lifelong learning

[kimpossible]

Do you see learning limited to your college years or do you see learning as a lifelong process? Can you see yourself investing time advanced degrees, vocational training or skills/hobbies into your retirement years?

[Craig]

I am currently investing my free time in post graduate studies part time while working full-time. I can see myself following this path in the future. I don't do vocational training.

[chaoticharmony]

I see learning as a continuous process and I can't see myself stopping it after college. I constantly need to be mentally involved and learning something new or I go crazy.

[jz87]

Well I've never identified learning exclusively with schools. Schools mostly provide general instruction, whereas learning should be an individualized experience. The format of schooling itself changes as you go up the ladder. You go from highly structured in secondary schools to high unstructured in grad school, which are basically for people who really want to learn.

For a lot of things you can learn from books I prefer self learning at the school library. But for things that require hands on knowledge and machine tools, I can't imagine doing that at home on my own. My biggest complaint against the direction of education is the career emphasis. Our economy is tending toward service and technology sectors so they've eliminated much of the hands on education in schools like shop classes. I'm a math major at college so I pretty much don't get any chance to build anything physical. The closest thing I get to constructing something is computer programs. I wish they'd have courses where you can build stuff like model boats or rockets.

[deez nuts]

i've noticed in the last few years that i have trouble absorbing new knowledge that's not work related.

i was voracious when it came to learning anything and everything new when i was younger. now my mental energy is just depleted at the end of the day. it has become what seems like my brain would shut down when i get off work and when i have time off as to conserve mental energy and mental capacity to prepare for the upcoming work day. i haven't read a good book for personal leisure and personal learning in years.

i am open to the idea of learning new things especially things outside of my field. but, it has to pique my interest and hold it for me to invest time and energy into it. herein lies the problem, outside of work nothing piques my interest and holds my interest. even some of the stuff at work doesn't interest me.

the weird part is that i have been casually looking into possible future mba programs, but that's a long ways off.

[sandra]

one day, if i have enough money and my kids are all off to college, i'd like to get my PhD in philosophy, specifically in epistomology and metaphysics. in other words, when i'm old and wrinkly, i'd like to go back and study whether i really know or can know what i came to learn and "know" throughout the years. my dad thinks it's a waste of money, but it's something i really am curious to know. do i really know what i know?

anyways, as lawyers in CA, we have MCLE (mandatory continuing legal education) - we have to fulfill a certain number of credits each year or every two years. i'm actually not really sure. i just go to as many free courses as possible b/c i don't want to spend any more money on legal education right now.

as for hobbies, if given the time and money, i'd love to enroll in voice lessons, ballet lessons, drama classes, cooking - whatever's out there. i've always been meaning to check out the classes offered by the local community colleges but haven't gotten around to it.

[deez nuts]

Originally Posted by kasia

anyways, as lawyers in CA, we have MCLE (mandatory continuing legal education) - we have to fulfill a certain number of credits each year or every two years. i'm actually not really sure. i just go to as many free courses as possible b/c i don't want to spend any more money on legal education right now.

we have to do that too.

recently there was a surgical seminar for three days at harvard that my attending asked me to attend cuz it was worth beaucoup credits and i was in danger for being short for the year. i told him i wasn't interested. my reasoning it was in another state and it would cost me money. there's another one coming up at mayo in august, but i'm probably not gonna go either.

instead i opt for the one credit free ones offered at my hospital and within the ny area.

[jz87]

maybe people just get lazy with age?

[Filiprish]

kimpossible, I see learning as a lifelong process.

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Originally Posted by jz87

Well I've never identified learning exclusively with schools. Schools mostly provide general instruction, whereas learning should be an individualized experience. The format of schooling itself changes as you go up the ladder. You go from highly structured in secondary schools to high unstructured in grad school, which are basically for people who really want to learn.

For a lot of things you can learn from books I prefer self learning at the school library.

I agree with you. For example, kasia said she wants to get a PhD in Philosophy. I say, save the money and just read as many books and develop as many theories as you can, on your own. Then again, it really depends on what she wants to do with the degree. She'll definitely need the PhD to teach or publish in academic journals.

[Emperor_Mike]

I love learning. After my LLB I need to get my LLM to practise in the US and perhaps later on down the road I'll get an MBA and LLD. An MA from the London School of Economics in International Relations is great as well. Oxford also has a great MBA programme. Only trouble is, I need to find the time.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

I'd love to retire early and spend the rest of my life going to school. The trouble is, I like to dabble in stuff instead of focusing heavily on one topic. I realized that when I was applying to grad school --- I knew I'd never make a good PhD.

Anyway, I still take night school classes around here at universities or private institutions. Mostly languages. Read lots of non-fiction books too, which mostly aren't related to my industry. For job-related stuff, I'm trying to find time to do a master's degree in Applied Maths so I can move away from being a pure developer writing code and fucking with config files all day (which is what I'm really being tracked as right now) into more quant-like stuff.

[Filiprish]

Originally Posted by Emperor_Mike

I love learning. After my LLB I need to get my LLM to practise in the US and perhaps later on down the road I'll get an MBA and LLD. An MA from the London School of Economics in International Relations is great as well. Oxford also has a great MBA programme. Only trouble is, I need to find the time.

What do you plan on doing with those degree? Most people with more than 3 degrees end up in academia. Is that where you're headed? Having too many degrees can hurt your job prospects b/c you can become saturated/overqualified and employers don't want to pay the extra cash. At job interviews, you're going to need a good explaination for having more than 3 degrees. Then again, you want an MBA, so you're probably entrepreneurial.

As for me, I already have my BS in Public Policy/Urban Planning. And, I'm about to apply to graduate school to earn a Master's. Not sure in what, though, it depends on which program I get accepted to. I'm consider an MBA in Environmental Management or a MA in Community & Regional Planning. After earning my Master's I'll be applying to law school, ASAP. This combo of degrees is ideal for my career goal -- I either want to serve as counsel to a governmental body (state or local) and/or serve as an administrator in a local governmental body (planning agency or regional commission) regulating growth and environmental matters. Obviously, the degrees do broaden my career options, as well.

[Shogun Empress]

Originally Posted by jz87

maybe people just get lazy with age?

Mabye people are just lazy?

[Emperor_Mike]

Originally Posted by filipirish

What do you plan on doing with those degree? Most people with more than 3 degrees end up in academia. Is that where you're headed? Having too many degrees can hurt your job prospects b/c you can become saturated/overqualified and employers don't want to pay the extra cash. At job interviews, you're going to need a good explaination for having more than 3 degrees. Then again, you want an MBA, so you're probably entrepreneurial.

As for me, I already have my BS in Public Policy/Urban Planning. And, I'm about to apply to graduate school to earn a Master's. Not sure in what, though, it depends on which program I get accepted to. I'm consider an MBA in Environmental Management or a MA in Community & Regional Planning. After earning my Master's I'll be applying to law school, ASAP. This combo of degrees is ideal for my career goal -- I either want to serve as counsel to a governmental body (state or local) and/or serve as an administrator in a local governmental body (planning agency or regional commission) regulating growth and environmental matters. Obviously, the degrees do broaden my career options, as well.

Academia isn't my sort of thing at this point. I'm looking at putting some time into public service either on a national or international scale (preferably international.) The Canadian Foreign Service and the UN look very attractive at this juncture. It's either that or help my father with his business dealings/holdings. I'd much rather strike out on my own though. Money is one thing but prestige is far more attractive for me than cash alone. As for explaining the degrees...hmmm. I suppose I can be honest and say "I like doing the things for fun."

[Filiprish]

Originally Posted by Emperor_Mike

Academia isn't my sort of thing at this point. I'm looking at putting some time into public service either on a national or international scale (preferably international.) The Canadian Foreign Service and the UN look very attractive at this juncture. It's either that or help my father with his business dealings/holdings. I'd much rather strike out on my own though. Money is one thing but prestige is far more attractive for me than cash alone.

Good luck with everything. I hear you about prestige vs money. I'd rather get paid chump change but really be accomplishing things.

As for explaining the degrees...hmmm. I suppose I can be honest and say "I like doing the things for fun."

Lol, sounds like a perfectly valid explaination to me.