Continuing education
refers mostly to teaching and training that is geared towards adults who already have working experience. It's fairly easy to find places to continue your education, but it can be hard to balance school with your other responsibilities.
Instructions
1. Find basic adult education courses in your area if you need to get your GED. You should be able to take both the courses and the test for free because most programs are state funded. Expect to spend about 10 hours a week in class preparing for the GED test.
2. Set goals for your continuing education and decide if you want to take classes for enrichment or if there are certain disciplines that could help you further your career. Contact local universities and adult education centers to ask for information about their short-term degree and certification programs.
3. Examine your monthly budget and determine how much money you can use for continuing education classes. Large universities and online programs tend to be more expensive than community colleges, but the level of instruction may be worth your investment.
4. Look at your work and home schedules to find out when the best time would be to take a class. Make a note of programs that have evening courses, but remember that you may need to find a babysitter during those hours. Consider taking online classes so you can work from home.
5. Fill out and submit your application to become a non-traditional student. Admission into general studies programs or those that aren't for credit is usually a simple process, but expect a detailed review and some competition if you're applying to something like an MBA or nursing course of study.
6. Ask your employer if you can be reimbursed for some of the costs to continue your education. Prepare yourself to explain how the classes you take will help benefit the company and don't expect easy approval of courses that aren't related to your field.
