Learning in old age
Learning new things and broadening one's horizons can be an interesting journey for people of all ages. Seniors, too, definitely have the ambition to do or try something completely new once again. The boundaries of these desires also basically only close around each person's interests. While one person may be very interested in learning languages, another will feel more called to learn to draw or even to write stories. Still others have quite an academic demand for knowledge and are by no means satisfied with basic knowledge. In this article, Alterix tells you how you too can learn something new in retirement.
In principle, senior citizens have just as few restrictions on participation in educational institutions as people of younger age. There are certainly students at regular universities who are already well past retirement age. Certainly, students in these age groups do not understand their studies as the beginning of a new career, but rather as a "leisure activity" in the company of much younger people.
Adult education centres as the one-stop shop
This option will not suit all senior citizens and the "leisure character" of learning should not be put too much to an academic test. Here, "adult education centres" in virtually every city would then offer courses in all possible areas and fields of knowledge. Of course, languages of many countries are strongly represented, as are creative courses such as handicrafts, drawing and painting or creative writing, pottery, sewing and crochet.
Adult education centres usually publish a brochure once a year listing all courses, dates and participation fees. Registration is uncomplicated and can be done by telephone and on arrival at the first course date. Alternatively, you can visit the office of the Adult Education Centre, get comprehensive advice there and register for a course if necessary.
Participants in such courses will also be of all ages. Seniors learn together with younger people. Most seniors do not find such a throughput disturbing. Likewise, "learning groups" could come together very quickly in the courses, which also meet outside the courses and form social bonds. Adult education courses are therefore an excellent opportunity to meet people with the same interests on a neutral platform. This is particularly pleasing for generations that tend to participate less in social activities in everyday life. Especially in connection with creative courses such as photography or painting & drawing, contacts will quickly be found that easily extend beyond the framework of the courses. This is especially true if what has been learned encourages people to implement and practise what they have learned in a broader context. The limits here are only to be found in the participants' willingness to make contact. Even in the case of new languages, after the end of the course, people could arrange to watch films together in the new language, borrow each other's books or simply talk in the language.
So learning in groups not only imparts new knowledge, but at the same time opens the door to completely new social contacts with people with whom one has something in common. There will be seniors for whom groups are "scary" or who simply have no interest in surrounding themselves with many people.
Private lessons for reticent people
Since courses at the adult education centre also cost participation fees, which vary depending on the number of participants or the popularity of the courses, you could also plan such a budget differently. Especially in university towns, you will have no problem at all finding private "tutors" for languages or other subjects with whom you can work on your learning goals in weekly meetings, for example. For students, such appointments would offer welcome pocket money, and seniors will avoid situations in which they are overwhelmed with too many strangers. Especially in the case of foreign languages, such face-to-face teaching may also be of greater value, as it is not uncommon for foreign students to teach their mother tongue. In such an environment, one will learn more than in a regular class. The same is true for completely different subject or subject areas. It will not be difficult to attract art students to learn creative work.
Perhaps cultural associations could be found to impart knowledge about certain subject areas, but without having to certify them. Almost every "language" will be represented in this form, since people living abroad often join with other compatriots in such associations. When learning a language, one would thus be surrounded by a whole group of native speakers. This in particular will increase the learning success tremendously.
Distance learning & certificates
Those who are more inclined towards theoretical subject areas and like to learn on their own will find a large number of distance learning colleges that offer so-called "distance studies". Here, too, a really wide range of courses and subjects can be discovered. The disadvantage of such distance learning courses is that you actually learn on your own and send the results of your efforts to the school for correction and then receive them back corrected and/or assessed. Thus, for the duration of such courses, one has hardly any opportunity to exchange ideas with other students or participants. Another disadvantage of such courses is the comparatively high participation fees. Since many people take distance learning courses as a career preparation step and accept the costs of this training, this is often a high cost factor as a leisure activity.
The advantage of such courses, however, is a "certified degree", which, although in many subject areas is absolutely not equivalent to a university degree, is nevertheless recognised in some sectors and "taken note of favourably"; quite apart, of course, from the personal gain that one receives from the newly acquired knowledge.
Distance learning courses are mostly aimed at people who need theoretical knowledge. Business, journalism, accounting or school-leaving certificates make up the majority of participants at the largest distance learning schools. But creative subjects such as photography, filming or graphic design and drawing are also taught in distance learning courses.
Conclusion
Now you can decide for yourself whether you prefer to learn your interests and skills alone at the kitchen table or in evening courses at the adult education centre together with other people. The decision will certainly also depend on what goal you are aiming for with your knowledge acquisition. If you want to learn something - simply to "know" or "be able to" - it will make little difference how you acquire the knowledge. Those who expect a practical benefit, for example to be able to move confidently in a foreign country with a foreign language, will have higher expectations of their new knowledge. The bottom line is that new knowledge, no matter what kind, is valuable to everyone because it broadens one's horizons and may open doors that one did not know existed before.
