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After college can I go take more classes

#college #student #any #professional #classes

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Subject: Career question for you

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Mike’s Answer

I like where you are going here!

Education should be a life-long pursuit, not just a phase of youth. The best folks in most fields are those who continually look to improve and grow, and never get complacent. To that end, you should be able to find ways to continue education after an initial degree.

The trick here is in having an idea as to what you are going to do with it. You're much more likely to keep it going and see good results when you are pursuing your passion. Find ways to enrich yourself through education that accomplish other things too. If you can find classes that not only scratch the education itch but help in your eventual career - go for it! Even better, you can sometimes find an employer who might pay for it, or offset some of the cost.

Yes, some of those classes might be for traditional credit, or they may be for "continuing education". Keep in mind that as you complete classes for credit, that you want to be thinking about long-term goals. If an additional or graduate degree or certification is your goal, you may want to formally apply and enter that program sooner rather than later so as not to waste any credits. Some programs may only accept a certain number of transfer credits, so have a plan!

You can also look for non-traditional sources of education, like professional certification programs. Depending on your field, these may be both more directly tuned to your passion AND they may offer better differentiation in your career.

The most important thing? Keep learning :)
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Ma. Edgie’s Answer

Hi Junxi!
Absolutely yes! I agree with Mary and Mike. Also, you can never stop learning. You may take short courses if you want, especially there are some free online courses that let's you refresh your learning or you may learn something new as well. It doesn't matter if it will be connected to your program back when you were in college or not. Some people take short courses like 1 day or 1 week or for 1 up to 3 months that is new to them to experience and broaden their knowledge not only to the industry where they are, but to the overall aspect of their life.

As for me, I already finish my college degree, but whenever I have time, I try to do some free online courses whenever I can. Also, I am currently studying another program that is far from my previous program, not because I don't love my previous one, but because I want to learn more, and maybe who knows I can use it both at the same time in the future.

Learning is not always about going to a college of university. You may also take classes that you may do it as a hobby. Like swimming class, baking class, learn a new instrument, yoga class, or volunteering perhaps. We have different perspective about learning, do not be afraid to explore and enjoy the experience.

I hope it helps. You got this! you are doing amazing.

all the best!

- Edgie

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Tim’s Answer

Hi Junxi!

The answer is an enthusiastic, YES! :-)

Being a lifelong learner and someone who is interested in learning new skills will benefit you throughout your career. There are lots of people who will pursue graduate degrees after college whether it's required for their career or not. Some technical professionals might pursue an MBA degree because they want to understand the business side of their industry and make them more marketable and qualified for executive-level roles.

Taking additional college courses or certification courses is something you can always do after earning a Bachelors's degree and if it serves your passion and interests, it can benefit the work you do or seek to do eventually.

My only caution is spending money on a program assuming that it is required or will greatly enhance your chances of getting a specific position without thoroughly researching the program. I recommend checking with professionals in your desired industry to see if the educational program is relevant and valuable.
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Rebecca’s Answer

Hi, do you want to take more classes relating your school work or for your own interest? Both of them are good for you.
For the first one, if you take more classes relating to your school work, it deepen your understanding of your school work and do more exercise. It would be helpful especially for your exam preparation.
For the later case, you can learn more things other than your normal study. I believe it is more related to your interest or hobbies. However, you may need to do this on the spare time after your school.
Both of them is also related to your time management. You would attend these classes outside your school and homework/revision time. Please bear in mind that you have to ensure you have sufficient time for rest, exercise and leisure. Don't make your timetable to pack. You may need some 'me' time to relax and for reflection.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
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Mike’s Answer

I agree with Mike's answer here as well. I often like to take the approach of being a lifelong learner. We can always be learning something to help further our careers or personal interest. There are so many options for learning that are available to us today that sometimes it can be overwhelming to decide where to focus your energy and time. I personally have spent countless hours utilizing free online educational resources to help me enhance my career progression.

In addition to the value we gain personally from our learnings it is important to remember to there is value in sharing our knowledge with others. Sharing your learning will help you to cement your understanding of the subject matter by putting it into practice.

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Mary’s Answer

Hi Junxi, I completely agree with Mike's response. Learning certainly does not end after college. Rules and regulations in different fields are constantly evolving and it's important to stay on top of new developments in your area of expertise. Whether that's through a formal degree, professional certification, or additional training in an area you are interested in, it all helps! For me personally, I studied accounting in college and went on to work for an accounting firm. As soon as I graduated, I started studying for the CPA exams. At the same time, I was (and still am) continuously taking trainings on new accounting topics, developments in our industry, etc. Some companies even require and offer the resources for you to continue your education. You have a good mindset so keep that intellectual curiosity and it will help you as you move forward in your career :)
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Amber’s Answer

Definitely!

Even once you have a job you love, you'll find that you will still need to keep learning and employers love employees with a learning mindset.

Continuous learning can be a lifelong goal. It keeps your mind flexible and active and allows you to be open to new technologies that might not have even existed when you first began studying.

For instance, I've been in tech for my entire career, but I took 10 years off (to support small children). When I returned to tech, the landscape was entirely different. Tools that my teams had to handcraft when I left tech were now plug and play off-the-shelf software tools. In addition, machine learning had gained so much momentum.

Taking 10 years off and trying to get a job is somewhat similar to looking for a job out of college, in that for both, you just need someone to give you a chance. I took a lot of online coursera classes and did a lot of self-study to refresh my knowledge.

The bottom line is that by continuously learning, whether via structured classtime or by self-directed study, you keep you skills fresh for whatever direction you want to go in your current job or the next one.

Good luck and keep learning :)
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Marlissa’s Answer

Junxi - I agree with many of the other responders, learning is a lifelong process.

You should really focus on items or areas that you have interest in, or areas that you are trying to decipher whether you have an interest in. Like take a course in coding for beginners if you think you have an interest.

Once you graduate and enter the job market a great deal of learning will happen at this time. There will be a focus on policies and procedures for the company but also what's acceptable within your chosen field, then of course rules and regulations by governing bodies.

Depending on your chosen field there maybe requirements to stay up-to-date with new developments in the industry or guidance from regulatory agencies. Needless to say this will be a neverending learning process, with a constant cycle of refreshing skills and knowledge.

If you are looking to obtain skills that will assist in your future career there is an abundance of options online through learning resources depending on your chosen field. Additionally community development resources can be a good place to start as well, if you are looking to learn skills not necessarily taught through general college courses.

Good luck with your future career path!
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Alyssa’s Answer

Hi Junxi,
Absolutely! I agree with what everyone has said so far---there's always more to learn! After college, you may discover new interests/hobbies or need to learn something new about your job or industry you're already in.





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Diana’s Answer

Absolutely! In fact, it’s highly encouraged as a college degree is not the end to your learning but the beginnings for you to learn even more about things you are interested in. Things change so fast in the world and learning either via other curriculum, online courses, or even platforms such as LinkedIn learning will keep your knowledge and thinking fresh. I myself have and continue to invest in post-college learning and received my MBA, and have many other friends who took similar paths as they explored other career options. At this day in age, we are no longer limited to just 1 career in our lives - in fact, you can have many as long as you keep having fun learning!
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Janet’s Answer

Yes, you can continue taking classes throughout your career.
Continuing education is definitely encouraged. Your Company and manager will see you as someone as constantly learning and you would be able to bring new ideas to the team.
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Harvey’s Answer

Hi Junxi!
In short, yes you can take classes after college. There are plenty of resources that you can use to do this. Life is a never ending cycle of learning and gaining more skills and experience.

You can take classes through going to grad school. I would highly recommend going this path if you have already found your passion. That way you can really specialize in your interests and further your education.
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Don’s Answer

"When you're done learning, you're done."

To echo what others have said here, continuous learning isn't just the key to success in your field, it's an important component to having a happier and more rewarding life. Taking classes after college is critically important to your field -- whether it's a new degree, an accreditation, certificate or new software skill -- but there are many other great reasons to take post-college classes.

Learn a new language. Take a painting class. Finish that minor in graphic design you started working toward. You'll end up a well-read, well-rounded person, which often translates into success in whatever field you find.
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Jacob’s Answer

Continuing education is always useful, and possible in several ways.

If you're wanting to continue taking classes at college after graduation: I actually have a friend currently in the process of applying for a position in grad school after a few years of working for NASA. Despite having previously graduated, he's currently taking undergraduate classes as if he was any other student. So, at least at some colleges, graduation does not prevent you from taking classes.

If you're looking to take more advanced classes, after graduating it's entirely possible to apply and get into a different or higher program, and begin taking classes for that.

Numerous specialized programs exist for specific learning goals. Many employers will be willing to pay for such classes.

Some employers have specific classes they host for things needed specifically for the role.

So overall, there's definitely several ways to continue taking classes after you graduate.
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Marlowe’s Answer

Yes!! You probably won't be able to continue taking classes at your current university unless you pursue a master's, but you can always take city college classes! This is something I'm planning to do in the future -- to learn more about fun subjects that I didn't have the chance to study during undergrad. You can also always return to a four-year university for another bachelor's or a master's/PhD, or you can pursue workshops or other accreditations for less school-based forms of education.
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