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Once you’ve finished school, your formal education is over. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue to learn. Continuing to educate yourself, even after you’ve graduated from school, has many benefits. You will keep your mind sharp by learning, and people who continue to learn and expand their minds are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s later on in life. Learning also can keep your life interesting and fun, as well as help you out in your career! Here are some ways that you can continue to learn throughout your adult life. 

Listen to Podcasts

Podcasts are an easy way to learn after you’re done with school. They’re extremely accessible and have become easy to find. Most of them are even free, and they’re a great thing to listen to while on your morning commute, or while exercising. These days, they’re becoming such a popular way to learn that you can find a podcast about almost any topic. Spotify is a great place to find free podcasts about lots of different topics! 

Take Free Classes Online

If you prefer a more traditional style of learning, online classes may be for you. There are many types of online classes out there, especially now, as education moves online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are also many free classes online as well! Harvard offers a selection of free classes on a variety of topics, and the website Coursera offers classes on things you probably didn’t even know existed, and many of them are free! In addition, some universities offer free college classes to senior citizens who are over a certain age. Many classes even come with a certificate of completion at the end of the course, so completing classes in your career field could be an excellent way to boost your resume!

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Visit Museums

If you live in a city, or close to one, chances are, there are lots of museums there for you to explore! From art to science to history, these museums are filled with information about topics that you likely didn’t learn all about in school. Not only will you have the opportunity to learn new information, but you’ll also get to see artifacts, paintings, or recreations that are likely to spark your interest. Oftentimes, there are videos, presentations, guest speakers, and events at museums too, so you can learn even more. Many museums even have a day once a week or once a month where admission is free! 

Read Books

Books are probably the most obvious way to keep learning after you’ve finished school. Reading fiction and non-fiction books about a range of topics is a great way to educate yourself about the world. Joining a book club is a great way to meet people, and to be held accountable for finishing the books that you start. Book clubs are also great for providing a group of people to discuss the book with, and you will probably learn from these discussions! If you’re worried about the prices of books, check out sites like paperback swap, where you can trade books you’ve read for books you want, or Thriftbooks, where you can purchase books for cheap prices. And of course, you can always listen to audiobooks!

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Practice a Skill

Educating yourself isn’t just about learning facts and theories. It can also be about learning new skills! Doing puzzles or picking up a new hobby are wonderful ways to learn. Learning how to rollerblade, do magic tricks, play guitar, give a good speech or bake are all great ways to learn. 

Have Conversations with People

One of the easiest ways to learn is through conversation. Talking to people helps you learn more about lots of different things, and can expose you to new ways of thinking. Surrounding yourself with people, especially those who are different from you in some way, is a wonderful way to learn. You’re going to expand your own understanding of the world this way, and you’ll likely become more creative, too! 

Get Involved in the Arts

Getting involved in the arts is a great way to learn. From learning to sing or play a musical instrument, to painting and drawing, to acting or dancing, the arts have many benefits. Learning any of these things can make you more creative, and can give you a healthy outlet of expression, allowing you to learn more about yourself. The arts can provide skills in conquering challenges and can help with critical thinking skills as well as attention to detail. While learning these sorts of things traditionally might be more expensive, there are youtube videos that can show you how to do many of these things that are completely free! 

Learn About Current Events

Now, more than ever, having a firm understanding of what is going on in our world is crucial. Not only will learning about current events help you become a more informed voter, but you’ll have a better understanding of our world and your place in it. If you learn about what you can do to help with the COVID-19 pandemic or issues that aren’t frequently talked about with the Black Lives Matter movement, you’ll be helping the world around you. 

Learn a Language

Learning a language is easily one of the most challenging yet rewarding things you can do to keep your brain active. Free websites and apps, such as Duolingo or Busuu, can help you learn a language in small increments each day. Learning a language could help you communicate with others one day, and it expands your world, too! If you become fluent in another language, that means there are many more people you can now interact with, and more books, music, and other forms of media that you can utilize. 

Travel

Much like talking to people who are different from you, traveling is a wonderful way to expand your mind! If you have the money to travel, I would highly recommend it. Traveling introduces you to new experiences you wouldn’t have otherwise had at home. It also introduces you to new people who are likely different from you, and you can learn a lot from them as well! Learning about another place’s history, culture, and traditions can be an interesting and fun way to spend your time as well as engage your brain. 

Conclusion

There are many ways to continue learning after you finish school, and some of these are free or very cheap! Learning something new can be beneficial for you and for those around you. Oftentimes, knowledge really is power, and learning something new can give you the tools to make the world around you a better place for yourself and for others! So right now, give yourself a little bit of time to start learning something new: buy a new book, sign up for a class, or download a puzzle or language app on your phone. You can start today!

Written by Jackie Ebel, a blogger at Safe Harbor International Ministries. For more articles, check out our blog page: https://safeharborim.com/articles/.