26 Ways to Quit Your Job and Go Back to School
This scenario may be all too familiar: you wake up in the morning, stretch, scratch, and dread what lies ahead- a long commute to a job you hate where you make barely enough money to pay rent, buy gas, or even buy the good crackers instead of having to buy the economy-size boxes of crackers that taste like salted paper.
Now-a-days, one literally cannot afford to not have a
college-level degree: gas prices have sky-rocketed into oblivion, and
filling-up your gas tank feels like being raked across miles of broken glass
without pants on. Try finding suitable housing in a semi-urban area without
taking out a pact with the devil. It’s rough out there; perhaps dropping
out of junior college wasn’t such a good idea.
Surely, when you were 19 and you told the “man” (and maybe mom and dad too)
to shove it, it was because you were an “artist," and you didn’t want to
conform to the misguided standards of society. You emphatically
maintained you’d rather live in the moment than to settle for arbitrary
class-schedules and uppity academics that would fill your head with useless
jargon. That’s right: you were from the school of hard knocks, and you had a
PHD in life-lessons!
And then, when the haze of youth fizzled from your once wistful eyes, you
began to clearly see what was before you: work at Nordstrom’s, be an office
monkey, or go back to school.
“But how? But when?” How can you possibly go back to school now that you
have financial responsibilities? You may think that you cannot afford to
quit your job or work part-time and go back to school. Fret no more; there
are a few things you can do. In fact, there are 26 ways to do it without
screwing yourself over.
But wait- though there is a light at the end of the tunnel here for
you, don’t just go to work tomorrow morning and throw your apron in the
garbage disposal, and don’t flip off your boss (well, unless he/she
deserves it). Careful planning and execution means you’ll be financially
secure and able to study.
Going back to school can lead to awesome opportunities down the road: you
can meet and network with students or faculty to find the job of your
dreams. You may finally be able to apply for a job that you’ve had your eye
on, but never got a foot in the door because of your lack of A.A., B.A.,
B.S., or even M.S. and P.H.D.
These days, the internet is your best tool to getting back into school. Many
accredited institutions offer online programs for a variety of
concentrations and disciplines, particularly art programs and web design
programs.
But onto the nitty-gritty: how to do it without screwing yourself
over:
PLAN!
1. Plan and plan some more. Before you quit your job and dive
head-long into your exciting new career as a student, figure out where
you’re going to go and what you’re going to study. That’ll save you some
time and money.
2. Decide whether you want to attend classes on a campus or
remotely. There is a ton of great online schools and universities that
offer entirely remote, web-based formats. Also, there are a lot of schools
that offer half and half: half web based study and half on-campus study.
Whatever you choose, make sure you have the time to dedicate to attend class
either physically or remotely.
3. Ask yourself one key question (ok two): How much do you really hate
your job (and boss for that matter), and how will earning a degree
improve your life in the long-run? How you leave is as
important as when you leave your job. Do some soul-searching to
figure out if quitting and going back to school is what you really want to
do. If you can not stand your job and salivate over when you can tell your
boss to shove it up his or her respective posterior, perhaps you should
consider taking some time to formulate a more reasonable approach. After
all, leaving and quitting on good terms only serves to make you look better
in the eyes of a future employer, and who knows-maybe you’ll get a few good
hook-ups and a good reference out of the deal. Moreover, ask yourself, how
will getting a degree improve your life in the long run? In the short
term, you may be stressed from the transition, but does earning a degree
mean greater financial reward from a future job?
4. Establish some goals prior to quitting. Do you want to go back to
school for two years, four years, etc? How long it will take you to obtain
your degree can determine how much it’s going to cost you.
5. Calculate costs. How much is it going to cost you to go back to
school? Are mom and dad going to pay? Are you going to have to sell blood
or donate eggs to pay for school?
6. Calculate your living expenses. So, now you’ve figured out how
long it will take you to earn your degree: How much money do you have in the
bank? If you calculate your living expenses and can comfortably afford to
work either part-time or not at all while going back to school, enjoy the
fun. If not, ask yourself: do I like Ramen noodles?
7. Consider alternative work. If you don’t have enough money to live
off of while going back to school, consider working part-time instead of
full-time or doing working freelance to supplement your income while you
attend class and study. In fact, you could start working for yourself while
in school by doing things that you love to do- this can be an excellent
opportunity for you to make a career switch.
8. Seek some professional help - no really. You may be in for a
world of hurt if you’re not properly mentally prepared for the transition
of working-stiff to student-stiff. It’s not easy, but talking to someone
about can help you get some clarity and prepare you for any possible stress.
Talk to friends and family members about what you’re thinking of doing and
ask for some advice.
9. Begin to organize.You’ve figured out you want to go back but need
to work at your job a little while longer to scrape some cash together.
What do you do to minimize your daily homicidal/suicidal thoughts as you
trudge your way through the work-day? Begin to organize your next moves
towards the ultimate “take this job and shove it” fantasy.
Organize: Get Your Ducks in a Row
Once you’ve figured out what you want to study and where you want to study
it, start organizing your plot for world domination - I mean quitting. A
well-organized and well-formulated plan makes for a much easier transition.
10. Get past college transcripts. If you have taken college-level
courses in the past, contact your alma mater to obtain transcripts of
your academic performance (no matter how poor your grades were). Many
schools accept transfer credits, which can decrease the amount of classes
and credits you need to take, thereby decreasing the amount of time and
money you invest in your new academic career.
11. Take some entrance-examinations or proficiency tests to determine
what level of class work you’re able to take. You may surprise
yourself with how much of that useless geometry you’ve retrained over the
years.
12. Pick a start date for starting new classes. Some schools have
regular fall, spring, summer semesters in which you may only start classes
during those times. Other schools have year-round semesters in which you may
start any time you want.
13. Pick an end date for your job. Ok, yes: you want to get the
heck out of that place a.s.a.p! But don’t screw yourself over
financially. You’ll only be hurting yourself if you haven’t properly
prepared for the axe.
14. Set up a savings account- and don’t touch it! Start putting a
portion of your paycheck (as much as you can scrape up) in a savings
account. One day when you’re hungry enough to eat carpet and you haven’t
got the dough to buy bread, you’ll thank yourself.
15. Apply for student loans or begin begging for change on the
corner. If you have to pay for school yourself, every little bit
helps. Ask mom and dad, grandma, cousin Tom, or uncle Bob for change in
their couches. Apply for student loans and remember you have to pay them
back one day. You may not need to shell out too much cash for a local,
public school if you qualify as a resident or qualify as a low-income
person.
16. Tell your girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband/dog that you’re sorry for
any future stress this may cause them. If you live with someone or
share living expenses with another person/animal/puppet, it may be in
good faith to let them know that you understand what kind of
stress/burden this may put on them. However, ensure them that once you’ve
obtained your A.A., B.S., B.A., M.S., or P.H.D, you’ll have more money than
Bill Gates and will finally be able to buy that big rock/motorcycle/bone
they’ve had their eye on all along.
17. Apply to a school or a few schools and wait it out. It may take
some time to hear back from a school to learn if you have been accepted.
While you’re chomping at the bit, nervously waiting your acceptance
letter or email, balance your checkbook, pay off credit cards, get
yourself out of debt. Don’t get behind in bills: if you’re applying for
student loans, you will have more than enough money to owe.
18. Now the fun begins. So, you’ve figured out how to save some
money, how to make some money on the side, and where you want to go study
and what you want to study. Now you can finally break out the old ratty
notebook and write your official “I quit!” speech. As fun as
it sounds, here are some pointers for executing the deal.
EXECUTE (the plan not
your boss)
19. How much do you hate/love your boss/your job? If there are
relatively few bad feelings, give your employer at least two weeks
notice. Again, it only serves you better to leave on good terms, and
you’re likely to get a good reference.
20. Prepare your speech. The speech doesn’t have to be a
long-winded, eloquent “I have a dream” (I will one day have your
job) type of speech, but it should be a good explanation of why you are
leaving. Express some gratitude for having the opportunity to work for your
employer and wish them the best. A cheesy grin or handshake is the icing on
the cake.
A Suggested “I quit” speech:
Mr./Mrs./ Ms. So and So: I wanted to thank you for giving me the
opportunity to work for your wonderful company. I have thoroughly enjoyed
working here (even if it’s a lie, say it) and I have learned a great deal.
However, I have decided that I want to continue to pursue my education and
as such, I will no longer be able work here full time/part time. I hope that
you understand my decision and I hope that you are able to find a great
replacement.
Or: I hate you. I want to go back to school.
21. Tie up loose ends at work. Make sure you complete most of all of
your projects before you leave. Even if you dislike your co-workers, make
a good lasting impression of yourself (you can always Xerox your butt on
the copy machine and post it in the urinals later).
22. Get contact numbers or e-mail addresses from co-workers or other
people at work you don’t hate. It helps to network. Who knows, if you
didn’t really hate the job to begin with, there may be a job opening once
you graduate and are ready to rejoin the work force.
23. Contact your academic advisor(s) at your chosen school, and make
sure all relevant paper work is taken care of. Councilors and other
academic-folk notoriously misplace or misinform students of what classes
they need to take or of the status of entrance examinations and other
routine procedures. They’re not bad people (well, most of them) they just
have a lot on their plates. It pays to stay on top of things and to keep
your paper-work organized.
24. Apply for a new job if need be. If you’re planning on working
part-time or at another job while you’re going to school, look for a new
job and apply other places. Give it at least six weeks before you start
school so you can get into the groove of learning a new job as well as
learning at school. During the interview, a prospective employer may ask the
inevitable question: “why did you leave your former place of employment?”
Fight the urge to blurt out: because my boss was a jerk! Be
honest (well not that honest). Tell them, “I am pursing a(n)
A.A./B.A./B.S./M.S./P.H.D and my former place of employment did not allow
me the time to do so.” Who knows, they might be highly impressed by your
ambition, not to mention your good looks and winning smile.
25. Stock up on good cans of soup and non-perishable goods.
Spending less money on a daily basis adds up. Let’s face it: if you’ve got a
student loan, or if you’re paying for school yourself, your days of
expendable income are over.
26. And now for the finale: Quit your job! There is not much more
to it. Give two weeks notice if you please, or just cause a scene and
get thrown out of the building. Either way, you’ll be going to school
and you are not likely to ever have to see their faces again.
It’s all very easy. The hard part is getting started. Once you’ve made the
decision to quit your job, although you may put your blinders on, look
for other alternatives. Perhaps your boss would be willing to keep you
on staff part-time instead of full-time. Some employers may even keep
you on as an independent contractor and you can work freelance or from home.
And get this: some employers will pay for your education!
That’s right! Many employers value the personal growth of their
employees. After all, the more you know, the more useful you are to
them. This will save you a job and some money.
Getting an education is easier than ever before these days. With some
careful, thoughtful planning and some well-timed decision making (and
unbridled passion for good measure), you can be on your way to living the
good life with a degree under your belt.
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