Anything is possible! To answer your question clearly, yes! It’s absolutely possible to earn a college degree while working full-time. The real question is “How do you do it?”
Rising to the Challenge
There is no one way to navigate your college workload because everybody’s lifestyle and work schedule is different. There are a lot of variables in determining whether your particular situation will make it possible to earn a university degree while working full-time. While it is most certainly possible to work a full-time job and go to college, there will be some factors that make it challenging. However, when it comes to pursing a college education, everything will be a challenge!
Let’s talk about some of the variables that make it possible to work full-time and attend a university.
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Type of Degree Program
Depending on what you want to study, some degree programs might not allow you the flexibility to take classes while working full-time. Some collegiate programs might only offer classes in the daytime. Others might only be offered at night. If you’re working a full-time job, this may certainly pose a problem. Florida National University (FNU) offers day and night classes making it easy for almost any working professional to earn his or her college degree. As a fully accredited university, we award Associates of Arts and Science, Bachelors of Arts and Sciences, and master degrees. We also provide non-credited courses for continuing education as well as for those who might be undecided about committing to a credited degree programs. You can take a look at all of our collegiate programs on our online page here.
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Location of Your University
If you live in the South Florida area, then it might be most beneficial to look for universities that are located nearby. The South Florida area is highly populated. This can pose quite the challenge for commuters driving from work, to school, or vice-versa. The closer your job is to your university, the better chance you’ll have at easily commuting to and from work. Also, the traffic in the South Florida area, Miami in particular, can get very congested. It’s not uncommon to spend up to additional 45 minutes in traffic on top of your regular commute. As a college student, time becomes extremely valuable. Forty-five minutes might be the difference between scoring a 95 or an 89 on your exam—a score that can greatly affect your GPA.
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Taking Courses Online
If you’re enrolled in a degree program that allows you to take some, or even all of their courses online, then we encourage you to do it!
For FNU degree programs that you can take online, the courses won’t be easier. The curriculum will be the same as if you were to register for classes in any of our brick and mortar campuses. However, the flexibility it provides is something that a traditional classroom setting would not be able to do. Taking an FNU online course allows you as the student to organize classroom time around your work schedule. With traditional classroom settings, it’s the other way around. If you choose to take an online course, you’ll have the flexibility to take classes anytime and anywhere. You’d be eliminating any commuting time, and you’d also save money on gas, tolls, and parking expenses.
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Transferring Credits
Transferring existing credits into a collegiate program will lessen the required amount of credit hours one must need to complete. Thus, making it a little easier to work full-time and attend a university.
You might be returning to college to get another degree. It’s not uncommon for new FNU students to have an associates or bachelor’s degree from another accredited educational institution and come to FNU to pursue a higher degree. In cases like this, if the university that you’ve earned your degree from is accredited, then it’s possible that some of your credits can be transferred toward your degree program. Exactly how many credits will be determined by your FNU advisor and the department head of the degree program you’re pursuing.
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Clinical Hours
In this case, it really depends on the degree program you enroll into. For FNU’s Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, and other medical degrees, students must complete a certain amount of clinical hours before earning their degree. Some FNU medical students might already be working in a healthcare environment that might allow them to complete their required number clinical hours there. This too may make it a bit easier to work a full-time job while earning a college degree. Here again, a situation like this is contingent on the type of degree program you’re enrolling in.
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Work Where You Go to School
If you happen to work at a university, some colleges offer a tuition discount for their employees. This is an exceptional opportunity, because you’re getting a quality education at a discount rate. Furthermore, your employer may be a little more understanding and a bit more flexible with your work hours if they know that you’re attending the university as a student.
If you’re currently employed at a college or university full-time, check your employee benefits to see if there’s a possible tuition discount. This is yet another way for a full-time employee to attend a university and earn his or her college degree.
Florida National University: Helping You Achieve Your Goals
When it comes to chasing your dreams and goals, anything is possible! If you’re interested in learning about what kind of educational opportunities are available to you, contact an FNU advisor and schedule an appointment today. We also offer financial aid services to help make college more affordable for you. Don’t delay, start the enrollment process now.
