by Jim Smoot

Created on: August 05, 2008

When I was a teenaged boy, I hated school. All I could think about was graduating and starting to work and earn money. Most of what I was learning seemed like useless information, and I could not see how it would help me with the rest of my life. Earning a college degree was the furthest thing from my mind.

Flash forward ten years. I found myself working in another dead-end job that did not pay much more than minimum wage. I had the experience to move into management, in fact, I had more experience and practical knowledge than many of the managers I had worked for. What I lacked was a degree, and the company I was working for had a policy that managers had to have a Bachelor degree. So I found myself heading back to school.

Somewhere over the years an amazing transformation occured; I started to like going to school, and I found that I was good at it. After years of jobs that were going nowhere, I could see the relevance of a good education. The average student who never worked at improving his grades was now an "A" student. Life had taught me the importance of being able to speak and write well. I could see how math could benefit me. I also learned why the company I had worked for did not hire managers without a degree. The wide array of topics that were coverd in the classes I took allowed me to be more comfortable in different situations, and I could converse intelligently with a much more diverse group of people.

I earned my Bachelor of Science in restaurant Management with a minor in Business Administration in just over 2-1/2 years. In that time I learned a considerable amount of specialized information about my chosen field of study, but I also learned other skills that have been of great benefit over the years, both in business, and as a writer.

First, and most importantly, I learned that it is never to late and you are never too old to work at improving yourself. Regardless of where you are in life, there are windows of opportunity that you need to be able to take advantage of. Look at your time in school as an investment in your future. I started back to school when I was 30. At that time I looked at my life and figured that in 4 more years I would be 34 with or without the degree. Don't let your age be an excuse for not pursuing your education.

Secondly, I learned practical life skills like how to examine facts logically in order to make a more informed decision. The ability to gather information about topics or issues that I am unfamiliar with has been invaluable in many areas of my life. If a question comes up about almost anything, I am able to find what I need to know.

The third important thing I learned is that I am capable of doing a lot more than I previously thought. That has given me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. I am more willing to take risks because I have the confidence in my abilities to succeed.

I have since returned to school and earned a Masters in Business Administration, and I am now in a job that provides a great opportunity for the future. Was returning to school easy? No. It created some difficult financial times, but that was short lived. In the long run it has paid off in ways I never would have believed possible.

My advice is to take the opportunity to return to school and get your degree. You'll be gald you did.

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