I'm a dedicated life-long learner. I love reading, taking courses, and learning new things. I've taken numerous online classes, teleseminars, and evening classes at local universities for personal and career growth and just for the creative stimulation. However, it can be hard to fit continuing education into a busy life.
As my interests changed and grew over the years, I've had to change my learning strategy. I no longer had time to take classes at local universities. I was not the earliest adopter of online classes, but a few years ago I began taking classes to learn web design over the Internet. The first online class I took was very frustrating. I was in a fast-paced interactive class where everybody else already knew quite a bit more than I did. I dropped out after three weeks.
I tried another online class that was not interactive. You just logged into the website, read online lectures about the topic, and then answered some questions. There were about ten lectures and you could complete them over a three month period. It sounded really easy, but I couldn't do it. I found the noninteractive format too boring to keep my interest.
I began to pay more attention to what the online class or course offered. I checked the credentials of the instructor and what people said about the class. If there was some excitement about the class, and the instructor was well known in his or her field, I found the class was much more enjoyable and kept my interest.
Whether you have a family, a career, or are already retired, you want to get the most out of the time you give to learning. Here are my tips for making learning fun and easy:
- Make sure your schedule is free enough to take the class. It's awful to have to cram or lose sleep, when you could be having an enjoyable learning experience.
- Choose short courses that you are really interested in. You can get a lot out of a one or two day workshop, and you don't risk losing energy or interest.
- Take online classes that are short, structured, and interactive. Check out what people say about the instructor.
- If you're learning anything technical online, like software, be sure to check into what the prerequisites are. If you have any doubts, take the introductory level course. You'll always learn something, even in an entry-level course.
- If you have questions about what you're learning, either in a real class or online, don't hesitate to ask the instructor. Most instructors expect students to be at different levels. But they don't know what you don't know unless you ask them.
- Think about your learning style and preferences and seek out those experiences
I hope these ideas help you to enjoy lifelong learning!
