Do you need a degree or a short-course (6-10 weeks)?
Why should learning stop after college? A playbook of ideas to shape your next learning experience
Many of us frequently find ourselves contemplating things like ‘Maybe it’s time for another degree’ or ‘I don’t have experience in X and Y, so I need to study further’ or ‘He/she achieved A and B because they went to C and D grad school.’
In June 2020, while COVID-19 was at its peak in Australia and the job market uncertain, I was actively thinking about a second grad course. I realized this need for another degree was purely a response to a depressed job market and the growing peer pressure. So I engaged in several conversations and interviews with friends and fellow colleagues interested in lifelong learning to truly understand the key considerations to think about before taking the next step, be it a degree or a short course.
In this post, I share the questions and techniques I have used over the years, to shape my own learning experiences. The goal is for you to know what you are getting into and embark on a meaningful learning experience that works for you, and leads to your intended outcomes.
In Higher Ed, 2020 saw an expansion of ‘study at home’ options, including fully remote degrees offered by top global universities. Zoom schools and Zoom universities became common, MOOCs by Coursera, Udemy, and others picked up demand after years of going sideways.
We also witnessed the rise of cohort-based courses (CBCs) with radically low prices, study at your convenience programs, and developing peer-to-peer accountability systems. Institutions such as Lambda school, Springboard, and Guild Education are at the forefront of bridging the gap between education and employment, while drastically decreasing tuition fees.
On Deck, on the other hand, has emerged as a game-changer in lifelong learning. From the very beginning, they have emphasized the intention to unbundle and rebuild learning with curated community experiences, capped with the idea of peer-to-peer credentialing.
What does all this mean for lifelong learners? I call it a 'paradox of abundance' - learners are struggling to choose from all these new options - there are questions of the brand, credentials, and the overall utility of the programs.
For this post, I want to address it from the lens of someone who wants to learn and grow, and for them to truly understand the value of a full-time degree program and a short program (6-10 weeks), by asking probing questions and offering frameworks on how to answer them.
Q1. What is the value you are trying to get out of this program?
You want to make sure you are building a career with a spectrum of skills, rather than a series of disconnected learning and professional experiences. So here are three steps to understand the value of a program for your needs:
Articulate the value you'll get out of the program
List down three priorities or goals from your next learning experience.
Dig in further. Have a strong 'why' - why are these your priorities? For eg: Are you looking for a better job? Do you desire a global network? Are you looking to transition to another industry or a new role? Just experimenting?
Then jot down what a traditional university/MOOC/or one of the alternative education models offers you. In other words, do they offer what you want and need, and if so, to what extent?
This initial step requires a fair bit of reflection. Do your research, some informational interviews to get another perspective, and truly understand what outcomes you are looking for, and which programs fulfill them for you.
Outcome 1: Develop an understanding of your intended outcomes and goals
Q2. What are the pros and cons of pursuing a two-year degree and a short course?
Do your research
Research whatever you can about the course, funding, scholarships, institution, alumni, professors, careers, literally everything.
Some tips:
Through the university/institution website, you can download the program curriculum (if you can’t, email and follow up!).
You might be able to get an idea about different courses, authors, and professors that you will get to study. All of this information can be found online with a little digging around the websites and social media.
Website scans to understand skills you will learn, pedagogy used by different instructors, and possible job prospects.
Learn about alumni networks, peer-to-peer networks. We live in a world where our networks, communities, and social capital is everything. That's where we find our dream job, opportunities, and even our life partners!
I would highly recommend speaking to at least 4-5 current students and alumni. Why 4-5? After a few conversations on the same topic, you'll start to notice patterns in advice and experiences.
Before you send out a cold email to current students or alumni, engage with their digital profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter. This is important because you may learn something about their skills, interests, or career trajectory that could be a good starting point for a conversation.
One way to make sure that you get a response to your cold emails or LinkedIn/Twitter DMs is by being sharp and specific about your request, giving them enough time to respond, and following up in 5 days or more. Some great tips on cold emails and DMs can be found here and here.
Your research and informational interviews will allow you to filter the pros and cons of a full-time degree versus a short program. Here is a template of how you can engage in a pros and cons exercise. In case you are thinking about two or more different kinds of universities or courses, you can have multiple such tables.
Outcome 2: Weighed the pros and cons of pursuing specific programs and gained clarity on which option works
Q3: How do you approach the application process?
Whether you decide to pursue a 2-year Master’s degree or a short program for 6-12 weeks, one thing is common - the application takes time, effort, and iterations.
Start early and iterate
Like any important deliverable, don't expect to write any application overnight. It takes time to build perspectives on your experiences and capture them eloquently on paper. Check out Naval's rule of 10,000 iterations. He says, 'it's not so much about putting 10,000 hours, but you take 10,000 tries at something.' The point is to get closer to your desired result - admission into your course/program of your choice.
To pursue a quality application, begin by staying on top of application deadlines for all the institutions you decide to pursue. Backward map your application process, depending on the institutions and programs, at least 3 months for short courses and 9-12 months for full-time degree programs.
Quick Tip: Backward Mapping or Planning is a common practice among educators. It is a way of thinking, where the destination is designated before mapping the route. It starts with identifying your goal and then working backward to map a route to reach that goal.
In this case, Backward mapping involves: knowing which programs/universities you want to apply to —> why —> application deadlines —> application requirements —> plan, prepare, and iterate everything in middle (scholarship applications, standardized tests, transcripts, SOPs, etc).
A 12-15 month timeline allows enough time finding the right kind of scholarships, conducting informational interviews, taking standardized tests (if you need to), arranging transcripts from previous institutions, referral letters, preparing a resume, finding tips and techniques for writing a compelling statement of purpose (SOP), preparing essays or portfolio. I bet, if it doesn't feel like a full-time job, you are missing something!
Different countries have different admission timelines, guidelines, and requirements. I suggest creating a spreadsheet that captures application requirements and timelines for different programs and institutions and consistently referring to them. I've shared a basic template that you can start with and build off of.
Even if you decide to pursue a short program, it's not like you can just show up and start right away. Many of these courses and programs run on stipulated time frames and are usually held twice or thrice every year, depending on the provider.
It is useful to calendar these dates ahead of time, in order to have some preparation time for a successful application. If you are starting an online course on Udemy, Coursera, or Masterclass, you might be lucky to start it straight away.
Outcome 3: By now, you know what it takes to put together a compelling application. You know which program you want to apply to and the value it adds to your existing profile. You are on track to begin your application.
Additional tips:
Curate a Lifelong Learning Plan
If you are still in dilemma, just like me, and can't find any program that captures all that you want to learn, it is time to break the false dichotomy between short-term credentials and full degrees. Curating your own lifelong learning plan is an option too. In other words, a personalized learning plan that works for you. This involves identifying individual courses or programs (could vary in length) from different providers or instructors that you want to pursue.
For example, let's say, I'm interested in learning more about product management, enhancing negotiation skills, sharpening number sense, and writing compelling blogs and essays. There is no single program or degree that offers this combination of courses, but a combination of different courses offered by several different education providers could give you the learning plan that serves you.
Here is a template from my lifelong learning plan on 'upgrading writing skills':
Today, learning a new skill or joining a new community of specialist peers is easier than ever before. There are several advantages to curating your own learning plan. It gives you the flexibility to learn exactly the skills you aspire to, at your own schedule, with limited cost, and peer-to-peer accountability.
Express Gratitude
As a mentor, it is disappointing to spend time helping someone only to never hear from them again. Not only am I curious about what happened after our interaction, but you’ve also missed an opportunity to build a long term relationship with someone who has already invested time and indicated an interest to help you in the past. This is why it’s so important to send thank you notes and follow up with your old managers, mentors, and peers.
No matter when you last interacted, I guarantee they’ll appreciate hearing what you’re up to and how they have helped (and can continue to help) you on your journey. Scheduling those thank you emails or regular check-ins with previous bosses or professors is a good place to start.
Quick Tip: One way to build this habit is just the way you schedule your fitness workouts or next meeting, you can schedule a recurring calendar invite that reminds you to send those thank you notes. Just a 'hi I am working on this XYZ project, thought you might be interested...' is always appreciated too.
If you enjoyed reading this and want to discuss anything, reach out via Twitter or LinkedIn DMs.
Additional Resources
Tune into Erik Torenberg's ideas on the future of Higher Education and read them here, the one that blew my mind is how to commoditize and decentralize lifelong learning.
What Color is Your Parachute - This was a pre-reading suggested by Harvard's career advisor even before I started grad school.
Some additional frameworks and resources on thinking about your career and learning experiences.
Applyboard, an online platform that is an end to end solution about studying abroad.
Marc Andreessen says get clear-eyed on what your education will give you.