When you go to college, you have some big choices to make. Not only do you have to choose which individual classes to take, but you also have to decide what to major in.
You don’t have to be going to college to start a career. You can return to college to rejuvenate your career, even if you’ve been in the workforce for decades. However, you still have many of the same difficult decisions to make that younger college-goers have to face.
No matter why you find yourself back at school, or what your age, you may want to consider taking at least one class in entrepreneurship.
1. It’s Relevant to Every Industry
Unlike other classes and other majors that are very specific to certain industries, entrepreneurship is relevant to them all. Anyone can become an entrepreneur in any field!
If you like the idea of getting a degree in entrepreneurship instead of just taking a class or two, consider a college that specializes in entrepreneurship. For example, Sierra Nevada College offers an entrepreneurial leadership degree that is grounded in the humanities. “Our required courses provide you with a solid educational foundation and also help you to select the fields in which you wish to concentrate during your college years.” That includes classes in creativity, leadership, and sustainability.
It doesn’t matter if you’re interested in fashion, technology, or the environment, the things you learn in an entrepreneurship class will help you find purpose in whatever career you choose.
2. You Can Practice Your Skills Without Costly Failures
Failure is an important ingredient to success. However, some failures are more costly than others. Those who attempt to run their own business and fail can find themselves losing tens of thousands of dollars. Cushion yourself from costly failures and provide yourself with an environment that enables you to fail in a safe way by taking classes in entrepreneurship.
You still have the possibility of failing a paper, failing a class, or seeing your idea crash and burn before it even gets off the ground, but experiencing these failures in class makes them much easier to overcome than experiencing an entrepreneurial failure in the real world.
3. You’ll Build a Network Before You Even Get Started
Networks are extremely important in business. However, building that network isn’t easy, and it takes a lot of time. For example, those in the throes of their career must build their network by:
- Attending community events
- Having a presence online, like LinkedIn
- Volunteering to participate with teams at work
- Reaching out via phone and email to make connections
Taking a class can teach you a lot about entrepreneurship, but it also provides you with a built-in way to start creating your network before you even start your own business. You will automatically make connections with your classmates, and instructors will bring other connections into the classroom, all without you having to spend any additional time or energy on making those connections.
4. It Can Help You Find Your Passion
Making money is necessary for most of us to survive, but we all want to do more than that—we want to thrive. It turns out, this is important for business too. Companies that are built around passion are more likely to succeed, and you’re more likely to want to put in the work to make them succeed when you’re passionate about what you do. Taking a class in entrepreneurship can help you uncover your passion as you study how to be a successful business owner and leader. You may discover your passion on your own, or your classmates may be able to help you brainstorm what kinds of careers you should consider based on what you’re good at in class.
5. You’ll Feel like You Have More Control over Your Career
We may not have complete control over our lives, but feeling like we have some control is important. That’s especially the case at work. Working for someone else can bring you a certain level of peace of mind, but it won’t take long before you realize your career and livelihood are completely dependent on someone else. That’s not the case when you’re an entrepreneur.
If you want to have more control over the trajectory of your career and your income, classes in entrepreneurship are a good first step.
Are you feeling stuck in your career? Getting ready to enter the workforce, but not sure what industry to enter? Classes in entrepreneurship might be the perfect choice for you!
For more great college advice, check out the other blogs on College Basics.
