With the rising cost of living these days, you have to examine everything more carefully, especially tuition costs. Whether it is college or university, you may end up paying back the government for several years. So it’s definitely something that deserves a lot of thought ahead of time. Financial security or insecurity will reflect heavily on you during your post-grad life. Will it be worth it – all those years of coffee and late nights with little or no sleep?

It’s ultimately your life, and your decision. But consider these factors as well:

• The demand for your chosen career. Unfortunately, some careers have more people interested than there are positions available. You can still do what you love – just consider alternative options. For example, Education is one of those careers that have more people than positions within Ontario, to be specific. Administrative positions within a school are always a consideration (such as a principal), along with consultants. Management is another alternative as well. Student advisors are great at listing alternative options that you may have not previously considered.

• The cost of tuition – is it reasonable? Some tuition amounts don’t necessarily relate to the amount of years you’d spend earning that diploma. Consider the average entry-level salary for your chosen career – does it match up? This is particularly important as you’re most likely to spend years paying off that debt – you want it to be reasonable in relation to the career. The higher the demand for your skills, the easier (and sooner) you’ll be to pay the loan off instead of spending months looking for that perfect job.

• Experience is another factor – this is a strong consideration for employers when you start job hunting post-graduation. I would strongly recommend that you consider placements to bolster your experience – it can often count for academic credit, and it will be related experience that you can use on your resume. Employers are always looking for experience related to the position that you’re applying for, and it’s trickier (but not impossible) to prove that you’re the person for the job without some related experience. If you don’t have a placement, consider part-time jobs that are related to your major/chosen career.

• And lastly, consider your interest in the career. If it’s something that you’re not as passionate about when compared to other majors – consider it as a minor. Or a double major, if that’s an option. You should be interested in something that you want to do for the rest of your life, and it’s something that you need to be passionate about.

After assessing these four factors; demand, cost, experience and interest, you may be able to answer the question: Is the cost of education worth it for my career? The answer is always in your hands.