Those who have gone through school and earned their degrees and then gone into the workforce might say “been there, done that.” Or proclaim that the demands of a family eat up the spare time. However, going back to school and gaining further certificates and degrees can improve your life in many ways. You can increase earning power, connect with new people for potential work opportunities and learn about new pathways in life that you may have never considered walking down, much less looked at, before.

Here are three reasons why you should consider going back to school.

Expand your mind

There’s a concept that higher education is a place to educate the mind for a career as opposed to being a place to open up the mind. The older people get, the less likely they are to have mental flexibility. It doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, why can’t it be both? Going back to school to study doesn’t have to be all work and no play. Take an art or humanities class to learn about something you never considered before, and you might find that what you learn ties in neatly to your career goals.

Make yourself more employable

That tends to sound like a catchphrase, but it’s true. If you can’t show a potential employer that you have the skill set they’re looking for; you’re far less likely to get the job. Or you may have years or even decades of experience in your field, but you’ve reached the ceiling, and you’re going no further. Maybe you’re unemployed and have worked in an industry that needs fewer people, or your skills are out of date. However you cut it, you’re not going to reach a better position without being able to demonstrate you have skills that they need.

Going back to school gets you the education and training you need to make yourself more attractive to an employer. And sometimes, you don’t have to spend years doing it. Accelerated courses and certificates can usually be completed in a shorter time span. You’ll start moving up the earnings ladder sooner than later as a result and help you see a return on your investment quickly.

Affordability of schooling

You may think you can’t go back to school because you can’t afford it. The truth is, you have many affordable options open to you in the form of community colleges with accredited programs, inexpensive online certificate programs recognised by the field you’re training for, and student loans like SoFi to help you pay for schooling. These options will help you get a better job, maintain your standard of living, and pay the loans off more quickly than you would otherwise.

The idea of going back to school can be daunting, but it’s beneficial to you and your career in the long run. There’s no such thing as enough knowledge. And improving your skills to apply that knowledge helps you carve out a better life for yourself and your family.

*Collaborative post