When you’re a child, one of your primary purposes is to learn and set yourself up for adulthood. You learn at school and at home. As well as your formal education, which teaches you social skills, certain subjects, and how to function in an environment that could be considered similar to office life, you also learn at home.
Your parents teach you how to treat other people properly and take care of yourself. In fact, young children learn in every interaction as they figure out how the world works. Ideally, once you’re an adult, this well-rounded education should have set you up to be able to function as a human and in society.
So, does this mean that you stop learning? The short answer is no. Humans learn throughout their lives and, let’s be honest, people rarely feel as though they reach the end game of having learned enough to “be a productive member of society”.
In fact, the better option is to constantly seek out new opportunities to learn and expand your skills. This will prevent you from stagnating and will help you to always grow as an individual.
Here are some ways that you can and should educate yourself as an adult.
Basic Qualifications
The sad fact is that not everyone enjoys the same opportunities in childhood. Some kids are unable to complete their education. There are a number of reasons why this might be, but they aren’t the child’s fault.
Some children have bad home lives, meaning they can’t focus properly at school. They might have to work to support their families, so their education suffers. Some children suffer from an illness or mental and emotional difficulties, causing them to struggle more at school.
Even if a child falls short in the education system, it doesn’t mean their lives are over. Many jobs require a basic level of education, although you can find work and be successful without even these qualifications.
Another option is to get these qualifications as an adult. Many classes happen outside of work hours, so you can still hold down a job while getting your basic education. But these qualifications can open up new career opportunities or even allow you to take on further education.
Life-Saving Education
Some forms of education are good for your CV and are handy skills to have in your day-to-day life anyway. For example, basic first aid or life support training can give you the skills to help someone who is injured and potentially save a life.
It’s relatively easy to find this kind of training. The easiest way to find a course is to look for BLS online. This takes you through a training course that covers the basics of first aid, CPR, and even how to use an Automated External Defibrillator. Nobody wants to be in a situation where they need this kind of training, but it can be very useful.
As well as potentially being able to save a life, this kind of training can be a good thing to have on your CV. The training course will end with a certification proving that you have these skills. While BLS training often isn’t required for a job, many offices and workplaces prefer to have at least one person around who can perform first aid. So, this kind of certification can make you more employable.
Life Skills
Again, most children should learn basic life skills as they’re growing up. Depending on their age, children should learn how to do basic chores, cook meals, manage a household, and manage their finances. However, not every child gets every aspect of this education.
For example, many parents are unable to teach their children how to be financially literate simply because they don’t have the skills themselves. This can lead to a cycle of poor financial decisions, which is even more dangerous as the world becomes a more expensive place to be.
The good news is that you can get this education as an adult.
Cooking classes are incredibly common and can be both fun and useful. Depending on your skill level, you can learn how to cook basic meals and feed yourself and your household, or you can learn how to cook something more complicated and impressive. They can also introduce you to different people.
But you can take classes in all kinds of life skills, including a general life skills course. Financial literacy classes are especially useful, as they can give you the tools and skills to dig yourself out of a financial hole.
Learn a Creative Skill
A lot of people approach education and training as necessary, boring parts of their lives that allow them to earn more money. But education can be enjoyable as well.
It’s been said that everyone should have three hobbies. One hobby to earn money, one hobby to help them relax, and one hobby to be creative.
Creative skills can absolutely lead to a great career. But you can also learn skills simply for the joy of being able to create and express yourself. This takes a lot of the pressure off being “the best” at something as well, because you can learn more freely.
Even better, you don’t have to be a performer or naturally amazing at something to enjoy it. Creative skills can include learning an instrument, painting, photography, writing, or whatever else allows you to switch off and use a different, more creative part of yourself.
Learn a Language
On a more practical note, learning a language can allow you to broaden your horizons as a person and potentially improve your career prospects. The world is made up of all kinds of people, cultures, and languages. It doesn’t make sense to limit yourself to just one language.
Learning a language is good for your mind and, while it’s harder for adults than children, is always well worth the effort.
Some people able to find work or expand their careers with their language skills, but learning a language is most useful when you want to travel and meet new people. If you’re a native English speaker, you have a double-edged sword.
Technically, English speakers have a huge advantage because many countries around the world teach their populations to learn English as a second or third language. It’s very common to find English speakers, so the onus often seems to be on everyone else. However, this doesn’t mean that there’s no point in learning another language, it’s just less expected.
While many people do learn English around the world, most people don’t. Besides, it’s seen as polite to make an effort, especially when viisitng another country. Also, if you do want to travel, better language skills allow you to navigate the area better, even when alone.
Retraining and Switching Careers
The problem with getting the bulk of your education as a child is that, even when you’re a teenager or a young adult, you don’t necessarily know what you want to do as a career. Many people end up stuck in a career they don’t enjoy or excel in simply because it’s what they fell into during or after their education.But while it’s scary, it’s never too late to change your career path. Retraining in the trades industry or another industry that proves to be a better fit takes time, but it can open you up to better opportunities later in life.
