Lifelong learning can feel easier and more satisfying than any learning which you are forced to do. Here are some ways to start learning in your own time.
The week can feel long enough but making time to learn can be great for your brain and your motivation. You can undertake learning in so many different ways – there is bound to be something that works for you.
Read widely and often
Search online for things you want to know more about. Ask your friends for books they have found helpful. Get curious about the world. Read about the news, about amazing scientific or environmental progress, or about positive social actions. Sign up to newsletters that talk about interesting things every week or month. Read how-to guides about the things you love, whether it’s fashion or coding.
Dive deep into topics and soak up as much fresh thinking and information as you can!
Explore Youtube
There are so many Youtube tutorials it would be impossible to list them all.
From getting better at Minecraft and makeup to learning clever office software tricks for Excel spreadsheets and Powerpoint presentations that can help you at school, you can discover so much you never knew before.
Explore Podcasts
Podcasts are also an amazing way to learn new things – except you do it by listening, not watching. Podcats often have people chatting about fascinating subjects as a relaxed but eye-opening conversation. You can find podcasts to subscribe to on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Overcast, Soundcloud, and many other places. Pop a podcast on next time you do your daily exercise or walk to the shops. Listen and learn while you get on with your life.
When you stop learning, you start getting bored.
Who wants to be bored for the rest of their life?
Explore online courses
There are so, so many free online courses you can do. You don’t have to spend money on feeding your thirst to know more. Do more. Be more.
If what you are interested in involves new knowledge or new skills, you are likely to find an online course for it. You just have to look.
A lot of courses give you certificates for completing them.
And they are great to put on your CV.
Keep building your life and work skills.
Whenever you create a new goal for yourself, ask if it is realistic and start thinking about steps you can take to achieve it.
Find free online courses for confidence boosting and goal setting to sign up for.
Creativity
Keep an open mind and a willingness to explore fresh ideas whenever you are facing something new. Find a way to make difficult challenges seem more fun, like a game.
Find free online courses for creative hobbies and activities to sign up for. There are lots of them!
Communication
Whenever there is a problem in communication, try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see things from their point of view, even if you disagree with them. Disagreements get solved faster this way.
Find free online courses for improving your spelling/grammar, writing emails, active listening and public speaking to sign up for.
Leadership
When you are in a study group, always ask yourself if you can do something to help, encourage and support others – and help them get along with each other to achieve a goal.
Find free online courses for improving your leadership to sign up for. There are lots of them!
Always break big problems down into little chunks. Come up with more than one solution and test each one. If you’re really stuck, ask for help.
Find free online courses for problem solving to sign up for.
Staying Positive
Find ways to treat every setback as an opportunity to learn something new.
Find free online courses for mental health, wellbeing and boosting your confidence to sign up for. There are lots of them.
Teamwork
Offer to help – don’t wait to be asked. Put aside any issues you may have with people to work together to achieve something none of you could do alone.
Find free online courses for group activities and working well as a team to sign up for.
When it comes to building the top skills you need for life and work, the learning never stops.
Activity: Start making a list of things you want to learn.
You can’t learn everything straight away. But make a list of things you DO want to learn, and keep it somewhere safe so you don’t forget about it! Include links to places that can teach you what you learn for free.
When you are ready, sign up and get learning!
