My years at university were long and expensive ( … but fun too)
When I was at secondary school, there was an expectation that I would go to university. In fact, pretty much all of us were expected to go to university, and most of us did. In fact, I spent years at university and I loved it! I got an undergraduate degree in Science, then a post graduate diploma in Industrial Relations and Human Resources, and then a Masters degree in Commerce.
My undergraduate degree in Science was a bit like getting an Arts degree. Whilst the education was wonderful, and I picked up some incredible knowledge and skills along the way, at the end of it all I wasn’t really qualified to do a particular job, like someone who does say a nursing degree. So after a degree like Science (and plenty of others), you kind of need to go and get further education so that you can do something more specific.
One of the problems with getting a degree, as impressive as it is when you’re finished, is the fact that your preferences can change drastically over time. When I enrolled in my Science degree I was 17 years old. I knew I liked science, but I didn’t really know what aspect of science I wanted to work in. I just knew that I liked learning about it, because it was fascinating to me. At the end of my four years of Science (I took an extra year because I did my change my mind half-way through – I no longer wanted to major in Chemistry, I was more interested in Psychology and Neuroscience), I still wasn’t really qualified for anything. So I decided to put my interest in psychology into postgraduate studies where I could apply my psychology skills to the workplace.
And that’s what I did. But … I didn’t want that forever. And doing something drastically different to what I was trained in … how would I do that? I didn’t want to go back to university. I’ll come back to this later.
During my years of study, like most people, I worked part-time in retail. The small amount of money I earnt in retail kept me going while I studied full time. I did this for SIX YEARS. And of course, the university fees were racking up. With every subject I did, I would add to my debt. I didn’t think about it much at the time. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately though, and how much things have changed since I went to university. If I were just out of school and contemplating my further education now, I can tell you I would do things VERY differently.
The costs of college degrees around the world. OUCH.
When I went through university, it was expenisive. Every year it gets even more costly. I found these images on cnbc.com. It shows the average costs of college tuition around the world. It shows that in some lucky countries, the cost of college tuition is free. In other countries like Australia, the UK and the US as many of us have learnt firsthand, the cost of higher education comes at a massive cost, with many college graduates carrying their debts for years and sometimes decades to come.
This must be a daunting prospect for young people considering their options now. Combine that with the cost of housing and it's kind of scary.
There are now more alternatives to a college degree than before
Whilst there have always been alternatives to a college education, with technology there is really no limit as to what we can learn, how, and when we can learn it. And the options can be far more affordable.
The world of education and the availability of information is changing. Jobs are changing too. There are jobs that exist now that just didn't exist when I was at university. Kids who are going through school now want to do things like be a YouTuber or professional blogger. And these are not fantasy jobs, these are legitimate careers that people going through the early stages of their education can and will do. They won't necessarily rely on the traditional model of education to get there though.
People are now also changing their careers multiple times throughout their lives, so the availability of accessible and cost effective learning to help people re-skill is becoming critical. And being able to do this without the price tag of a degree is crucial.
There is a new model of learning and education
You no longer need to go to university to build a legitimate career.
You do NOT have to wait four years just to get a degree in an area that might not be your passion, to work for someone else. You don't need to accumulate debt to pay for your learning. That is the old model of learning.
If you could learn a new profession for $359 per year, would you?
- And what if you could do this from your own home, in your own time?
- What if you could do this while you were still working full time?
- What if it was fun?
- What if you could put what you learn into practice from day one, and earn as you learn?
- What if you could take any passion and turn it into a livelihood?
You can. In fact, ANYONE can.
I did!
Meet the online learning platform that can change your life
You will learn how to build your own sustainable online business with Online Entrepreneur Certification.
You can get started with level 1 and level 2 for free. If you like it, you can sign up for the rest of the training:
There's loads more training, if you choose to do it. There's the weekly live training run by Jay, the Wealthy Affiliate live training coach. If you can't make it to the webinar, they are recorded and available for you to replay whenever you feel like. Here's a selection of some recent ones. You can see that the focus in the last month or so has been on YouTube videos:
The topics for the live training change from week to week and cover a range of topics about affiliate marketing and online business. They are invaluable.
There's also Affiliate Bootcamp if you choose to do it. Another 70 modules of learning, to do in your own time, at your own pace:
In addition to this training, there is a whole suite of other training developed by the community, that is arranged within 'classrooms', and you can search throughout the classrooms to find the exact piece of training that you need.
Creating your career, or changing careers to one that you love is very doable, without having to study for four years to do it. Without the price tag. From your own home. You can even continue to work full time or part-time while you learn, putting your learning into practice every day, on your own fully hosted websites.
For anyone contemplating university or college, but feel unsure, give this a go. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Leave me a comment or a question below and I’ll be happy to help. I wish you every success with your learning.
This is a great read. Full of motivation.
The period spent on courses that took you 4-6 years in average in a college or university and following the traditional way on how education has to evolve for a person is absolutely true.
But painful also to know that this type of education can push you to end up in debts in countries like the UK and the US is threatening.
Therefore, it’s better to spend only $359 per year and take a turning point leading to the Millionaires’ walkway.
Thanks for sharing this.
Wishing every success in the online journey.
Hi Phomrong, hindsight is interesting, isn’t it? I loved my studies at the time. All six years of it. I do believe though if I were to do it all again I would do it VERY differently. Particularly now, with access to online learning. $359 per year is negligible for the learning that is provided, and the career opportunity that it creates. I wish you every success also.
Cheers
Melissa
Hi Melissa
I hear you on the cost of university in Australia – I have two undergrad degrees and a debt just constantly hovering in the background. I am paying down a bit each fortnight voluntarily as I don’t earn above the threshold but at this rate I think my newborn nephew will be retired before I have paid it! I have a postgraduate course I keep eyeing off but my student debt keeps smacking me in the face to remind me how stupid that would be at this point. One Day.
I do love all the options kids have these days – my daughter did a Certificate II and a Certificate III whilst she was in senior high school, and a school-based apprenticeship. Unfortunately there were issues with the apprenticeship and the school removed her but it still counted towards her Year 12 Certificate. I’m currently trying to encourage my son to consider what he is going to do in the future so he can start whilst he’s in high school!
Regards,
Megan
Hi Megan, degrees (and post grad degrees in particular) are very expensive. There are so many great options now that I think it’s worthwhile thinking outside of the box when it comes to learning. Whilst university is obviously a great way to go, it isn’t the only way.
Cheers
Melissa
Melissa, I was lucky. I went to the University of New South Wales before payment was necessary. I also got an allowance TEAS that didn’t require repayment. Yes I was lucky.
I have never regretted doing these studies. I have worked in many places and met some fantastic people and had some memorable experiences.
I now am working via an online site. In fact the one you recommend here. And the best thing, other than the learning, is how much of my former education and working I can use when I am writing content for my site.
Love your article.
Ciao
Helen
Hi Helen, that’s great that you weren’t required to repay anything. I wish it was like that now. Like you, I never regretted doing my university studies. In fact, when I was in my early 30s I went back to do more postgraduate study while I was working. I suppose that since my studies I have realised that there are now alternatives. And these alternatives weren’t readily available when I was studying. If I were younger and about to embark on a course of study now, I know that I’d make very different choices to the ones I made before. Simply because there are far more options available without having to go into debt.
I’m glad that you can use your education in your online work now. All the very best to you.
Cheers
Melissa
When I was younger, I felt fully and completely daunted at the idea of going to university and racking up the bills and debts, but also the knowledge that, for the first 5 years out of university, you are earning barely a cent above minimum wage, which makes it almost impossible to start making a dint on the debt, let alone to start saving for a house. University pushes our timelines so far back – if we can’t pay our university fees, we can’t save for a house, and without a house, many feel they can’t start a family. Thankfully there are career choices out there, such as what Wealthy Affiliate provides, that people can get all the training they need for a very affordable price. Thanks for sharing this article.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts Josie. It’s great that there are now more affordable and flexible choices available for people who want to learn a new skill set.
All the very best,
Melissa
A lot of us in the UK are still struggling to pay off the loans we gathered in University and college all those years ago…it never seems to end!
I really wish the internet was offering this type of education back then. I clicked the link and checked out this education module, and it really does look impressive. Have I got this right in that I can sign up with this bunch for free and learn a certification free of charge?
Hi Chris,
Yes I hear you! It took me years to pay off my University education. I don’t regret it at all, but the fact that there are now more choices for people is awesome.
With the sign up link on my page, you can join for free for the first ten modules. The full suite of training is not free – that’s where the premium membership comes in. Paying annually reduces the cost substantially, down to $359 per year. Many people take advantage of the free modules, see if they think it will work for them, and decide to upgrade once they feel confident they’re making a good decision 🙂
All the very best Chris.
Cheers
Melissa
Thank you for this wonderful information; this helps me in my decision making process. I am uncertain if I want to forego a college education entirely, but I may decide to take a year or two off and pursue affiliate marketing for a this time. Or perhaps I will join Wealthy Affiliate and take advantage of all the training they have to offer while taking a few core courses part time at my local university. I haven’t decided exactly what I’d like to do just yet, but your article gives me some alternatives that were not on the table before. Thanks again!
Hi Shannon,
The fact there is now more choice is awesome! There are many higher education students who do online study in tandem, to add another string to their bow.
All the best with your decision making 🙂
Cheers
Melissa
I agree with the premise that you no longer need a 4 year degree to make a good living. The paradigm has changed. I have a Master’s Degree in Education, and while I am proud of my academic achievement, I spent way too much money on college and frankly I regret that part of it. I teach 8th graders and when we discuss college, I emphasize what they want to be is more important than where they go to school. If you desire to be an entrepreneur, a $360 investment in yourself is a bargain compared to 1000s spent on degree that may not go very far.
Hi Lee,
The paradigm certainly has changed. The fact there is more choice than ever is a huge win for people who are faced with making decisions about their learning. I’ve also been investigating Udemy of late, and there’s some great stuff there too.
All the best to you.
Cheers
Melissa
Hi Melissa, I went to university and graduated all the way to the Msc level. And I enjoyed every bit of it but I really like the alternative way of getting educated you have described in this post. In addition to my Bsc and Msc, I am getting more education here at the Wealthy Affiliate. The training is awesome, I would recommend it any day!
Hi Juliet,
Thanks for sharing your experience here. I’ve met so many people like you who are highly qualified, who still get value out of a different kind of online education. I agree that the training is awesome!
I thank you for stopping by and wish you all the best.
Cheers
Melissa
Hi Melissa
I can really identify with what you are saying here. Whilst I wouldn’t discourage anyone from getting a university education you have to be realistic about the cost and as you found out, it’s no guarantee of a career or even a job when you finish. I think one thing which universities don’t encourage, or mention at all really, is taking an entrepreneurial route. The emphasis is always on being attractive to employers rather than encouraging young people to take the knowledge they have learned and applying it to a business of their own.
The cost of higher education means that all but the very privileged have to work alongside their studies in order to survive. I wish Wealthy Affiliate had been around when I was a student, I think my life might have taken a very different course if it had been. I think any student who discovers Wealthy Affiliate would do well to sign up. Yes, it can take a while to show any significant profit, but do it alongside your degree and in after the three or four years spent at college you could find yourself well-placed to pay off your fees and student loans. You then have the choice to pursue a career in your field of study with Wealthy Affiliate as a side-hustle, or go full time with the skills you have developed at Wealthy Affiliate. You could even sell the online business you have developed alongside studying and have a nice nest-egg to set you up on your chosen career path. So many options open up with Wealthy Affiliate training under your belt!
Whilst there’s nothing wrong with burger-flipping your way through university I wish more students knew about the opportunities open to them from Wealthy Affiliate. Hopefully from reading this article, you will inspire the internet entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
Hi Ally,
I agree 100% about universities not really encouraging the entrepreneurial route. Opportunities like Wealthy Affiliate really can open up more possibilities!
All the best,
Melissa
For some people, getting a certification is important. Donning the Oxford cap is an accomplishment that makes their parents proud. If so, then going to college means everything at the expense of academic fees, of course. Not many people are comfortable learning online – there’s no actual tutor on the other end, you don’t get to mingle with other peers and you need to make sure that the programs are legit.
Nevertheless, online learning is becoming popular and for some people, it’s the only avenue they have for acquiring new skillset and also transitioning to a work-from-home career. One thing to take note though, you need to be accountable for the learning progress because no one will check on attendance or push you to the next level. The outcome of an online program is highly dependant on your own self-initiative.
Hi Cathy,
I agree, for MANY people getting an academic qualification is important, and it will continue to be important. I’m very proud of my qualifications and academic accomplishments.
I think the fact there is more affordable and flexible choices for people is a huge win. It opens up possibilities that weren’t available before. And yes, online learning means you have to be 100% accountable to yourself!
Thanks for stopping by Cathy and sharing your thoughts.
Cheers
Melissa