Many people say that college is an investment in your future. Sometimes, it is true if you intend to have a career in science, technology, engineering, and math (i.e. STEM) fields. Conversely, other people may choose alternatives to college like professional certificates if they want to enter the workforce as a skilled professional quickly. Higher education is usually an investment in the future, but there are three questions you must ask before you go to college.
How much does it cost?
The fastest path to a profitable career is to minimize (if not, eliminate) any educational expenses.
Some online colleges and universities (e.g. University of The People) do not charge any tuition to students, but other ones with free tuition will require you to study abroad in Germany, Norway, or Iceland. Some colleges and universities do not charge any tuition if you meet their annual income requirement. Other ones will not charge any tuition upfront if you pay a small percentage of your future income temporarily after graduation. This is commonly known as an income share agreement.
The online education provider, Coursera, has 20+ online degree programs with various tuition prices. The tuition prices vary based on the specific college or university. Mostly, Coursera partners with accredited universities in the USA (i.e. Dartmouth College, Georgetown University, Northeastern University, etc.) and England (i.e. Imperial College London, University of Leeds, University of London, etc.). However, some non-native English speakers can find degree programs in their native language from accredited universities, including (but not limited to) Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Universidad de Los Andes, and Universidad de Palermo.
Alternatively, the online education provider has a yearly subscription plan (i.e. Coursera Plus) that allows students to enroll in unlimited courses and certificates for less than $500. Coursera Plus includes professional certificates from Google (i.e. IT Support, Project Management, etc.), Salesforce (Sales Operations, Sales Development, etc.), and other ones that offer college credit. If you compare the cost of college credits at your local college or university to Coursera, you may discover that you will not find a cheaper way to get 30 credits (or a year of college) for less than $500. So, before you go to college, you can start gaining college credits by completing professional certificates on Coursera. After you complete a professional certificate, you can use it to get a job with an employer who may help you to pay for college.
How much time does it require?
In addition to minimizing educational expenses, the fastest path to a profitable career is to minimize the time that it requires to become proficient in your field.
Earlier, I mentioned massive open online courses (i.e. MOOCs) as a very affordable learning resource. The advantage of these courses is that they can be completed in a fraction of the time.
For example, Coursera offers a countless number of courses, including (but not limited to) business, information technology, health, and social sciences. These university courses can be completed in 4-6 weeks.
Specializations can be completed in 4-6 months.
How can this college prepare me for my career?
Some career paths may require a degree in most cases. However, other career paths require sufficient competency, which can be acquired without having a degree.
In the below video, I explored the return on investment of an underrated skill by comparing experiential learning and academic learning.