Boredom at work, professional retraining, career relaunch, career enhancement… Today, there are many reasons to go back to college. Even if you’re already over forty. Does the idea appeal to you too? Then why not take the plunge? In fact, going back to school at 45 is more accessible than ever. The important thing is to choose a course that suits your needs, but also your availability…

Why go back to school at 45?

For many of us, learning (especially school-based learning) is the preserve of children. After a certain age, we become reluctant to take on any kind of training. And yet, this solution offers a number of advantages. In particular, it’s a great way to get around the mid-life crisis. You know, that existential crisis that makes you feel like you’re stagnating. Of course, the symptoms vary from one person to another, but it’s always at this point that we start to question ourselves. When you take stock of your life, you may decide to go back to school at 45 to give yourself a chance to improve the situation.

What’s more, this is a long-term investment. For one thing, training ensures that you’ll always be on the lookout for new developments and advances in the world of work. What’s more, it allows you to enhance your résumé and improve your profile, whether you’re looking for a career change or a promotion within your company. Of course, having a diploma is not just a question of certification. It’s about reinforcing what you’ve learned, enriching your knowledge and filling in the gaps. So many reasons to go back to school at 45, but not the only ones. It’s also an excellent way to get out of unemployment, promote job satisfaction or find your own path.

Going back to school: how do you go about it?

It goes without saying that returning to school as an adult can be daunting. Perhaps that’s why many don’t dare to take the plunge. Juggling classes and daily routines can indeed become quite tricky as the weeks go by. And yet, this initiative can really open the door to new opportunities. Going back to school at 45 can only be beneficial. So it would be a shame to give up before you’ve even started.

So here’s some advice to help you do just that.

EVALUATE YOUR SKILLS
The first step to a successful project is to carry out a skills assessment. This is an assessment of an individual’s ability to handle a particular mission or position. But it also enables you to define a precise professional project or, in our case, to choose an orientation before taking any training when you want to go back to school at the age of 45. This not only allows you to take stock of your career, but also to rebuild your situation.

A skills assessment also enables you to identify any gaps in your skills, so that you can meet the new challenges of today’s job market. Another great advantage of this assessment is its usefulness in identifying your potential. With this kind of test, you can easily determine whether a position or organization is right for you. It’s also particularly important to take your “soft skills” into account, so that you can anticipate any problems before deciding to go back to school at 45.

Whatever the case, you can carry out a skills assessment online or with a specialized firm. However, it’s important to choose a service provider from outside your company to ensure an objective, unbiased opinion.

DETERMINE YOUR OBJECTIVES
What do you want from this process? Why have you decided to embark on this adventure? How many weeks, months or years do you want to invest in this project? These are all questions to ask yourself to make sure you’re moving in the right direction. After all, it would be a shame to decide to go back to school at the age of 45, only to find that the course doesn’t necessarily align with your needs. Not only do you run the risk of becoming discouraged over time and giving up.

But make sure your goals are both realistic and achievable. That way, you can graduate without burning out or neglecting other aspects of your life. Use the SMART technique to help you achieve your goals. Likewise, be clear about the changes and sacrifices you’re prepared to make, and the non-negotiables that must remain a priority.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PROGRAM TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AT 45
Whether you’re looking for a degree or certification to kick-start your career, get back into the workforce or change your path completely, you need to start by determining which direction will help you achieve your goals. The Internet is a veritable mine of information. So take the opportunity to do a little research into courses that may be of interest to you, or programs aimed at working adults or job-seekers. You can also be sure that the program you choose will contribute to improving your professional situation.

What’s more, a number of options are now available to anyone wishing to go back to school at the age of 45.

RETURNING TO EDUCATION AT 45: FACE-TO-FACE OR ONLINE?
It’s worth remembering that going back to school will certainly mean some changes in your daily routine. Indeed, the path you choose may have a greater or lesser impact on your work and family life. To minimize problems and inconveniences, it’s essential to choose the right program. For reasons of convenience and accessibility, many working students are turning to e-learning in particular. For one thing, this solution offers a certain degree of time flexibility, making it possible to adapt to an already full-time job. This makes going back to school at 45 much easier.

LEARNING TO MANAGE YOUR TIME
Time management is an essential part of going back to school at 45. At this age, you already have a few tricks up your sleeve when it comes to organizing your life. But to reconcile your personal and professional obligations, you should also consider :

Define your priorities ;
Improve your working methods (think of time management tools such as the Gantt chart, Kanban board or PERT diagram);
Learn to delegate;
Ask your family for help with day-to-day activities:
Involve your children in household chores (this will free up time for your studies, while giving them a sense of responsibility);
Set limits so that you can resume your studies at age 45 (this applies to you as well as to other family members);
Review daily routines with your loved ones.
In all cases, the aim will be to establish an easy-to-apply daily or weekly routine to help you better organize your time. Bear in mind that once you’ve added classes, study hours and homework to your schedule, you’ll surely need to adjust your timetable to keep on track. But above all, make sure you leave enough time for leisure and rest.

SELF-CONFIDENCE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AT 45
Many people say that to succeed in life, you need a good dose of willpower and effort. This is the key to working efficiently and intelligently. But did you know that all this is only possible if you have sufficient faith in your ability to succeed? In fact, self-confidence enables you to believe in your potential and not dread failure. It’s also essential for overcoming the fear of disappointment. It eliminates limiting beliefs of any kind. You’ll gain in self-confidence, which is essential if you want to go back to school at 45. In other words:

Be convinced of your abilities and skills;
Seize every opportunity to advance your self-knowledge (especially when faced with failure);
Accept your limits, but don’t let anything stop you from achieving your goals;
Give yourself the means to succeed;
Cultivate your perseverance;
“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit” – Bansky.

In conclusion

Returning to university as an adult is not always easy. And yet, going back to school at 45 has many advantages.
Of course, going back to school at the age of 45 is a project that requires some effort. Its success depends on good organization and excellent time management skills. But above all, it requires unfailing self-confidence.

It’s up to you…