 Action/Adventure: December 11, 2019 Issue [#9912] |
This week: Education is an Adventure Edited by: NaNoKit  
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If you were offered a free course in any subject, which subject would you choose? Would you opt for learning a new language? Pick that Master's degree that you cannot afford? Would you choose something to improve your career prospects, or pursue a passion?
This week's Action/Adventure Newsletter is all about education and its benefits.
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As I write this – with some difficulty, as my hard drive went poof – I am waiting to be offered my MA in Philosophy. It's delayed by about a week, due to strikes, but it's coming. I already know that I have passed, because I have received my final results. It's just a matter of everything being processed. I am not celebrating yet, but it is a good feeling. I've come a long way.
Education is often seen as a means to get a decent job. This is understandable – in many countries it's rather expensive, so you want a well-paying career at the end of it. Unfortunately, this means that not everyone who goes to university ends up studying something they're passionate about. Certain fields have better prospects than others. In addition, certain fields are more prestigious than others. These factors tend to matter in one's choices. I call it unfortunate because education has value in itself. The pursuit of knowledge, the pursuit of one's educational passions, is an excellent adventure, with many twists and turns. It can alter your outlook, and even who you are as a person.
Don't get me wrong – I don't look down on those who opt for whichever course offers them the best prospects. No educational route is easy, and studying what one isn't even passionate about tends to be more difficult than many other routes. I just wish everyone had the opportunity to study what they really wanted. That there were no financial barriers, no debt, and everyone could study as much and as high-up a level as they'd like and find themselves capable of. If I could, I think I would happily study on until the end of my days, because there are so many fascinating subjects! I'd love to study Criminology, Palaeontology, Archaeology, Astronomy... it's endless! The more that I learn, the more that I realise I don't know, and the more additional knowledge I wish to pursue.
I often hear from people that they would love to return to school, but they feel that they are too old. I don't believe that anyone's too old to learn more. I'm – how shall we put this delicately – a woman-of-a-certain-age, and I'm still a student. I returned to education after first having turned to the world of work. I'd always wondered if I could have achieved a higher level of education, and when the opportunity arose, I grabbed it. I have no regrets.
There are courses available that are less intensive, but very enjoyable, and they're free! Many universities are now offering MOOCs - Massive Open Online Courses. The courses tend to last a few weeks to a few months, and you can study them from the comfort of your own home. I did a couple through a platform called Coursera: a Social Psychology course from Wesleyan University, and a course on the French Revolution from the University of Melbourne. That's one university in the US, and one in Australia, and I was able to study with them from my home in the UK! The Internet can be a great place to be. And, as said, they were free. Some universities/platforms will offer you a paid certificate, but as most of these courses do not offer credits, I haven't bothered with those and have just enjoyed the ride. I loved Social Psychology so much that I am hoping to study it as a second undergraduate degree!
The student life is an odd one. At least, in my opinion. Before I returned to school, I was pretty set in my ways and my views. There was no need to ever truly question them. Education will make you question everything, all the way down to your intuitions. Why do you feel that way? Why do you believe what you believe? Can you make a reasoned argument in favour of your beliefs? Can you think of objections to your beliefs? Can you counter these objections? I studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at undergraduate level, and Philosophy at Master's level, and these are, perhaps, subjects that especially challenge who you are and what you are about. It's not always nice. It's certainly not easy. But, like the leading character in a story, we all must face challenges in order to achieve personal development, and the results tend to be worthwhile.
If you are thinking of going back to school, you've got a cheerleader in me. It's a wonderful experience that will offer you such a great sense of achievement! Or, perhaps you can try a MOOC. They are especially handy for writers – there is such a wide range of courses available now that if you're thinking of writing a story involving elements that you could do with greater knowledge of, you can obtain that knowledge within a few weeks, and have fun along the way. Or, try out Duolingo if you wish to learn a new language. We have more knowledge available to us these days than people have ever had. It's right at our fingertips. I, too, love cat videos, but it's good to explore, right? 
Whatever you do, I wish you luck on your own educational adventure!
NaNoKit
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