glaring con of these types of programs is the fact that you’re limited to a certain geographical area. That means if you don’t find a suitable program close enough to your home, you’ll have to move to attend to pursue your advanced degree program. In addition to being limited geographically, in-person courses will also require that you commute to class and cover all of the costs that come with commuting, such as gas and a parking pass.

• Remote Programs

While there are many benefits to learning in person, today, many students are taking advantage of digital technology and opting to pursue their education remotely. Put simply, remote learning is the process of engaging with a program without being physically present in the location of the program. In today’s world, this typically means attending classes and engaging with teachers and peers online.

For those with busy lives and hectic schedules, having the option to learn remotely offers many perks. For one, remote learning doesn’t require commuting or having to leave one’s house. As such, individuals who work full-time will be able to attend classes from the comfort of their own homes after work.

In addition to being able to learn from home, online programs typically offer more flexibility than their in-person counterparts. This typically comes in the form of accommodating schedules that are designed to be conducive for busy individuals with full-time careers. There are also two types of programs that one can engage in when it comes to online classes. These are synchronous and asynchronous schedules.

Remote classes with a synchronous schedule function in the same way as an in-person class. That means everyone attends classes virtually at fixed times. When it comes to asynchronous schedules, classes do not meet at predetermined times. Instead, these classes allow students to study and learn at their own pace. It is typical in asynchronous classes for professors to prerecord lectures that one can watch and study at their own convenience. For those with extremely busy or odd schedules, asynchronous classes can be a useful option to have.

While remote learning can be more convenient, it also has its drawbacks. For some, having to spend hours in front of a computer screen every day can be stressful and uncomfortable. This can be especially true for individuals who work on a computer before having to attend online classes. As such, remote learning can cause digital fatigue for those who find it difficult to spend prolonged amounts of time on the computer.

In addition to long hours on digital devices, remote learning programs also lack some of the sense of community and camaraderie that in-person programs can have. This means that it isn’t as easy to make friends and bond with others in remote programs. As such, remote programs can sometimes cause one to feel lonelier and more isolated than in-person ones.

Understanding the Commitment and How to Prepare Yourself

If you decide that furthering your education is the right option for you, it’s important to be aware of the commitment and what it entails. In addition, having some guidance about how to prepare yourself for the endeavor can be extremely useful. Here are some things to be aware of when furthering your education and pursuing an advanced degree.

• Time Commitment

If you pursue an advanced degree, you should be aware that you’ll be committing a tremendous amount of time to this pursuit. If you’re like most people, you’re probably be working a job and managing a full school schedule, so making sure you’re balancing your time well will be essential.

In addition to program and time availability, different fields will also take different amounts of time for programs to be completed. If you plan on pursuing an advanced degree on a part-time basis, it could take up to three years to obtain a Master’s Degree. However, if you intend to clear your schedule to make time for your program, there are accelerated programs that could allow you to obtain a Master’s Degree in as little as a year.

Whatever type of program and schedule you decide to choose, it’s important to be aware that you’ll have to sacrifice a significant amount of your free time for the duration of your program. This being the case, it can be a useful exercise to understand which activities, hobbies, or activities you’ll have to put on hiatus while you’re in the process of furthering your education. This way you won’t feel blindsided by the radical alteration in your schedule once beginning your program.

• Financial Commitment

While there are some grants and scholarships available for advanced degree programs, they’re not as common as those available for undergraduate programs. This being the case, it’s important to understand the significant financial commitment that you’ll likely be making as a result of pursuing an advanced degree.

While this can be a daunting aspect of furthering your education, there are many ways to lessen the impact of the financial burden. Understanding some effective personal finance and budgeting tips for college students such as creating a budget and reducing your expenses can be extremely useful. By being mindful of money and planning ahead, you can restructure your life to be better prepared for the financial commitment that comes with furthering your education.

Though grants and scholarships may be less common when it comes to advanced degrees, exploring the options available to you could potentially save you an incredible amount of money. By being proactive and applying for all of the grants and scholarships that you can, you could potentially cut the cost of furthering your education by a significant amount. As such, it’s important to put in the effort and apply for all available financial aid in order to make the financial burden of an advanced degree less taxing.

• Stress

While the benefits you’ll enjoy in the future as a result of furthering your education may be substantial, that doesn’t always make it easy to deal with the stress associated with obtaining an advanced degree. This is especially true for those trying to also care for a family or work full-time while doing so. As such, it’s important to mentally prepare for the significant amount of stress that can come with an advanced degree program.

By understanding that furthering your education will come with stress, it can be incredibly useful to predetermine how you’ll deal with the stress you feel. This can be anything from developing an exercise routine to starting a habit of meditation. What’s important is that you understand yourself and the activities and habits that help you best cope with stress.

By being keenly aware of how you are best able to deal with stress, you’ll be better prepared to take on the workload that will come with an advanced degree program. This will also make you more ready to take on all of the adversity that comes with furthering your education and you won’t be at risk of quitting when things begin to feel overwhelming.

Reaping the Rewards of Furthering Your Education

Making the choice to further your education and commit to an advanced degree program can be difficult and, sometimes, overwhelming. This stress can come as a result of deciding if the benefits are worth the time and financial commitments required to further your education. However, taking time to look deeper at the positive aspects of furthering your education will uncover the fact that the pursuit is well worth it.

By furthering your education and obtaining an advanced degree you have the opportunity to benefit your life in a number of ways such as being qualified for job roles with higher salaries and gaining a renewed sense of self-confidence. Though the decision can be hard to make, taking the leap and furthering your education has the potential to be a positive and transformative experience that alters your life in an incredibly positive way.