Why Wait? 5 Clear Benefits to Year-Round College Start Dates
If you’ve decided to make a career change that requires a college education, you probably already have a vision of your fulfilling new career in mind. But hold on a second—there’s a problem you may not have considered yet. Unless your timing is impeccable, chances are you’ll need to wait a few months before you can start taking classes at most colleges.
That’s because the majority of colleges still run on a traditional semester timeline, meaning you can only start school at the beginning of fall or spring (and sometimes summer). Some colleges, like IBMC College, offer year-round class start dates. We often hear from students that it’s one of the greatest benefits of attending the vocational college.
If you’ve decided on your new career, you might not be willing to wait around for months to start career training. Even if you’re the patient type, you should know that there are several major benefits to starting school immediately.
1. Start When it Makes Sense For You
You’ve heard the old cliché: your college education is an investment in yourself. It’s true. The fact is that’s it’s your education, so pick a starting point that’s convenient for you — not the college you attend. Your best time may not be in fall or spring.
Especially in 2020/2021, winter could be an excellent time to start your education in Colorado. Cold weather will limit our outdoor activities, while the pandemic will likely put a damper on indoor social events. Keeping busy with your education will help you to continually improve during this strange period. Summer is also a great time to start, but it may be more difficult if you have children that are on break. Regardless of the season, the best time to start is usually right away.
2. Focus on Fewer Courses and Learn More
At IBMC College, courses start every five weeks. That means they end every five weeks, too. It may sound daunting to complete a class in little more than a month, but don’t sweat it. Students typically take just two courses at a time, meaning they’re able to take a deep dive into the subject matter without distraction. It’s the perfect way to focus your learning—especially if you felt the number of classes in high school was too overwhelming.
At most community colleges and 4-year schools, students tend to juggle four or five different courses at once—for about 15 weeks. With five week courses, you’re learning the same amount of content, but in a much less stressful manner.
3. Lower Commitment with Shorter Course Length
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we don’t know what the world will look like a year from now—let alone in a few months. We’re all planning in the short-term, and that means bigger commitments can be tough to make. Chipping away at your diploma or degree in increments of five weeks can be a helpful way to increase your chance of success. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything for five weeks.
What’s more, many of IBMC College’s programs can be completed in as little as 10 months total. By committing to less than a year of career training, you can come out of college with better career prospects and greater earning potential.
4. Take a Short Break if You Need it
While we don’t recommend taking a break from your education unless you have to, the fact is, sometimes it’s necessary. Family emergencies occur, financial situations change—life happens. At a school with frequent start dates, you can take a five week break, then hop right back in at the next start. Of course, it will increase the length of your program, but it could save your sanity when it feels like you just can’t trudge forward.
At a community college or 4-year school, you’ll need to wait until the semester is over—about 15 weeks. Otherwise, you could risk failing a class and wasting your tuition if you’re unable to attend the remainder of the course. Simply put, it’s not a good idea to take a break mid-semester.
5. Start Your New Career Sooner
The sooner you graduate with a degree or diploma in your field of study, the sooner you can start your new career. That means with more frequent class start dates, you can get in, get the training you need and get out and start establishing yourself in the workforce more quickly.
Additionally, starting your college education at a non-traditional time of year could allow you to graduate at a time when most others don’t. You could benefit from a job market is less flooded with resumes of other recent grads. That means you’ll have a better chance of landing your new career right away.
Stop Waiting for the Right Time to Start
Wise parents will tell you that there will never be a perfect time to have children—you just have to jump in and do it. The same is true for starting your college education. Whether you’re looking to become a Dental Assistant, Cosmetologist or a Paralegal, waiting will do you no good.
IBMC College has convenient year-round start dates so you can begin your career training now. Take the first step today by scheduling a no-pressure campus tour in Fort Collins, Greeley or Longmont, Colorado.
