How do you feel about going back to school? Do you dream of where it could take your career, or do you fear that because you’re a working parent or professional that you won’t have the time or energy to go back? Fear has this funny way of holding us back from exceptional things. We can think of many reasons not to take on this challenge like the additional workload, the time and energy it’ll take, and the biggest one of all- fear of failure.
How can you put these fearful thoughts aside and truly judge if it’s time for you to go back to school? School should give you something you’re missing. Why do you want to go back to school? What is missing in your life right now that school could provide? What will furthering your education bring you? A promotion, growth of your knowledge and skill of your field, or a change your career track all together? When you can articulate the reasons or your “Why statement” then you can use it to fight back your fear and leave your fearful thoughts behind.
Get Your Support System to Back You Up
There will be times when you need help with your home life responsibilities. To avoid feeling overwhelmed by the extra workload, think about who your support system is and how they can help you accomplish your goals. Identify what you need help with. Will you do homework at night, early mornings, or on the weekends at the library?
Next, get that support system on board. These can be your spouse, partner, parents, neighbors, kids, or friends. Share with them why you’re going back to school and share any areas you need help with. You’ll feel relief knowing that your support system has your back.
Find Extra Time Blocks in Your Day
Do you feel like you won’t have enough time or energy to do homework? Then try this; Throughout your day tomorrow make it a priority to look for small blocks of free time. Did you spend too much time on social media during lunch? If so, then that could be time in your day to do work.
Keep a lookout for these blocks of time where you could give up something to make room for schoolwork. School won’t last forever and making some sacrifices can be worth it. It’s hard to contain excitement and anxiety over what will happen once you get that certificate, but all good things come to those who wait or work hard.
When fearful thoughts creep up when thinking about returning to school, take a deep breath and put them aside. You have many options for making it work for you and you could reap some big benefits going for it. Following these tips is a way to “go the extra mile.” If you follow these guidelines, you can improve your approach to going back to school.
Ready to start working towards a new career? The Allen School of Health Sciences is offering virtual campus tours for enrollment for our classes starting soon. Contact the Allen School today! We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.