I will say that last year was rough. I knew I had to do something to help me progress in life because I couldn’t take any more bad news. I’ve been thinking about going back to school to further my career, and I decided to go through with it and apply to graduate school. The first good news of 2022 is that I have started graduate school. Hopefully, in about three years, I will become a librarian!

Libraries have been a part of my whole life, so this was a smooth transition for me, but how do you know if you should go to college or not? Here are a few tips that will hopefully help you make your decision. Good luck!

But Can You Afford It Though?

My parents are immigrants, and I was never taught the importance of education. My father always assumed I would stay living at home until I got married, so that’s what I thought too. Once I started my senior year of high school, I thought it would be easy to get into any college I would like to go to. I may not have been the academic type (I was more interested in enjoying life with friends and family), but fortunately for me, the local community college accepted me lol. Also, fortunately for me, I qualified for Financial Aid Grants, and once I started my first full-time job for the library, I qualified for Tuition Reimbursement. Not everyone is as lucky as me. My full-time position with the library will continue to pay for my graduate classes through the Tuition Reimbursement Program. I am very fortunate to have my employment paying for my tuition; to be honest, I probably would not go back to school if not for this program.

• Calculate whether or not you can afford college in the first place; I would recommend never to go into debt to go to college unless you have a guaranteed plan to pay it off (like if you’re going to become a doctor, and you know you’ll be earning a high salary once you graduate). I highly recommend anyone who is considering going to college to watch the documentary called Borrowed Future. It’s a fascinating movie on the college student loan debt crisis.

It Will Help You Further Your Career

After I had a set plan for paying for graduate college, I had to decide whether it would further my career or not and if this was truly what I wanted to do. Did I want to work as a librarian? Yes, so what did I need to become a librarian? I have to earn my MLIS (Masters in Library Science). So, it was a pretty straightforward choice for me; either I want to be a librarian, or I don’t. It was a much easier decision for me because I currently work for a library, so I know the ins and outs of what it is like being a librarian.

• Look at what you’re going to college for. Is there an entry-level position available in the area of work you want to do? Maybe it would be wise to volunteer, work part-time as an entry-level employee, or intern at your desired place of work. This will help you emerge in your future goals and help you to envision yourself in your dream job.
• I would choose the profession of my dreams first and then plan what it takes to get there. Many people (including me🤚) made the mistake of picking the major they want to study before determining the occupation.

Reasons Not to Go to College

• Because all your friends are going to college
• Because your S.O. is going to college
• Because your parents want you to

Alternatives to a Four Year University

Sometimes there are more ways than one to get to where you want to be.

• Community college
• Technical School
• Entrepreneurship
• Learning a trade

I hope I have helped you in any way in making probably one of the most significant decisions of your life. If you enjoyed reading, give my post a like, I greatly appreciate it. 🙂

-With love, Amanda