Embracing the Golden Years: Educational Resources for Aging Adults
Collaborative Post
Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean you have to give up learning. It’s not reserved only for young students. Learning is a lifelong journey, and it’s never too late to embark on it.
Besides, it comes with plenty of benefits. Learning improves cognitive functioning, provides socialization opportunities, and is good for your health. Plus, it’s fun, too!
So, if you’re planning to get back to learning – or you’ve never quit it in the first place – here are the five types of educational resources that deserve your time, as chosen by assignment help experts. All of the picks are tailored to the US audience. Let’s begin!
Educational Travel
If you’re not bound to a specific location at the moment, why not combine the two of the greatest pleasures – traveling and learning?
You can DIY this experience, of course. Or, if you’d rather go on a well-planned tour, here are several organizations that specialize in educational travel for aging adults:
- Road Scholar. This not-for-profit organization has already organized over 4,000 trips for 6 million aging adults. With Road Scholar, you can travel to one of a hundred countries on the list.
- ElderTreks. Another big name in the industry, ElderTreks specializes in small-group exotic adventures for adults over 50. If you’d like to go off the beaten path, ElderTreks is worth looking into.
- Smithsonian Journeys. This nonprofit organizes 350+ trips a year to a variety of locations in the US and abroad. And yes, it’s affiliated with the Smithsonian Museum!
- Your former college or university. Many US educational establishments offer tours led by alumni or faculty members.
Free Online Courses
Educational establishments no longer have a monopoly on learning experiences. Today, you can access thousands of online courses from leading colleges, universities, and companies, most of them for free. And as any assignment writer can attest, they’re no worse – and sometimes even better – than expensive in-person courses.
Here are the top three massive open online courses (MOOC) platforms you should visit at least once:
- edX. Created by Harvard and MIT, edX is home to hundreds of free-to-audit courses on a variety of subjects. While its homepage typically showcases programming-related courses, it’s not all you can expect from edX. The platform also offers courses on foreign language learning, humanities, and business and management.
- Coursera. This is the platform where you can find virtually any course you can think of, free for auditing. Its most popular course categories include business, social sciences, health, arts and humanities, and computer science disciplines.
- FutureLearn. This platform is a treasure chest full of short courses that you can have free access to but for a limited time. There, you can find courses on literature, law, history, creative arts and media, psychology, and more.
Volunteer Your Time
As any assignment writing service can tell you, volunteering can be a skill-building experience if you let it (and that’s why it’s so valuable in the admission process these days). It can improve your interpersonal and leadership skills while also teaching you some hard skills. Plus, there’s nothing more fulfilling than knowing you’ve helped someone today!
If you’re ready to start volunteering, consider your local charities, non-profits, and soup kitchens. Large organizations like the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and AmeriCorps may also need a hand in your area. AmeriCorps even has a division called AmeriCorps Seniors, open to people aged 55 and over.
And if you love nature and science and want to volunteer online, the Smithsonian Museum has a Digital Volunteer program.
Tuition-Free College Courses
Ever regretted not choosing this or that course when you went to college? Or, perhaps, you didn’t have an opportunity to study at one at all? If that’s so, check out colleges in your area: some of them may offer aging adults to attend certain courses – free of charge or at a discounted tuition fee.
But even if you don’t have to pay the tuition fees, you may still need to buy textbooks and other materials. Plus, keep in mind that it’s a full-fledged college course. So, if it ever gets too challenging or intimidating, remember that you can always seek out the best paper writing services to get some help.
Continuing Education Programs
Most universities and colleges also support lifelong learning by providing continuing education programs. Enrolling in and completing one will teach you new skills, make you a more valuable worker if you’re employed, and earn you a certificate.
You can attend continuing education programs both online and in person. However, these programs tend to come with a tuition fee. If you’re looking to keep your costs to a minimum, consider taking an online program – it’s less expensive.
In Conclusion
If you pick lifelong learning as one of the core values, you’re standing to transform your life for the better. Apart from the direct benefits, like developing a new skill or just making friends, lifelong learning also sharpens your mind, improves your overall health, and enriches your life with purpose.
So, go ahead and give one of the resources above a try. It may be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make!
Photo by Jeff Sheldon on Unsplash
