A friend of my family, who is now in his late 80s, once told me that the day you stop learning something new is the day that they stick you in a pine box! – a philosophy that is borne out by the mounting evidence that keeping a healthy, active mind is a key part in warding off dementia or Alzheimers disease.
With his sage words in mind, last night I went to an open night at my old university for post graduate courses. Theyd sent me an email about it a few weeks back, and since it was being held literally in the next building to my (current) office, I figured Id check it out.
And now Ive pretty much decided that Im going to do a graduate diploma next year (the only reason its not this year is that Smoph I have a holiday planned over the exam period.)
There were a number of courses I looked at – and it came down to a choice between one that interests me greatly versus a longer one, but one that I already know about three quarters of the content already. So, should I pick something I could breeze through easily without effort, or one that stretches me (at the risk of lower marks)?
So, what of you? Do you have any plans or ambitions for future (formal) study, or are you a No more teachers, no more books type? If you could devote yourself to study any subject at all, what would you choose?
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Too easy:
•• If the goal is to keep your mind active, then the one you know nothing about.
•• If the goal is a piece of paper for your “I Love Me” wall, then the one you can breeze through.
I don’t think I’d want to do a course of study in any one particular field. I don’t need to know everything, but only within one field. I’d rather know just enough to be dangerous in a dozen areas.
There was an Anne McAffrey novel where one of the characters was called the JOAT (Jack Of All Trades). I am a curious person and tend to learn bits and pieces about many things rather than learning one thing inside and out.
A few of my own note books have JOAT Book written on the cover.
Mr Coaster’s dad APPARENTLY knows how to kill a person by serving them broccoli cooked a particular way. I told him lacing it with cyanide didn’t count.
The mere thought of eating broccoli probably causes a brain embolism.
Unless it’s a Romanesco.
CLICKY CLICKY – YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED
Tell me you wouldn’t want to eat that…
Neat! Thanks for the link.
Still won’t eat it but I could look at it all day.
Ahh pretty!
Depends on why you’re doing the course. If it’s to forward your work ambitions, I’d say go with the relevant one which is probably the one where you already know three quarters of the content. If it’s to learn something new and just to be interested, go with the other one.
I don’t think I need to do any more formal study. I’ve got a couple of degrees and short-term work training courses keep me up to date in my field. Anything else I want to learn I can do myself by reading.
I used to like doing courses. These days I usually find them far less interesting than advertised, and too restrictive and formal. Like you, I prefer to learn by reading, and learn whatever takes my fancy at the time.
Of course, if the idea is job advancement then that puts a different light on it.
Yes, this one I’m looking at is definitely job advancement, as it’s a qualification that employers will specifically look for.
Worse still, it makes it work rather than play.
True – but I have the advantage that I absolutely love the work I do (most days). And this will move my career further into an area I enjoy.
So work IS kind-of play for me.
Do the one that interests you greatly, that will actually be easier to do than the other one. Not saying you’ll get better marks, just that it will be easier to make yourself do the work, turn up for lectures etcetera.
I really like Ghryswald’s idea of learning enough to be dangerous in lots of areas.
And if you’re already working in the field and have an understanding, supportive boss or manager (or both), then it can be so much easier, as you can ask for help at work, slip in some study, or use work examples in your assignments.
One of my greatest regrets was not continuing on with my education after VCE.
To put it in context, I was ordained at that time and the focus was on religious activity, with any other study or work being secular.
It is hard to be motivated to take on more study for something you are taught is a secondary concern.
This was even reflected in my VCE results. The subjects that interested me, I scored in the top 5 percentile in the country. The subjects that did not stimulate me, I skated by with passing marks.
I was offered a uni spot, which I deferred to focus on God stuff, and never went back to.
In the subsequent years I ended up going back to study, a number of certificate courses and a diploma course.
Going back to study after falling out of practice is so much harder.
The diploma was, ultimately, to get the bit of paper and make the education section of my CV more impressive.
Following that diploma I decided that if I was to take on further study in the future, it had to be something that interested me, not just to get the piece of paper.
Things I would like to study include creative writing. I do enjoy a verbal flourish (you might have noticed). Also animation, music, psychology, philosophy and physics.
I agree with Ghrys’ thoughts on the courses for you AL – it depends on the reason for the study.
I continue to procrastinate through my diploma studies – this assignment has been staring at me for over 6 months and I continue to find ways to avoid it. I need to finish it, but the motivation has been hard to find, and it has been easy to push it down the list of priorities. My goal is to get the entire course completed by mid-year. After this assignment I have 3 modules left. And then I will have a piece of paper that says I can do the job that I have been doing since I left high school!
I attempted ‘formal’ study twice. I struggled with finding a balance between study and my real-world financial obligations the first time, and the second time I realised I was there for the wrong reasons. I was there at the insistence of a ‘friend’ who claimed I was wasting my life if I didn’t have a degree to demonstrate that I am intelligent and rational and blah blah. I figure if people can’t realise I am reasonable, rational and somewhat intelligent unless I show them a degree, then I really don’t want much to do with them!
On a lighter note, the man and I are looking at taking a language course this year. I love language, and the way you have to change the way you think before you can translate your intentions into another language. I have 6 years of French language study under my belt, so we are considering trying something new and taking on Mandarin. The man already speaks some Mandarin (he can order a beer and tell a lady she has pretty legs…helpful stuff), but we hope to travel a bit more in the next coupele of years, so having some grasp of another language is always helpful – even if it just means I can read the signs and ask where the toilets are!
At this point in time, no I don’t have any plans to go back to school or study. I completed a 12 month tafe course at the end of last year in 6 months just for something to do and to increase my computer skills. It took a toll not being home 3 nights a week for all that time.
If I had an unlimited source of money and didn’t have to stress about working to pay the bills I would love to go to uni to study to become a midwife. I wish i had been smarter when doing my HSC and put more effort in and studied straight from school. But back then I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Hindsight is a funny thing.
Slight post hijack…..MM has gone to Wagga today for 5 days for work. 5 days!!! That’s forever
5 days is a long time
Mr Coaster was away for 3 last week. You can do it, though. A good book and some chocolate will get you through!
It is a long time
Even 3 days is hard, like the last time he was away. We considered me driving down for the weekend but the weather is terrible. I realised after I got to work today I should have raided his dvd collection to get me through the weekend, too late though lol. I think I will definitely be scouring my bookshelf for a good book. 
Study, as well as exercise, are like childbirth I think. All the way through you’re thinking “why did I agree to this?” and then once you finish, all the pain goes away and you think “sure, I could do that again”. Not that I’ve ever given birth, but that’s what I was imagining while out for a run this morning. Oh my poor, poor legs!
I like the idea of study. And in particular, I like the idea of doing a course in something that interests me. Oxford University offers an online 9 week Jane Austen course which I’ve thought about signing up for many times. It’s not even particularly expensive, and the assignments sound fairly easy. And yet I still haven’t signed up. As soon as I take something I like and decide to properly study it, I lose interest. I start to hate it. My mind rebels.
That’s not to say it isn’t worth doing though. I spent four years doing my degree through correspondence. I hated all those assignments, and yet a week after I’d finished the last exam, I was looking at what to do next. I’ve got my eye on a Masters of Technology, and I was all prepared to start up again this year… until I saw that it was going to cost me the equivalent of a deposit on a house. Eek. Of course I could learn everything from the course unofficially. But I’m vain enough to want the piece of paper at the end. I know it doesn’t mean much to some people, but to me it does. I like looking at my name on that paper and seeing it as a representation of all the hard work I put in. I like it to be recognised.
As for whether to choose something easy or hard, I’d say go with your interest, but as others have said, it depends on why you want to do it. If the easy one will give you a boost at work, why not do that, get it out of the way, and then consider pursuing the other for fun?
As most people here have said, depends on your reasons for doing it AL.
I’ll never say never when it comes to more study. Like Maz and her man, I too want to do another language course – several in fact. I’d like to regain the Japanese skills that I’ve largely lost since finishing HS, as well as learn Spanish and French. All of it is largely for fun though. I’ll get around it to at some stage before I shuffle off this mortal coil.
Tbh, I gave up on the idea of going to university a long time ago, purely because (a) I had no real idea of what I wanted to do and (b) I couldn’t see myself being devoted to study for several more years. Plus I don’t see the sense in doing a degree just to prove you’re smart. Despite that, I do wish I’d applied myself more in high school, but as the lovely lady above said, hindsight’s a funny thing.
Hindsight does have the advantage over foresight of being 20-20 though.
Unless you want to study opthamology…
I think if I were to go back to study, it would be to get my higher qualification in library services. I don’t know if it’s worth it though, as it’s such a small and competitive industry and it’s very hard to get a job. Perhaps once DJ is in school, I could join the casual pool at the Council libraries, and then maybe from there I’d have a better chance of getting a job.
That makes it sound like I’d soullessly study that in order to get a better job, which I know isn’t really the point of the topic, but actually I loved doing my traineeship in public libraries and would love to return to libraries again one day.
Besides the fact that it’s a hard industry to get in to, I have serious doubts about my ability to study. Especially at university. It seems so intimidating. I didn’t finish high school, I’m a terrible procrastinator, and I’m not sure I’m “academically smart” enough for university. It would be a lot of money wasted if I couldn’t do it.
A few others have mentioned languages. My primary school taught Italian and I’d love to learn again one day.
My sister ended up in a library job from being a volunteer. She didn’t do it for that, but when it came up she decided she’d like to work in a library. Been there about twenty years now. That was in a small country council and it’s just as competitive there. She ended up doing qualifications while working there.
The hardest part for me at the time was my contract was finishing, I had an injury, and I’d heard through the grapevine that the Manager of Libraries had given the word that none of the trainees were to be hired. After I took some time off to improve my neck, it was suddenly much harder, and I fell into my job at HN – as happens all too often, it was meant to be temporary while I job hunted, but I ended up staying for nearly 4 years.
As soon as I left uni and got my first ‘real’ job they sent me back to uni to study by correspondence whilst I worked 6 days a week (Day six was a separate job though). Sure I ended up with a funded Masters degree and I’m very happy that it’s all transpired, but it did put an almighty dampener on further formal study.
Incidentally, one of the first comments I got when I finally finished the Masters was “So when are you doing your doctorate?” That was an exercise in self control.
In the absence of other hobby/learning opportunities I probably would go back and do further study, but probably only short courses. The exception being if I wanted a complete career change and had to get the appropriate bit of paper.
I also have spent some time studying languages (German mostly, with some Japanese) and I’d love to go back to them one day, time permitting (hah!). I think the most likely way that is going to happen is when LML hits primary school and shows me how much quicker she can learn stuff.
“So when are you doing your doctorate?”
“Right after I get my degree in Meteorology. I have to figure out when exactly hell will be freezing over.”
I haven’t quite finished my Masters and I already get asked about doing a Phd – the joys of working for a university … lol
I was at uni
Left because the IT course
Was not for support
I will study more
Get Microsoft Certified
Be worth more dollars
After two university degrees and five and a half years I needed a breather from any further study. Learning new pratical skills in the workplace/short courses is just as important anyway once you have done the degree. I have job hopped around (4 jobs in similar areas of policy/legislative stuff but very different subject matters) and learnt lots of interesting facts about stuff I never thought I would. Like aquaculture! Uni is not for everyone (and not necessary for a lot of jobs) but I disagree it’s just something you do to prove you are smart though or just a piece of paper.
I might do an intensive ‘masters’ course (which from the sounds of it isn’t a masters but that’s what they call it) that my boss offered to me later in the year. A week in Tassie at a uni and then some assignments/tutes in the following months. (I’ll do it just to get a free trip to Tassie, haha). It’s an area directly relevant to my job and it interests me so why not. I can’t see myself at the moment doing the course to get admitted to practice though…maybe one day when the memory of the nausea and freakouts I used to get before I stepped into a law exam has dimmed. Ironically, after all the worry, I always did better in exams than assignments anyway.
Oh I am thinking of doing a chocolate cake decorating course..who said studying can’t be fun
And delicious!
Very well timed post Sir Locust!
I havent yet completed any further study following my HSC. I am however looking at doing a Business Degree through correspondence starting next year. Major HR Management, Minor Administration.
I love HR and I think that the degree will open doors for me to further my career down that path
Always a good thing right?
Youd be great at HR.
Everything.
No, really.
Failing everything, though, here’s the shortlist of things I’d like to be knowledgeable about, in no particular order:
- English
- Korean
- Chinese
- Latin
- Japanese
- Russian
- Arabic
- Dutch
- Italian
- a programming language or two (at this point, probably Java is the most useful)
- digital painting, specifically how to paint in a certain way that I really like but can’t bloody well capture because I am a n00b
- architecture and the principles of building things
- seamstressing
- knitting or crocheting
- cooking, from a chemical rather than an intuitive perspective
- CSS (ONE DAY I WILL LEARN YOU, DAMMIT)
- the history of transportation in the UK (for a novel)
- gardening
- how my body actually reacts to various foods, and what I should eat to stop it being a pain in the, well, stomach
- physics
- drawing comics
- writing fiction
- human anatomy
- hell, anatomy in general
I’m pretty sure if you gave me another fifteen minutes or so, the list would triple in size. So let’s stick with that right now.
Oh, and playing violin, piano, saxophone, cello… and archery, swordplay, muscle maintenance, swimming…
Ok I can help with the Saxophone part n the archery n probably some of the anatomy as well (dependent if u are looking at anatomy from a butchery prospective or not!)
Apologies for txt language, sent from phone!
For the languages, download the free version of BYKI (acronym for Before You Know It). It’s available from here: http://www.byki.com/
Ooh, thanks!
I have some very basic Arabic – hello, how are you etc. It’s a prety cool language, I wil probably go back to it after I finish my masters
I’m a bit like Rave, there’s a thousand things I want to study. I would like to have a smattering of European languages, particularly French, Italian and German. Maybe Mandarin and Cantonese too. I want to get back into my journalism course, and a creative writing one. Maybe a website design, HTML course. I have been contemplating a Project Management course for career progression.
I would like to learn archery and to crochet and sew. I would like the time to do these things too. I don’t know if anyone else feels too time poor to take on most of these as well?
I think on-going study is a great idea. It keeps life engaging and interesting. But I agree with others. Formal study isn’t necessary, if like Pokey, you can keep up with current techniques for your job or interest.
I’m currently doing a masters in policy and haven’t ruled out a PhD. I will see how this year goes between uni, work, building a house and the wedding!
Mine is partly interest, partly career. If you’re able to combine the 2 I say go for it
I am just about done with formal study (Masters) and am doing a short online creative writing course through the Qld Writers Centre. I would like to do a lot of things that purely interest me and plan to tackle some over the next few years: photography, cooking, dancing, languages etc etc etc Time and finances permitting of course. The kidlets are in Grade 11 this year so they will need help and attention this year and the next as well : )
I want to learn:
- french
- the violin
- more tumbling
- different dance styles
- probably much more but it’s 1.20am haha
Oh yeah, I forgot to add what else I’d like to learn!
- heaps more dance styles
- First Aid/CPR
- Photoshop or PaintShop Pro or something like that, so I can edit my photos every time I get the dreaded red-eye (I have red-eye reduction on my camera, but it rarely if ever works like I want it to)
- (like Rave) why/how my body is reacting to certain foods
- photography
- (maybe) yoga
- (maybe) Pilates
- singing (to try and learm the proper technique/s)
- assertive communication skills
- maybe take a cooking class or 2 or several
I think that’s about it.
I don’t know how I managed to miss this one, but here I am, late as usual. Probably nobody will read this but here goes:
Forensic Pathology
I missed my calling. If I won the lottery, I would study my butt off to become Australias equivalent to Henry Lee or Cyril Wecht. I am just fascinated by it and have a library full of books about it.
I agree with what Ghrys said about how to choose, but for me, it would have to be the challenge.
xxxxx
Sounds v interesting! Good luck with the life changing lotto win : )
I saw. Its a fascinating career Im sure. Too bloody for me.