It’s Not Too Late to Learn Anything: Going Back To “School”

Every year around this time, regardless of whether you’re in school, have kids in school, or have been out of school for decades, we’re all reminded that it’s “Back to School” time.  Since Autumn is my favorite season and I have multiple degrees from different schools around the country, Back-to-school season always resonates with me and makes me want to join in!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not interested in spending (or borrowing) thousands of dollars to sit in a classroom…but I would like to learn some new things, just to keep myself sharp and current in my industry and to develop some new hobbies.

So, how does an adult go about developing a new skill set or refreshing themselves in their field – without heading to the local university or community college?

Fortunately for us, there’s the internet – which holds countless ways to learn new tricks at any age. I’m going to take it upon myself to show you the magical ways that the internet has to teach us new things.

YouTube

 

Let’s start with the most basic (and free) tool that is available for you to learn anything – YouTube. YouTube is the second largest search engine, behind Google, and there’s a very good reason for that. If you want to learn “how to” do just about anything, someone has created a YouTube video, maybe even a YouTube channel. Want to learn how to change the oil in your car? Want to learn how to do the perfect cat eyeliner? Thinking of starting a business? Want to learn to play chess? Using YouTube will help you get started and with somethings, even perfect a new skill. The pitfall of YouTube is that for every great instruction video, there are probably 3 horrible instruction videos and the only way to know the difference is to watch them. But, in this case, that’s the price of free.

Lynda.com

 

From basic to advanced – Lynda.com. If YouTube is the trial and error version of learning online, Lynda.com is the tried and true way to learn advanced career-building skills. I’ve used Lynda.com to learn how to use the entire Adobe Creative Suite – which I’ve used in almost all of my jobs and in my current business daily. If you’re thinking of learning a new technical skill that you can market to employers, Lynda.com is the first place to go. The additional bonus to Lynda.com is that they were recently acquired by LinkedIn and if you have a premium LinkedIn account, Lynda.com is free! I’ve you’re not a premium member, there’s a small monthly fee, but not anywhere near the cost of a university education.

The In Between

 

YouTube & Lynda.com are the poles of online learning, but there are hundreds of options in between. We live in a skill sharing economy, which is the basis of YouTube & Lynda.com, but if you want a formalized way to pick up a hobby, Skillshare.com is a great option. I’ve taken a class on the fundamentals of interior design and absolutely loved it. CreativeLive.com can help you learn to sew or become an infant photographer. In addition to these skill sharing sites, several Ivy League universities have placed all of their course materials online and make lectures available via podcast. So, if you’re interested in learning about existentialism, that might be the way to go!

I just want to encourage you to get out there and get learning. There are so many options for learning and growing and going back to school without having to set foot on a college campus or even leave the comfort of your couch.

*Written by Lindsay S., a proud writer and Redwood resident.