Should I go back to school for Data Science after a Education degree? Looking for honest advice
Hi everyone, I need some honest advice and I think this community would give me a straight answer.
I have a Bachelor's degree in Education and I trained as a teacher but I genuinely hate it. It never felt right for me.
Over the past few years I have been teaching myself new skills — virtual assistance, data entry, workflow automation using tools like Zapier, Make and Airtable. And honestly? I love it. For the first time I actually enjoy what I'm learning and I can see myself building a career in it.
Now I'm seriously considering going back to school to do a degree in Data Science or Data Analysis. But I'm torn because:
I'm already 30 and starting over feels scary
I don't know if a degree is necessary or if self learning and certifications are enough
I've heard data science is very math heavy — I have a math background from my education degree so that could help
I'm based in Kenya so opportunities here may be different from what people in the US or UK experience
Has anyone made a similar career switch? Was going back to school worth it or would you recommend online certifications instead? Would love to hear from people who have actually done this.