Tips for Seizing Learning and Growth Opportunities as an Older Adult

Your school days might be long gone, and you no longer have to attend training for work. But retirees have many learning and growth opportunities to keep life interesting. Continuing to learn new things helps keep your mind sharp as you age. It can also help you meet new friends and find joy in life. Follow these tips to keep growing at any age.

1. Create a Learning Bucket List

When you’re working and raising kids, you often don’t have much free time to learn what you want. Now that you’re retired, you can take control of your learning and growth. Before you pursue opportunities, think about the types of things you want to learn. Reflect on topics that have interested you in the past or passions you never pursued. Write those topics down as a guide when you’re looking for learning opportunities. If a new subject pops up, add it to the list.

2. Say Yes to New Opportunities

Being open to any new opportunity could lead to learning and growth. Learning doesn’t have to take place in a classroom. People often pick up skills and knowledge simply by doing activities. When someone invites you to check out an interesting museum or visit a nature preserve, say yes. Maybe a friend invites you to a group they attend regularly or to a different church. Saying yes to those opportunities could teach you something new or spark a fresh interest that you decide to research yourself.

3. Look for Senior Opportunities

Most communities under the Bethesda Senior Living Communities umbrella offer classes and opportunities specifically for seniors. If you live in a senior community, check out the calendar of on-site and off-site activities to learn something new. You might also look for local senior centers that have classes, speakers and other educational opportunities. The topics of these senior-specific classes often relate to subjects that interest you or are important for your life situation.

4. Enroll in Senior College Programs

Another potential resource for learning and growth is a local college or university. Many higher education institutes offer lifelong learning classes for older adults. These classes are typically free or low-cost. You won’t receive college credit for the classes, but you’ll go through the course the same way other students do. This option gives you a more structured learning environment and can work well if you’re interested in a specific college-level topic. You might have online class options in addition to in-person classes.

5. Attend Lectures

Keep your eye out for lectures in your community. You can often find a wide range of topics hosted by various organizations. The speakers might range from local experts to celebrities. Don’t be afraid to attend a lecture on a topic that’s new to you. It could end up being interesting or useful, even if you didn’t expect it to be.

6. Volunteer Your Time

Volunteering for any type of organization gives you a chance to learn and grow as a person. You’re interacting with people who have unique interests, backgrounds and perspectives. The conversations you have while volunteering might spark a new passion that encourages you to continue learning. You might also need to learn different skills to fulfill your volunteering duties.

Choose a volunteer opportunity that aligns with your beliefs or interests. One option that can be particularly educational is becoming a volunteer docent at a museum. Docents guide and educate visitors on the museum displays. To prepare for this volunteer role, you’ll learn more about the artifacts in the museum. You’ll also likely receive questions from visitors that you might need to research, which naturally leads to more learning.

7. Take Up a New Hobby

Gardening, pottery or birdwatching might not seem like educational experiences, but you can learn a lot through doing activities. Many hobbies happen through trial and error. You’re learning as you experiment to see what works. It’s also natural to research a new activity that interests you, which can happen through books, videos, online classes or talking with experts. Don’t be afraid to jump into a hobby you’ve been considering as a way to keep your mind sharp.

8. Visit the Library

Your local library is often a wealth of resources for continued learning. The book collection, both nonfiction and fiction, holds an almost endless amount of information that you can gain. Most libraries offer different versions of some books, including large print and audiobooks, to make it easier to soak up knowledge.

Many libraries have a host of other services and opportunities as well. It’s common for them to host lectures, classes and groups, such as book clubs. Check out the calendar of events each month to see if anything interests you. It’s also common for libraries to offer passes to local museums and attractions, where you can learn through the displays and experiences.

9. Use Digital Options

Various apps and online tools can help you learn anything you want. For instance, you might download a language-learning app to learn a new language. You can watch TED talks on various topics through the TED app or online. Udemy and other online course websites also cover a wide range of topics, allowing you to take a targeted course on something you want to learn.