One of the greatest advantages of living in the 21st century is education. Not just the fact that it’s considered a basic human right in most countries but also how accessible a good education can be for those of us in first world countries.
The Internet changes everything, including the way we learn about something. Resources are abundance. With the resources available to us, there’s no reason to stop learning even after graduating your college.
Many successful people are still learning – that’s why they are becoming successful.
If you want to embrace kaizen, here are some great ways to keep your general knowledge up to date – and quite possibly add a few qualifications to your CV.
Books
Books remain some of the best resources for learning about anything. With technology, books are even more accessible. You can hate or love him as you want, but Tai Lopez is right: If you want to get rich or become successful, read books.
But which books to read? Getting recommendations is easy: Just go to Goodreads and you’ll read reviews on books in many genres. You can also search the web for recommendations, such as this list of best self-help books, curated from influencers.
TED
Ted talks are short talks by hundreds of different people covering thousands of different topics, from the latest scientific discoveries to parenting, natural disasters, and procrastination. If you’re in the office 15 minutes early, or you find yourself at a loose end on your lunch break, catch a TED talk, it’s a great way to keep current and impress friends and colleagues with your general knowledge.
Short Courses
There are a lot of short courses available online, and many are available in your own time, meaning you can study when you can, and take the test when you feel ready. Some run on a fixed fee, others are free and you only pay to take the test or receive your certificate. You can find short courses in first aid, marketing, or even get certified as an aerial lift operator.
Correspondence Studies
Some universities offer distance learning, or correspondence. This is a great option for people working part time and wanting to further their education. It allows you to study and complete assignments in your own time without having to attend daily lectures or classes. Increasingly, they offer web lectures – where a live lecture is recorded, so that correspondence students can watch when they have the time.
Depending on the course, you may be able to communicate directly with a teacher or lecturer should you need help, others offer a forum for students to communicate with and help each other.
Night Classes
Night or evening classes differ slightly from correspondence as, though they are not full-time study, they are more often in person, rather than online or self-study. Either one or several nights a week, they provide a study option for people who work a full day.
Typical night classes cover high school or college subjects, as university studies would require a greater time commitment. They are often utilized by people who, for one reason or another, were unable to complete high school but wish to do so while working. Other night classes may include immigrants hoping to assimilate more easily by taking a language or citizenship class.
Takeaway
Whatever your goal is, furthering your education can drastically improve your job prospects, and lifelong learning is a skill greatly undervalued by modern society. We should all be aiming to improve ourselves and the world around us little by little, not waiting for the world to improve for us.