I know that many people, when considering returning to school to update skills, look into four year universities. I’m sure that the idea behind this is the university offers courses that have been designed for specific subject matters, such as English Lit or Special Education.
Yet I think that we sometimes overlook smaller community colleges. These campuses offer great classes in a diverse range of coursework. The classes cost less, and if you are considering going back for skill related learning only, and not for a graduate degree, chances are a community college campus could meet your needs just as well as a university setting.
I recently received a grant from the National Association of Women Business Owners, Orange County, to further my education. I applied for the grant because I am interested in taking some coursework in areas that target my company but areas that I am now hiring contract workers to cover. For instance, my design skills, I feel, are strong, but my programming knowledge is limited. I may never be a computer programmer; this is a highly technical career field that requires a lot of study time. Yet I would like to understand what is involved a little more than I do now, particularly since I often hire contract programmers to complete jobs for clients. When I hire someone, I want to know what I am hiring them to do exactly.
I could take some classes at the university level, but since I do not plan to obtain a degree in the field, the idea of spending that much money doing so doesn’t make sense.
If you are interested in taking some classes to refreshen your skills, and graduating with a degree does not matter to you, look into a local community college. You’ll not only save money, but you’ll likely find everything you need on a smaller campus that is easier to access!