I’ve put off posting about this for a while. I’m now in my 30’s chasing an elusive business degree. After a 3 year Advanced Diploma program, I decided that I wanted to hold a degree. I’m now in my final year and have started to do some reflection on my experience.

What they don’t tell you

You will feel old – daily. When you are surrounded by 20-somethings everyday, you realize how much you have grown up. Your tolerance for shanigans is tested daily. Your pop references are no longer relevant and the hard parenting that you received from your Baby Boomer parents cannot be compared to the softer side of the Generation X parents. Millenials are less patient and have higher expectations. This is difficult to adapt to. But the technology and trends that they will expose you to are fantastic.

Your experience will help you understand content. I still remember in High School, complaining that I am being forced to take courses that I won’t ever use. That misguided thinking resulted in me not being able to attend my first choice University. The math at university would be significantly easier if I applied myself back then and sought to understand what I was being taught. Trying to catch up to the class in a corporate finance class is very difficult. When you’re in the work force you develop habits, both good and bad. Your education will help you reinforce the good habits and try to rid you of the bad ones. You have the ability to use hindsight when being taught. Certain things an old manager/leader did, and you couldn’t understand why, start to make sense.

Full-time job or full-time school. After completing my 3rd year at Ryerson (TRSM), I thought I would try to work full-time and take a couple classes each semester to save the bank and reduce my reliance on student loans. I found that the knowledge that I learned was applicable to the position and I wanted to apply some of the theory. As a result, the 40 hour a week job turned into a 60-70 hour a week job. I just couldn’t stop. So it came down to having to choose to either drop out of University and continue the career path I had jumped into, or going back to a full-time student and finishing the degree. I chose the latter.

Student loans are a killer. The repayment of student loans as a mature student are hard to manage. Shortly after you graduate, the repayment plan kicks in. Depending on your loan size, you will have another 300-600 a month or more to pay. When you land a job in your career, and this may take a while, this monthly payment will be with you for a few years.

University Career Centres are great! Using the career centre is a must, you are already paying money for this in your tuition, so use it. You will get the help you need to make sure your resume and cover letters are employer ready. Knowing how to write a resume to get through the resume screening algorithms is crucial for setting you apart from another candidate.

In Conclusion

Overall, as a mature student you bring experience to your learning. This was extremely helpful. Thinking about past positions and how the theory was applied. The financial hole you will dig yourself into on student loans are a heavy burden. Try to reduce the amount that you take. Payback what you don’t need right away. You’re surrounded by the youngest generation in the workforce. This gives you the opportunity to expose yourself to the new trends and technology. Take advantage of it. And lastly, network. The network opportunities are the second biggest advantage to getting an education. Help your network and in return, your network will help you. Everyone’s path is different, that’s what make the experience so great. There’s never a wrong choice if you decide to go back to school. Happy learning friends!