Random Education?

[Kestra]

Anyone taking (or have taken) any classes not really related to your main job? How did you decide what to do? Did you like it or not like it?

What do you think about learning things completely outside your comfort-zone? Would you rather do something you're slightly familiar with or really go all out with something completely new?

The next thing I want to do is improve my French. Probably online first, to get back to at least my level from high school, then classes with other people. Also considering pottery, but making large, heavy things goes against my minimalism. I'd give a lot of it away. A friend took the pottery course and really enjoyed it.

Previously I've tried: horse-riding lessons - didn't work out well for several reasons, and two falls resulted in my anxiety about physically dangerous activities becoming heightened instead of lessened.
Acting for fun - I'd do this again. A bit annoyed by some of my fellow class members but generally enjoyable.

Really outside my comfort zone but intriguing: singing lessons - I'm not quite sure how bad I suck, but improvement would be fun. Dancing lessons - I'd prefer to do this with an interested partner.

From childhood interests but don't really feel an adult urge - drawing/painting lessons.

[Ultralight]

Anyone taking (or have taken) any classes not really related to your main job? How did you decide what to do? Did you like it or not like it?

What do you think about learning things completely outside your comfort-zone? Would you rather do something you're slightly familiar with or really go all out with something completely new?

The next thing I want to do is improve my French. Probably online first, to get back to at least my level from high school, then classes with other people. Also considering pottery, but making large, heavy things goes against my minimalism. I'd give a lot of it away. A friend took the pottery course and really enjoyed it.

Previously I've tried: horse-riding lessons - didn't work out well for several reasons, and two falls resulted in my anxiety about physically dangerous activities becoming heightened instead of lessened.
Acting for fun - I'd do this again. A bit annoyed by some of my fellow class members but generally enjoyable.

Really outside my comfort zone but intriguing: singing lessons - I'm not quite sure how bad I suck, but improvement would be fun. Dancing lessons - I'd prefer to do this with an interested partner.

From childhood interests but don't really feel an adult urge - drawing/painting lessons.

I am signed up to take a bicycle repair class. I am not handy; my mechanical aptitude is zero. This is way outside my comfy zone.

But I stand to gain a lot, even if I only learn a little bit. :)

[freshstart]

when you hit a certain age, you can audit classes at the State University for free. I'd like to take as many English Lit-type classes as I can. I don't think the age was all that high, I'll have to look. Or if there are such a thing, classes about independent or avant gard film.

[Kestra]

when you hit a certain age, you can audit classes at the State University for free. I'd like to take as many English Lit-type classes as I can. I don't think the age was all that high, I'll have to look. Or if there are such a thing, classes about independent or avant gard film.

Here, too. And I've definitely thought of that. But 55-65 (age limit varies by school) is a long ways away for me. I might want to take the tests, though. I'm too competitive.

I should probably mention this to my parents though. My mother probably needs things to do.

[freshstart]

I might want to take the tests, though. I'm too competitive.


I'm the opposite, tests would be ok if it didn't seem stressful, but I am done writing college papers. I just want those classes. When I am feeling better, I believe certain Ivies offer audit classes online for free

[bekkilyn]

There's a lot of really neat classes offered on Coursera
https://www.coursera.org/

I've taken so many different types of college courses throughout the years, it's probably ridiculous to most people. My mother is convinced I will never be done with school. (And now that I'm also working on getting licensed to teach, she's probably right. :) )

[JaneV2.0]

The last two courses I took were metal clay and metal jewelry craft. Before that, was beadwork. I've taken art and cooking classes throughout my life. I don't think any of them took. >:(

[freshstart]

There's a lot of really neat classes offered on Coursera
https://www.coursera.org/

I've taken so many different types of college courses throughout the years, it's probably ridiculous to most people. :) )

thanks for that site, looks good! I had a great aunt by marriage, most amazing, interesting, smart, funny woman I knew. She never had kids, later in life she married my uncle, he had no kids. Big shot in military. She hated her life, she had nothing to do. So she started college in her 70s, went to law school and a firm snatched her up but she still kept going to college until she died at 92.

No education is ridiculous.

[SteveinMN]

I've taken a lot of adult-ed-type classes. Most of the time they're subjects which interest me (cooking or a craft) or a skill I believe would be very good to have (small-engine repair or basic household plumbing). Where I worked they offered language classes taught by employees who were native speakers; I learned a semester or two of Japanese that way. And I've been on trips for which I downloaded lots of iTunes University lectures on the places we were visiting or related topics, like Gaudi's architecture when we visited Barcelona.

I love to learn stuff. I believe the day I no longer want to learn how something new works is the day I am officially old.

[freshstart]

I love to learn stuff. I believe the day I no longer want to learn how something new works is the day I am officially old.

You're in healthcare, right? Then you should know you only become old when you are obsessed with your bowels and that is dinner table conversation. You've got lots of time!

I like to learn about things I'll probably never get to see or do, I love TED talks. My mom has PPH and it has limited her life in so many ways. She loves to learn, I can put all kinds of weird documentaries in her netflix and she loves them. And there are TED talks on there, too. But there was one TED talk with a young opera singer who got diagnosed with PPH and was told she would never sing again. She had a double lung transplant and is back to opera. My mom was so happy that this young woman would have a full life doing something as difficult as opera, instead of being sad about her own situation (I wasn't sure how she would take this TED talk, but took a chance). They've emailed a few times, my mom wanted to thank her because she also testified before Congress and was the PPH Spokesperson. I happened to see the first email, she said, "I hope your mom is proud of you. I am proud of you and I don't even know you. Thanks for bringing light into a dark time." sob

[ToomuchStuff]

I love to learn stuff. I believe the day I no longer want to learn how something new works is the day I am officially DEAD.

To make Steve's quote my own.
I was given a couple quick lessons, once, with a welder. I have had several things welded over the years, and know it is a good skill to have. With my unwanted overtime the last few years, when I came on a deal on a new welder (sold as used with all the accessories for the cost of just the welder), I jumped. There are local classes at a community college and I am trying to adjust my schedule so next spring I will take it. This isn't a work skill, but one you can take into many jobs and I would rather have some training, then just waste money on practice, with no foundation.
We also have adult education, but it is VERY limited and I haven't seen any type of classes I want. (mostly things like English as a second language, basic computer use for seniors, how to use Word, etc) To get stuff I would be interested in, I would have to teach it (those who can't, teach).

[ApatheticNoMore]

My main thought about this was grumble @#$# I don't have the @#$# money!!! Which may be true right this minute, but I like taking cooking classes and I want to do music. I really want to take up different basically plucked or strum stringed instruments for maybe 6 months at a time and drop them to move on to new ones because there are too many I want to try (instruments can be rented so acquiring the instruments should not be a problem). I want to do the banjo, so badly. And then bass guitar. Maybe mostly those two, I like regular guitars but have been there done that. Then mandolin? A musical instrument to actually stick to long term: do singing again, I've done it before, that one I could stick to or did for years and then quit. My hands are not always up to doing all the stringed stuff anyway (sometimes they are good, sometimes not), work at a computer so it takes it's toll.

[freshstart]

My main thought about this was grumble @#$# I don't have the @#$# money!!! Which may be true right this minute, but I like taking cooking classes and I want to do music. I really want to take up different basically plucked or strum stringed instruments for maybe 6 months at a time and drop them to move on to new ones because there are too many I want to try (instruments can be rented so acquiring the instruments should not be a problem). I want to do the banjo, so badly. And then bass guitar. Maybe mostly those two, I like regular guitars but have been there done that. Then mandolin? A musical instrument to actually stick to long term: do singing again, I've done it before, that one I could stick to or did for years and then quit. My hands are not always up to doing all the stringed stuff anyway (sometimes they are good, sometimes not), work at a computer so it takes it's toll.

part of ex's career is being a bass player, he claims it's an easy instrument to learn, self taught. If you ever played violin, that is very similar to mandolin fingering wise. DD plays violin, picked up mandolin and says it wasn't hard at all because of violin.

I find all of this incredibly hard so hats off to you for trying!

[Gardenarian]

I really enjoy taking classes. I'm signed up this fall for a Drawing class, English Country Dance, Long Distance Trekking, and Water-wise Gardening. They vary in length from 2 sessions to 10 sessions. I've taken drawing before - the classes motivate me to draw a lot more in my free time. I'm just interested in the other stuff - very random - and it's great to learn first-hand from someone who really knows what they are talking about.

It's funny, because I never liked school - but I do like taking adult ed. classes. No grades, no long term commitment. I'm taking them through OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.) It costs $125 for as many classes as you want to take in a year. Lots of classes to choose from, too.

I'm semi-retired now (working 2 days per week) and taking the classes gives more structure to my week. As a very reserved introvert, it's also a painless way for me to get a little socializing - and maybe make a friend or two one of these days.

[freshstart]

this sounds nice!