Lifelong Learning — Education of a Lifetime

I will tell you why lifelong learning is a necessity, the benefits, and how to make it a part of your life.

What is Lifelong Learning

The amount of information in today’s world is growing at an alarming rate. In 2014–2015, humanity produced more data than in all previous history, and now the amount is doubling every 13 months. New professions, knowledge, and skills are constantly emerging that need to be mastered, not only for a career but also for just being in the world. What does this mean for the average person? That it is a lifelong learning process.

Because of these changes, a new understanding of lifelong learning has emerged. Lifelong learning differs from regular school or university education in that a person guides himself in acquiring knowledge and finds his unique path. Of course, this does not mean that traditional institutions are entirely excluded from the educational process. Instead, they become intermediate stages, and the general vector is set by the curiosity and personal interests of the individual. In addition, there are now many opportunities for their implementation beyond universities — from educational platforms to YouTube channels. But more about them later.

What is the benefit of continuing education?

It helps in your career.

To stay competitive in the job market, it’s essential to keep current in your industry. According to a WowEssays study, 87% of workers surveyed felt this way. But lifelong learning isn’t just about that. In addition to your major, you can learn knowledge and skills from other fields. They make you a genuinely unique specialist and allow you to move in your career not only vertically — from an ordinary worker to the boss — but also horizontally, i.e., into related areas.

For example, you are a linguist by training and understanding better than anyone else what language is and how it works. Usually, you would have two choices: go into science and become an academic or tie your life to writing or translating texts. But if you are interested in mathematical models and programming, you could learn the right skills and become a computer linguist. Such specialists develop automatic translation systems for Google, for example. Needless to say, how much they are valued on the job market.

The reverse example: you are a programmer and are good at Python and Sharp. You do not seem to need a foreign language for work, but if you learn it, you can get a job at an overseas company, significantly raising your salary and standard of living. Not bad, right?

Maintains mental health

We think, remember, feel, imagine thanks to our brain’s ability to build neural connections, in other words, to change. This phenomenon is called neuroplasticity. As the brain becomes more ossified over the years, neuroplasticity and intellectual ability decline with it. It can later lead to serious illnesses — including Alzheimer’s disease.

Continuous learning helps prevent these processes. It keeps the brain alert and sharp for longer. According to a study, scientists from Cambridge University confirm this: every year of additional education reduces the risk of dementia by 11%.

It makes life more enjoyable.

If your life seems boring to you, try learning something new. It can help. By mastering knowledge and skills from different fields, we rediscover the world, connect its seemingly unconnected parts and find unexpected meanings in familiar things. It is how genuinely breakthrough ideas and solutions are born, and scientists are once again confirming this. The ability to be creative will not only make life more exciting but will also come in handy at work, regardless of your specialty.

How to Make Lifelong Learning a Part of Your Life

• Understand what you’re interested in. The most important thing here is to separate your desires from the desires of others. You may find that some things appeal to you only because you want to meet someone else’s expectations (parents, teachers, partners, and so on). It’s essential to find something that ignites you in and of itself. Otherwise, the class won’t be enjoyable or productive.
• Make a list of what you want to learn. It will help you look at the whole range of interests and set priorities. If you’re going to learn a lot, it is better not to take it up all at once.
• Select the format of the training. Here, first of all, you need to understand what options are available to you. For example, you are fond of psychology but have already graduated and work in another field. An undergraduate program at a university is time-consuming and expensive, but perhaps retraining courses would suit you. Or you could start with online lectures on educational platforms. We’ve attached a list of them below, by the way. Or maybe you are not planning to become a psychologist at all, and then you will have enough of the old-fashioned books.
• Set a goal. You need to set expectations to motivate yourself — what you want to achieve and the time frame. And expectations should be specific and achievable. For example, you began to learn English. An example of a wrong goal would be “speak like a native speaker. An example of a good goal would be “learn B2 vocabulary and pass your FCE practice test”. Break your path to your goal into stages and cross off the steps you’ve passed. That way, your progress will be more evident.
• Make studying a habit. Eventually, it would help if you made examining a part of your daily life. But not the kind that presses and the type that gives joy and fun. To learn without getting bored, it is essential to try different formats and constantly discover something new. Do you like fiction? Try reading works of non-fiction. They can also be exciting. Or maybe you’ll like podcasts if you haven’t listened to them yet. In general, do whatever you can to maintain your natural sense of curiosity. That’s the most important thing.

P.S. Especially for my blog I was provided with wowessays promo codes that you can use at any time