Returning to School, Essay Example

School is an essential part of everyone’s life. There is no need to point out those benefits, which proper education gives each student. It is logical to assume that one can find nice well-paid job only being competent and skillful. Nonetheless, for most of young students college or university classes are rather boring activity. The true value of education is recognized only when person can clearly identify those benefits and advantages one may derive from it. Unfortunately, many students suppose that knowledge, career success, and fortune are those things that can be achieved during one’s life without any efforts. Usually when school ends, young people face absolutely new environment and reconsider many things. Deciding to get academic degree older people often have totally another thinking of what school is and can easily identify those factors that drive them to enter some college or university.

I have entered Ashford University when I have understood that I need an accounting degree. There are several reasons of why I have decided to return to school since I finished my first degree almost twenty years ago. I work as a technical supervisor at City Health and Hospital Corporation. Trying to get better job occupation I have realized that I need economic degree in order to meet qualifications to occupy higher position at the institution I work in. Though position of technical supervisor requires both medical and technical knowledge, it does not offer any options for further career success. This is a kind of managerial position and the lack of economic education restricts my career growth. As I work in the field of heath care and medicine for almost twenty years, I have gained a lot of experience that will become even more useful in future. Nonetheless, a lot of benefits may be derived from it only if I will combine both managerial experience and economic education. According to Donald Asher, “returning students are about equally motivated by continued personal growth and career development issues. In fact, they may not be separate goals, even in students who cite one or the other as their primary aspiration” (Asher 2009).

On the one hand, one can argue the fact that getting second degree is not the only option because the knowledge of accountancy can be gained though self-learning and trainings. On the other, New York City is quite demanding. This means that person needs to be a lot more credible and qualified in order to compete on the labor market in this city than in any other. Therefore, it is logical that I can get proper knowledge only by returning back to school and studying. Secondly, working for a large corporation requires awareness of not only basic accounting data, but also dealing with GAAP’s, material controls, and sales proceeds. Professional learning in credible institution, based on the most recent data and economic tendencies, can provide me with good background for future career success.

Finally, daily routine leaves absolutely no time to my personal development. As we live in economic society, where salaries are influenced by inflation rates and oil prices, fortune and prosperity depend on knowledge of economy. As I am forty years old, I am quite interested in both accountancy and economy as a whole. This is one of the main criteria that influenced my return to school. Analyzing different aspects of my life, such as buying real estate, annual expenditures, profit of the corporation I work in, I have realized that I am interested in cash flow and economic principles. Accountancy is one of the sciences that study the very concept of economy from somewhat different perspective. Unlike other economic sciences, it allows person to monitor market economy from within. I think that returning back to school will help me to learn about those things I do not know about now. Moreover, I suppose that returning to university will both satisfy my interest in some economic issues and ensure my personal development. “As more employees compete over positions which cannot be easily off-shored, we are likely to see that competition raises the bar regarding what credentials will provide employees with a competitive edge”. (Salemi 2008)

Most of my colleagues and relatives support my idea of getting the degree in accountancy despite of the fact I am forty years old. However, during the first day of my studies I thought this was quite controversial issue because of my age. I have realized that from career perspective returning back to school may not bring a lot of benefits. Nevertheless, I thought that I could at least increase my knowledge and become smarter. In fact, when I started my studies, I have considered that the way I perceived myself as a student is totally different from the one I had a while ago. Now I have clearly identified what advantages knowledge of accountancy may bring me. For this reason my efforts in studying and desire to learn something new have also changed. What was considered to be boring and routine activity is now perceived as a pleasant and interesting free time.

Works Cited

Asher, D. (2009). Top 7 reasons to go back to school. Degrees and Training. April 20, 2009. <http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Departments/AdultLearning/?article=7ReasonsBacktoSchool>.

Salemi, Vicki. (2008). Six reasons to go back to school this year. April 20, 2009. <http:/ /www.cps.neu.edu/cps/uploadDocs/MSN.pdf>.