Attending a university and living on campus is all part of the traditional college life that many students expect to encounter, but in recent years many entrepreneurial millennials are looking for alternatives to this time-honored process that in many ways has become akin to a coming of age ceremony. The strict class schedules and busy campus environment makes for a very structured yet restrictive learning experience in comparison to more hands-on or freely scheduled approaches. With that said, here are a few ways progressive and ambitious students are getting around the old-fashioned college approach to achieve their career goals in a more customized manner:
1. Online Degree Programs
Earning a degree from home has become an increasingly popular option as distance learning institutions like Purdue University Global have begun offering a continually expanding array of online degree programs. In fact, they currently provide more than 180 different course types across virtually every popular field of study, giving students the option of earning a degree in the specialty of their choice without having to commit to the burden of an on-campus agenda. The freedom to study from anywhere at any time is ideal for students who are juggling their assignments and starting a business out of their home office.
2. Apprenticeships
Some people are bypassing the degree-based approach altogether in favor of apprenticeship programs, many of which offer accreditation and certification in addition to valuable hours of practical experience. In the past few years, there’s been a mainstream push for companies to start utilizing apprenticeships in order to help lower the national unemployment rate while also equipping future generations of workers and entrepreneurs with useful skill sets via on-the-job training. Surprisingly, some apprentice job positions pay as much as $100,000 per year or more, and many graduates have found themselves resorting to such programs in order to earn enough to pay back their student loans.
3. Freelance Education
Most people automatically associate education with the completion of a predefined course or curriculum, but some students find that they’re more motivated when self-taught based on independent curiosity and research. Open source video sites like YouTube are great resources for people who like to learn about specific topics without any particular guidance or requirements involved. Ideally, it’s best to combine independent learning with an accredited degree program so that you’ll graduate with a tangible credential that can be used to boost the growth of your business and prove your authority to those in your field.
Building Experience Before Credentials
In closing, jumping straight into a service-based workforce has become a popular route for students who are in need of an income while establishing their startup or wish to supplement their business’s income with a long-standing job. There’s certainly nothing wrong with holding down a steady job and developing your business while also advancing your education, but it’s important to maintain a good balance so that you’re not compromising any of the goals. It can be tough to create a schedule that allows for both your business and education to blossom, but once you’ve struck a balance you’ll be glad you did later on.
