The Eternal Student

The benefits of adult education are greater than you might think. And probably very different too.

Education doesn't have to be this way anymore

Sadly, for most of us, our educational journey stops sometime around our mid-twenties.

We’ve done the school thing. Then, maybe university or college. After that we start work and learn to become an expert in our chosen field.

And then?

Not so much.

And that’s a shame. Any kind of learning builds us as individuals. It really doesn’t matter what we learn.

A musical instrument. DIY skills. Origami.

Or perhaps we are up-skilling to move into a new career.

The point is, it has never been easier or cheaper to learn new skills. The internet is crammed with online courses, some completely self-guided, others with tutor support, that can offer us a whole new perspective on things.

And you learn from your sofa in your pyjamas while drinking coffee. Win.

Taking the initiative and enrolling in online courses is so simple, but there are so many of them, that it can feel overwhelming.

So, here is one of my favourite platforms which offers courses – free and paid – that can help you enrich your knowledge base.

Coursera

This is the Big Daddy of online learning. The sheer quantity of courses on offer is astonishing. With partner universities and organisations from all over the world, Coursera is highly regarded and respected.

Some examples among thousands of courses include:

• · BSc in Computer Science from Goldsmiths University of London.

• · Academic English Writing from the University of California, Irvine.

• · Finding Purpose and Meaning in Life from the University of Michigan.

• · A professional certificate in Google Data Analytics from … Yep. Google.

• · The Science of Well-being – Yale University

Just some of the fields of study on Coursera

Quite a variety there, and that’s not even scratching the surface of the massive amount on offer. And look at the names of the providing institutions – Goldsmiths and Yale don’t just put their name to any old rubbish.

Some of the bigger courses cost of course. A university degree is not cheap. But many others are $100 or even less, while some are completely free. There is also a subscription service, which means that for $50 a month you can take as many courses as you want. If you’re a fast learner, or just really enthusiastic, this is a great option.

And you can cancel at any time.

Over the last year, I have done the following courses on Coursera – some just for interest: others for more professional reasons.

• · Develop a company website with Wix – Coursera project course

• · Get started with Microsoft One-Note – Coursera project course

• · Introduction to Psychology – Yale University

• · Fintech: Foundations, payments and regulations – University of Pennsylvania

• · The Sustainable Development Goals – University of Copenhagen

A shiny new certificate on my dashboard

All of these courses took from just a few hours to a few weeks, provided me with a shiny certificate for my CV, and cost less than $100 in total. Hours of professionally filmed video, end of module quizzes, and further reading made each one a truly enjoyable and fulfilling experience.

So the big question – Did I need to do any of this?

Nope.

So why did I?

Because I was bored with what I knew. Because I felt that I had stagnated over the last few years, and that my brain was slowing down.

But mainly because after doing a professional diploma in editing and proofreading, I found that learning invigorated me – I actually felt fresher and more alert. Health benefits, anyone?

It was exciting to be a complete newbie again.

So, if you find yourself a little bit stuck, or just dull and uninspired, check out the plethora of online education platforms.

Not all of them are good, but my rule of thumb is – if a famous, respected institution puts its name to something, the course is almost certainly pretty damn good.

And from my experience so far, Coursera is pretty damn good.

You can browse their catalogue here: https://www.coursera.org/browse

I'll be doing an overview of other platforms soon, so make sure to subscribe.