Education is an essential tool that helps society function and grows.

Not everyone chooses to continue with their education after high school, and instead decide to start their career journey as soon as possible. While this path is right for many people, others might not have been able to go to college for various reasons, even though they wanted to. Alternatively, some people might find themselves stuck in jobs they don’t like, and wonder if they made the right choice.

So, what do you do in those circumstances? You can stay put and feel dissatisfied, or you can dedicate some of your spare time to gaining a college education. Whether you enroll in a part-time or night class with your local community college or opt for an online degree program, it is possible to return to education. The big question is – is studying while you work worth it? Yes, and here’s why.

Career Progression

If you are stuck in a job you don’t like but aren’t sure how to make a change in career, an education can help you make this jump easier. Many employers like to see candidates with a college degree on their resume, as well as some work experience. If you know what you want to do for your career, but aren’t currently in the right role for that dream, you should look into studying a relevant subject that will help you get an entry-level job in the industry of your choice.

You might already be in a job you like, but your lack of education has limited your progression to higher roles in the company. Even if you already have a degree, studying to gets a master’s or Ph.D. would certainly make you stand out from other candidates. If you’re worried about having to take time off work to study, consider enrolling in an online degree program like this MBA UK, for example. This will mean you can fit your studies around your work schedule easier.

Self-Discovery and a Sense of Achievement

While future career prospects might be the main reason people choose to continue with their studies, there are many more personal benefits to consider. It’s an opportunity for self-discovery, and realize some of your hidden talents or find interests in new things that before you might never have given a second thought. A chance to test yourself and see how far you can be pushed to achieve your goals and to be proud of your efforts. Not only will you feel this way about yourself, but your friends and relatives will also be proud to see you work hard to achieve your goals, and you could become a role model for your kids or other members of your family, inspiring them to follow their dreams.

Studying While You Work – Is It Worth It? — Julia M Cameron Pexels

Exploring Your Interests

Yes, education can give you the chance to learn a lot about yourself, including what your interests are. You don’t have to return to study simply for the sake of your career, but perhaps you have discovered a new passion for learning and want to explore a subject in more depth, like economics or literature. Learning can be fun if approached in the right way, so this is another reason to think about studying while you work. It could help you feel more confident talking to your other colleagues and share your knowledge, or inspire you to start a new initiative at work based on what you have learned.

Maintain Your Lifestyle

A lot of people are worried that returning to education while they work will disrupt their lifestyle, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Yes, you might not have as much free time to socialize or watch your favorite TV shows because you’ll have to study, but at least you won’t have to worry about losing out on money each month. This is what is great about online learning, in particular, as you can fit it around your schedule and study at a time that suits you. This is why many people choose to study in this way rather than attend college full-time, as they can save on additional expenses such as accommodation and transport when studying from home.

Networking Opportunities

Another perk of studying while you work is the potential for networking opportunities. You might find this easier if you’re attending physical classes, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t make connections from online learning programs as well. This is a big benefit to studying, as it’s a chance to make new friends, but you can also get a good reference from your tutors and discover work experience/job opportunities through them, too.

It will require you to dedicate time to your studies, and it might be a challenging experience, but studying while you work has so many benefits that it will be worth your efforts in the end.

Simply put, Mixer is a global private network for individuals working in art, fashion, film, music and other creative industries. Members must be invited to join the app-based social network, and in turn, they are able to showcase past and current projects while making one-to-one connections. Some of its current members include Rose McGowan, André Saraiva, Adrian Grenier, Lindsay Lohan, Cédric Hervet, Luke Pritchard, Adam Green, Zafar Rushdie and musicians from Major Lazor, St. Lucia, and Leon Bridges’ band.

The founders of Mixer come from very different backgrounds. Cody Simons graduated from Harvard with a degree in Statistics. Anis Bennaceur earned a Masters in Business from ESCP Europe, having worked in marketing at Tinder in France. Alex Carapetis is a drummer for both Wolfmother and Julian Casablancas + The Voidz; he has also toured with the likes of Ke$ha, Nine Inch Nails and Phoenix. Downtown had the pleasure of catching up with Cody, Anis and Alex for some Q&A about Mixer’s past, present and future.

More on Mixer can be found at www.joinmixer.com, while Mixer can also be followed via Instagram and Facebook.

Andrew in action at a live Mixer event — Alex in action at a live Mixer event

How did you three first meet?

Alex Carapetis: Anis and I met two years ago over a pre-show steak frites lunch while I was on tour in France with Julian Casablancas + The Voidz. Anis booked me for an after show DJ gig at Le Baron in Paris. He told me about how him and his business partner Cody Simons were at the beginnings of creating a platform / app. They expressed interest in bringing me in as the chief creative. It was actually quite a serendipitous moment as the three of us were all looking to create an app for creatives kind of like LinkedIn meets Soho House. Over those next few months we integrated our visions and began to shape the scope of Mixer.

Did any of you work together on a project prior to launching the app?

Anis Bennaceur: No. Although, Alex DJed at a party I threw in Paris. Does that count?

Sure. How did the decision come to make your social network app-based rather than a website?

Cody Simons: Since we were focused on artists connecting with other artists, we wanted something that would be quick and easy to connect rather than something heavy-handed. We are also working on a website.

What is it that you look for in new members? Is there criteria for someone to get an invite?

AB: I’m looking for interesting art, alternative music from whatever you can listen to on the radios these days. Mostly, I think, before approving someone on the network, “How would this person be a good addition to all this userbase that we already have?”

CS: We are generally looking for people who have devoted their career to their trade — not hobbyists.

AC: Creatives — people in fashion, film, music, art, influencers, movers and shakers

Are there any projects that have come about as a result of your app that you are especially proud of?

AB: We are seeing extensive daily use and interaction on Mixer. All internal collaborations and projects are generally confidential unless they’re announced on other social media.

Is there a region where most of your users are? Or are they truly all over the place?

CS: Right now, Mixer’s membership is mostly concentrated in Los Angeles, New York, and Paris. We are working on growing our membership in London, Berlin, and some of the other creative markets in the U.S. — Nashville, Austin, Atlanta, Seattle, etc.

What’s coming up for Mixer in the near-future?

AC: We’ve just introduced our jobs section, which is growing daily and features some brilliant workplace opportunities for creatives. A beautifully-practical way to post jobs and look for paying jobs in the creative and arts industry.

CS: We are focused on growing the membership and getting more jobs on the platform. We have some major updates we’ve been working on coming out in the next month — stay tuned.

When not busy with Mixer, how do you like to spend your free time?

AB: Reading, I’m a bookworm, and I love biographies. I’m currently reading Claude Grudet’s. It’s fascinating.

AC: Music + Travel + Love.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?

AB: Epistrophy in Nolita, I always go for the hanger steak. And Blue Ribbon Sushi on Sullivan [Street], I go there every week — their popcorn shrimp tempura is a killer.

CS: We work in Nolita so we often go to Lovely Day and Tartinery for lunch

AC: La Esquina, Pepe Rosso, Vanessa’s [Dumplings], Sushi Seki.

Any upcoming concerts or events you have tickets to?

AC: I play drums with Wolfmother and I’m currently in Australia opening up for Guns N’ Roses. Pretty sweet tickets.

AB: I just go to smaller and more intimate concerts. I missed Splashh’s concert last week because of the snowstorm. So I’ll definitely see them at the Mercury Lounge at the end of next month

CS: Lemon Twigs Feb. 21 at Bowery Ballroom — they’ve got a cool sound.

Finally, any last words for the kids?

AB: Don’t ever, ever, ever worry about what other people think of you.

AC: Have fun, stay safe, live with love, put time into following your ultimate desires daily. Follow your dreams. Be good to your mother.