Learning As An Adult

KN Consulting

Adult learning

Learning never ends as long as we are alive; once we are communicating with others, reading and paying attention to what’s happening around us, we can absorb new information. We can also be purposeful and intentional in our learning to pursue a particular course of study. This can help us to improve what we know or to gain new knowledge. You might want to change your career, be eligible for promotion, do your job better, learn a new skill to start your own business or you might want to learn a new hobby just for the fun of it.  

Fortunately, several options exist for adults to pursue further learning and your choices for learning are dependent on your personal objectives and goals. We have had adults who wanted to complete their CXC’s or earn a high school diploma. Some persons pursue associates, Bachelors, Masters or Doctoral degrees. Others attend trade school and others even pursue a certificate or diploma course, which are all very helpful. Courses can be done using in-person continuing education or online training. Some options are even tuition-free.

Challenges of learning as an adult

Nevertheless, as much as adult learning is open and many options exist, it is still a new step and comes with a host of challenges. There can be several worries and fears when it comes to making the decision to enroll in adult learning. For example, you must naturally worry if you will have sufficient time to learn, if you have the right skills to learn something new, if you can afford it and even if it will be recognized by your employer. The prospect of being in an environment with the majority of classmates being younger can also be intimidating, particularly for in-person learning.

Generally, adult learning has several challenges. You will likely be taking your learning courses while working, running a household or raising children. You could also be actively engaged in some time-consuming community activities. Therefore, for you to succeed as an adult learner, you will have to strike a fine balance among your multiple obligations. That makes managing time a crucial aspect of adult learning.

Advantages of adult learning

Whereas several challenges affect adult learning, adults also enjoy a number of benefits, including the following:

  • The most obvious benefit is that going back to learn is actually your choice, and you cannot complain about your ‘seeing no reason for learning’ which is a common complaint from teenagers.   

  • You are also motivated. You have gone back to learn with the motivation to achieve a particular goal. Such motivation readies you to overcome learning hurdles and press on to completion.

  • Usually, youngsters go to school without any sort of life experience, and that can negatively affect their ability to understand some concepts. For adults it is different. Life experiences have helped you formulate life goals and it will help to deepen your understanding of some concepts. Such experiences give you a clear context from which to apply your learning and develop a broad perspective.

  • Your maturity enables you to go after what you want with some level of maturity, without succumbing to peer-pressure and falling into distracting indulgences. As an adult, you know what you want and work toward it. Then of course, as the saying goes, with age comes wisdom! That wisdom can be critical to learning.

Learning options as an adult

There are many learning options for adults, regardless of your objectives and goals.

  1. Continuing Education for Adults

This option for adult education is typically short-term, and with focused courses. It is one way for adults who have jobs, to enhance their skill set, change careers or meet specific requirements for licensing. This is often offered outside of working hours, in-person or online and in some cases, you have to sit a certification exam.

Examples of continuing education courses are Structured Query Language (SQL) class for developers, curriculum courses for teachers, childhood development courses for teachers of preschool, and drug intervention courses for social workers.  Rarely do they use continuing education courses for acquiring a degree. Overall, if you are aiming to bring yourself up to speed with best practices, and new industry standards, or perhaps to learn a few more skills to qualify for a new career position, then Continuing Education is your excellent choice.

  1. Adult Basic Education

Adult basic education is meanwhile an appropriate option for adults looking to improve on their math, reading, and writing skills. Basic education enables adults to find paying jobs or prepare for exams, including CXC, CAPE, GED or even college admission.

  1. High School Diploma Programs

In certain jurisdictions, in case you did not, for some reason, graduate from high school, you can acquire an equivalent diploma learning as an adult. Several options exist for adult learners. For example, there are the “High School Equivalency exams” otherwise called the GED or SAT. This exam gives you an equivalency certificate, which you can add to your resume or indeed use when applying for college.

  1. Online Degree Programs

Adults also have the option of online degree programs. This is especially excellent for adult learners who are returning to school. Online learning programs are a flexible and convenient learning option to attain a full degree, for changing a career without having to quit your current job or even just to upgrade from diploma to degree and higher qualifications. You can complete online courses remotely and at any time, etc.

  1. Training Programs

In-office training or attending a training event can enhance your job skills. Popular courses offered now include management training, customer service training, emotional intelligence and other topics. These re usually organized by the company for employees’ benefit.

Conclusion

Many different kinds of persons, regardless of status, can benefit from learning as an adult. Whether you are an adult intent on completing high school, earning a diploma equivalent, attaining a degree, or just getting basic math and writing skills, adult learning covers all.  It might even be that you wish to learn a second language, especially such as French, Spanish or even English and that too is quite useful and equips you to be a better well-rounded employee and person.