What is lifelong learning and why study all your life

What is lifelong learning

Lifelong learning, or continuous education, is a concept, the meaning of which is best conveyed by the saying “Live and learn”. This idea implies the constant development of the individual in the professional, social, spiritual spheres.

Here are a few principles that can characterize continuing education:

• voluntariness;
• intrinsic motivation to learn something new;
• independent initiation of the learning process;
• often informality.

It is believed that the term lifelong learning was first heard at a UNESCO conference in 1968. Came out a little later reportUnesco Futures of Education. Learning to be: the world of education today and tomorrow / UNESCODOC Edgar Faure "Learning to live", dedicated to this phenomenon. The French politician believed that continuing education would help smooth out inequalities and narrow the gap between more developed and less developed countries. Many supported his idea.

Nowadays, conversations about lifelong learning are heard more and more often. For example, according to

surveyLifelong Learning and Technology / Pew Research Center Pew Research Center in 2016, 73% of Americans called themselves lifelong learners - constantly learning. At the same time, 80% of respondents noted that they do it primarily to make life more interesting and fulfilling.

Why you need to learn throughout your life

Continuing education helps to realize personal interests and ambitions. And given the dramatic changes in the labor market, this habit becomes simply necessary. Here are a few reasons why we should all become "forever students."

1. To be more successful at work or be able to change it

Atlas of new professions writesCatalog of professions / Atlas of new professions that in the near future there will be IT doctors, eco-analysts, tutors for aesthetic development and infostylists. Employees of hybrid specialties will also be in demand.

Therefore, if you are going to change profession, you should be ready for constant development and learning in a new industry.

But even if not, you should pay attention to other statistics. According to reportS. Zahidi, V. Ratcheva, G. Hingel, S. brown. The Future of Jobs / World Economic Forum International Economic Forum, by 2025, 40% of workers will have to learn new skills to keep their jobs. None of this is possible without continuing education.

2. To stay sane

Continuous education benefits our brain. Research showLearning helps keep brain healthy / UCI Newsthat it supports the work neurons and helps to maintain cognitive functions at an optimal level even at an older age.

3. To make new acquaintances

Many forms of learning involve constant communication with new people. If you want to make friends at an older age, share your ideas with them and stay connected to the modern world, then one of the best options for this is to enroll in training courses.

4. To be happier

According to social researchM. Laal. Benefits of Lifelong Learning / Science Direct, people who learn something new throughout their lives are more likely to feel happy and feel that they have fulfilled themselves in their favorite things. In addition, continuing education improvesCan Lifelong Learning Help As We Age? / Psychology Today emotional background and helps to avoid depression.

How to implement lifelong learning into your life

The most obvious thing is to create a training plan. But that's not all. In order to make educational practices a permanent part of your life, you need to consider a few more important points.

1. Don't treat learning as a duty

Don't force yourself to learn just because you have to. Remember how you hated history in eighth grade when you memorized "meaningless dates and names"? Then you imagined it as a burden that you had to bear. But now it is not necessary to drive yourself into the framework and do what you are not interested in.

You can choose any topic or discipline - one that you are really passionate about.

And even if you have to learn something out of necessity – like learning a new skill required for a job – try to approach this issue comprehensively.

Look for apps that will make the process more fun, read the stories of people with similar experiences, come up with your own reward system. The educational process should not be a burden.

Also, don't be afraid to make mistakes - experiment, ask questions, miss. Allowing yourself to be less than perfect will take some of the responsibility off your shoulders, and learning will be a joy, not a shame or regret.

2. Keep a list of what you want to learn

It can be any skills, knowledge and skills: those that will take you half a year or a year, and those that require very little time to master them. For example, "speak fluent French", "do the splits” or “learn how to cook poached eggs” - put on the list what you have long dreamed of.

Make it a habit - catch yourself thinking every time you admire some skill and add it to the list. Don't worry if some skills end up left unlearned.

By the way, the list will work more efficiently if you add clear goals to the items.

For example, if you dream of pulling up a story, it is important to understand how you see this goal for yourself. Perhaps you just would like to systematize school knowledge. Or maybe you are thinking about getting further education.

Both goals are related to the same discipline, but represent different levels of interest and entail different approaches to achieving the result.

3. Create a learning plan and update it periodically

Once you have identified your areas of interest and the goal that accompanies them, create your own learning plan.

• Understand how many hours a week you are willing to spend on a particular discipline and when you will do it. For example: "15 minutes a day, but daily."
• Create a scale for yourself to track your progress. For example: "I read one chapter a day."
• Designate a conditional date for the end of your studies. For example: "I will do a hobby for three months - I'll see what happens."

Don't be afraid to connect tutors and mentors - even if you are not focused on studying with them, you can agree on a couple of introductory lessons, in which you will be able to form an educational plan.

Also, remember that things may not go the way you originally intended.

You may not have considered that it may take more time to study a certain aspect. Or maybe a new hobby has ceased to be relevant.

Therefore, periodically check the plan and change it based on the current situation. There is nothing wrong with changing the schedule.

When your conditional graduation date approaches, reflect on the progress you have made - have you achieved what you wanted? Would you like to continue this hobby? Were you interested in the process? If yes, then why not create a new training plan dedicated to the same discipline?

4. Choose the tools that suit you

What is the best way for you to study? Do you listen to podcasts, take notes in textbooks, draw diagrams and tables? Identify the tools you would like to use in your own learning.

For example, if you dream of understanding classical Russian literature, but do not like to read, perhaps audiobooks will be your salvation. Make a list of resources that you would like to draw on in your learning process and include them in your educational plan.

5. Record your progress

Once you've come up with a way to measure your own learning progress, the key is to remember to record it. This will help keep you motivated.

You will need a regular notebook where you will take notes and note what you have already learned and what you would like to understand in more detail. In addition, you can find self-test tests - they will also show you how well you have mastered the topic.

6. Connect with people who are studying the same things as you

You can discuss the studied material with them or ask them questions if something seems incomprehensible. For this, there are special networking meetings, thematic forums, and, in the end, educational courses on a subject that interests you.

Being surrounded by like-minded people, you may be able to achieve more progress than alone.

7. Put into practice what you have learned

This is the best way to test your knowledge. So you will improve the skills, and they will be better fixed in your memory.

Sometimes, in order to better understand the subject, it is worth trying to change your status - to become a teacher, not a student. French writer Joseph Joubert said: “To teach is to learn twice.”

Teaching helps you get to know the subject better. However, it does not have to be in the form to which we are accustomed.

To better reinforce the topic, you can try writing a Wikipedia article, answering someone's question on a forum, telling friends an interesting fact that we learned in the new chapter of our textbook.

Whatever method you choose, the main thing is not to let the information you just received just disappear into the depths of your memory.