I know I’m not alone when I say I love to learn. Place me in front of a book, the front of a classroom or in the audience of a documentary and I’m the happiest clam. Of course, now that school has, for most of us, come to an end — it can be hard to figure out exactly how to keep learning. For myself, I’ve always been a fan of studying and going to school but I know that for many, school wasn’t always the most fun of experiences.
Luckily, learning has nothing to do with school! Well… it does in the most superficial of ways, but ultimately, learning in of itself can be completely independent from school and college. I believe that one of the greatest gifts of being an adult is the freedom to learn what you want to learn in the way that best suits you.
There’s no test, no measurement in life of how well you learn a thing. Instead, it’s up to you to really decide what you truly love and how you want to do it in your own time.
Books Books Books!
This isn’t news to anyone, but books are by far one of the best ways to keep on learning new things. You can pick up a book about nearly anything, whether it be science, education, or art, and learn something new just from skimming a few pages.
Not everyone has the funding and privilege to access books, which is why libraries are so wonderful. You don’t need to buy each new edition hardback that comes into your indie bookstore. Instead, you can get a library card and indulge your need to learn.
Without the written word, so much of what we can accomplish as humans would be lost to history and to the past. That’s why books are so wonderful and amazing. You aren’t just learning how physics works or engaging your brain by reading a challenging work of literary fiction. No. You’re also taking your place in the chain of knowledge sharing, where you may recommend this book or use that knowledge you gained in a way that might inspire someone to do invent.
Books are truly magic and for learning new things, I cannot think of anything more apt.
Online Courses
For those of you who are more structured in nature, the world of the internet has much to offer. Let’s say you can’t afford to attend university classes. No problem! Now, you can use websites like Coursera to take online courses for free. I’m currently learning about Criminal and Humanitarian Law in my spare time because why not? You can access lectures, reading material and even engage with students from all around the world. As a full-time nerd, that’s my version of a wet dream.
Last but not least: Talk to people
Perhaps it’s counterintuitive, but I find one of the ways I learn the most is by listening to others. That could mean joining a language cafe or attending a Ted Talk in your city. You can talk to strangers online or friends about their experiences in life or while traveling.
Books and classes are certainly two amazing ways to learn things, but they do also discount the important role that people also play. How we interact, how we share information is shaped by the type of people we meet. By meeting more people and engaging with different people, we also learn how to be more empathetic and kind. You can’t learn those kinds of things in a book.
But if you’re on the quest to find new ways of learning, don’t be dissuaded by high university fees! There’s more than enough ways to challenge yourself on the page, in person and on the screen. So go on — get learning!