How to Finish Your Degree in the New Year

Maybe you’ve been wanting to go back to school and finish your degree for awhile now, but work, family, and finances keep getting in the way. These responsibilities can sideline even the most determined scholar, but since the New Year is here, now’s a great time to take those steps towards finally earning your degree.

While going back to school may seem like an overwhelming and time-consuming process, it can be easier than you think, especially if you’ve already got a chunk of credits under your belt. You can make it event more manageable by following the tips below.

Tip #1: Evaluate Your Current Situation
Where are you currently in your education and career? Has it been awhile since you were in school? Were you studying to become a nurse, and instead got a job in the IT industry?

Before you choose a school and a degree program, take some time to evaluate how much school you’ve got under your belt, if the classes you’ve completed apply to what you want to do with the rest of your career, and (here’s the big one) if you still want to study that particular subject. You may have started down one path several years ago, but now that you’ve spent several years in the working world, you realize you need your degree to focus on something totally different.

If you only took your general requirements, you’re in good shape, as those should transfer easily. If you took classes towards a specific degree, such as business, and now you want to study communications, that’s ok too. You just need to get a sense of what you’ve already studied, if that fits in to where your career is headed, and what degree will help you get ahead in the future.

Tip #2: Gather Your College Information
Once you know which degree you want to pursue, it’s time to start gathering your old college transcripts together. Get a hold of your college records so you know what classes you took, how long ago you took them, and how many total college credits you have. You’ll need all this information as you start applying to schools, especially if you want to make sure those credits transfer.

Tip #3: Start Contacting Schools
Now it’s time to make a list of schools you’d like to attend. You may already have a local college in mind that will suit your needs, or you may want to explore some different campus and online options.

The best way to get started is to contact schools about what programs they offer and their specific offerings in your field. From there, you can compare tuition rates, classes, and packages to decide which school is right for you and your goals.

Tip #4: Speak With an Advisor
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, you’ll want to contact an admission advisor at the school you wish to attend. Explain to him or her what your current situation is, how many credits you have, and find out what you need to do to get those credits to transfer. Since each school may have different requirements, get all of the transfer information in writing to you can select the school that will be the best fit for you. (You don’t want to go through the lengthy process of applying to a school, only to get accepted and find out your classes won’t count towards your degree.)

Tip #5: Apply!
So you know what degree you want to earn and what school you want to attend: congratulations! Find out what you need to do to apply. If you already have some college under your belt, you may or may not need to re-take admission tests (it depends on the school and how long ago it was that you attended college). Find out exactly what you need to do, then make a timeline to make sure you get everything completed. Don’t forget to fill out a FAFSA sooner rather than later, so you can get financial assistance as well.