Now that it’s November and school is in full swing across the state, many young adults who had considered going back to school may be kicking themselves for not enrolling this fall – seemingly stalling their future career plans for months. “Watching your friends head to school is hard, and it may seem like you’ve missed the boat on your future,” said Larry Brueck, president of Everest College-Bedford Park. “In reality, though, your situation may actually be a blessing in disguise.” Brueck offers the following tips to aspiring college-bound students to kick off their career plans – regardless of what the calendar says.

Get an internship – Classroom study is not the only way to learn. An internship is a great way to get an inside glimpse of an industry or a particular occupation, and can help you discover if the career you are considering is right (or wrong) for you. When it’s time to enroll, you can draw from your real-world experience for coursework and classroom discussions, which may help distinguish you from your peers. Internships also reflect well on resumes.Consider schools with flexible enrollment – Not every school has rigid enrollment dates, and some, like Everest College, offer enrollment year-round. Instead of traditional semesters, Everest courses are in modules, with new classes beginning approximately every month. “Why put your education on hold when you don’t have to?” Brueck said. “For example, Everest’s programs can be completed in less than a year – by the time the enrollment period rolls around at other schools, you could be on your way to a diploma or embarking on a new career.”

Maximize your resources – Use this in-between time to learn as much as you can about your potential career field using all the resources around you – whether that’s books, online research or face-to-face meetings with people in your desired field. Brueck suggests attending networking functions to hear insider advice from other professionals – in particular, what they wish they had known or had done differently at the start of their career.

In addition, visit campuses and speak with students about their studies and curriculum. This will give you a better sense of the coursework, student-faculty relationships and extracurricular opportunities at a particular institution. “Going back to school is a major undertaking, but it doesn’t have to disrupt your life,” Brueck said. “The period before enrolling in school can be invaluable to take inventory of your life and adjust your work and family responsibilities to better focus on your studies once school begins.”