By Greg Hudson
It seems like in every sitcom, at least everyone in the ’80s and ’90s (think of Who’s the Boss, Family Matters and yes, Friends) there is an episode in which the main character goes to night school and hilarity typically ensues. But in real life, deciding whether or not to sign up for evening classes usually comes from a very serious place. Maybe you want to update your skills to become more valuable at work, find fulfillment in a hobby, or maybe you want to switch career paths altogether. Either way, night school has its benefits.
Evening classes don’t force you to choose between income-earning and unpaid training. You can have it both ways, even if it might be exhausting. It’s important to remember, however, that specialized training won’t immediately make you an expert in your field. But it can increase your credibility and your chances of getting a raise or a promotion in your job, or make you more marketable in a new field. Plus, attending school at nights offers some of the same soft benefits you got the first time you went through school: socializing, networking, personal refinement.
That said, there are some tips to remember when following Tony Danza’s character into night school.
Think Long Term
Ask yourself how you want to progress in your career. Don’t focus on your present position when selecting your classes. Start by taking introductory courses that don’t require prerequisites, so you can get a taste for new industries or fields. But remember, we live in a credentialed society so consider the courses will help you in the long term. Will they lead to a degree or certificate? Will your night studies give you the credentials that will help your career development? If your goal is personal development, you might have different parameters for success.
Get Advice
Before you invest the time and money for night school, not to mention the added stress of homework, map out your career with some expert advice. A career planner can help you decide which credentials will serve you best. Also, talk to people in the industry, either the one you want to enter, or the one you want to grow into. Find out what they respect and look for in applicants. Free province-sponsored career advisory programs offer one-on-one counselling, workshops, and job search and training courses for industry or trades. For instance, in Alberta there is the Alberta Learning Information Service, while Employment Ontario has extensive training services.
Get Ready to Work
Often when you think of preparedness, you think of mental or emotional preparation, research or getting psyched up for the long haul ahead of you. Night school students also have to prepare in more tangible ways. For example, if you don’t have a home office, create a dedicated workspace. Plus, many night classes take place not in darkened lecture rooms but online.
Starting school (again) is always stressful, but the payoff can be enormous. And who knows? Like those sitcom characters who went back to the books, there might even be some hijinks, too.
More Reading
For more on the benefits of night school, read “That’ll Learn Ya,” Jeremy Derksen’s first-person account of after-hours academia.
Category: Life Happens, Life Happens - School
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