Life tip from my own experienceIgnore getting a diploma for now . A bachelors degree is a requirement for a few fields like engineering , psychology , law or accounting etc . However it doesn ' t mean nearly as much as you think it does in most generalist white collar roles . Look around and try to pick a job you ' d really like to have in 510 years . Get an entry level position somewhere related to that industry . Try and work as close to or better yet get mentored by the people who do that job . Help them in your own time if you need too . Show initiative , motivation and communicate that you want to get to where you want to be . If you think that the job you ' ve chosen absolutely requires the degree to get to where you need to be then go for it , however experience and a solid resume will trump a piece of paper plenty of times . If you have the drive and even the slightest amount of aptitude to be in that position , people above you will see that and they will move mountains to help you achieve that goal honestly . I started out in IT call centres 810 years ago , and now make just under 200 k as a project manager with no degree and i ' m not yet 30 . If you want to be a manager at KFC when you ' re 30 ? No problem mate your goal is your goal , it doesn ' t matter what it is . However you generally won ' t get there by being ' best mates ' with the current floor manager . You get there by observing and learning how they interact with staff differently from everyone else and understanding what it takes to do that job then putting in to action what you learn . If you want to be somewhat sucessful in 1015 years Don ' t aim for the next job , aim for 23 jobs ahead and try and map out what steps you ' ll need to take to get there . A diploma or degree alone is rarely what will get you there .