Back to School

Did you enjoy school as a kid? If so, chances are you continued your education in some form as an adult. If you hated school, you’d probably rather stick pins in your eyes. But you may be pleasantly surprised.

You probably know someone who returned to the classroom in their forties, fifties, or even older. Some completely changed career paths. The ones I know have no regrets, even if school was never their forte. I can think of several reasons why. One, they’re probably learning something they feel passionate about. Two, they are now paying for the course out of their own pocket and more deeply appreciate the cost of education. Three, they’ve matured enough to have developed a few study skills, self-discipline, and determination.

I returned to the classroom, so to speak, at age 50. Going to work at city hall gave me the chance to take the Manitoba Municipal Administration program by distance education. Even though municipal administration hadn’t exactly been a lifelong dream of mine, turning down the opportunity seemed foolish.

I won’t lie, studying was hard work. I didn’t enjoy all the courses. The professor who told me the Bible was an inappropriate source to quote in an essay on ethics made me throw up my hands. I felt humiliated by the one who suggested I take a basic writing class first. And I tore more than a few hairs out of my head over the accounting courses.

But, one by one, I finished the assignments and graduated with distinction after three years. No, it wasn’t a degree, but a certificate and the right to place the initials CMMA after my name. The experience boosted my confidence and helped me realize I wasn’t so dumb after all. It still comes as a shock when I receive emails or magazines sent to University of Manitoba alumni.

According to a May 2022 article in Harvard Medical School’s publishing platform, one of the best ways to keep your brain young is by stimulating it. Activities like reading, word puzzles, math problems, memorizing, learning another language, and taking courses all put our minds through “mental gymnastics” that keep the brain functioning. New connections between nerve cells are stimulated and may even help the brain generate new cells. This helps your brain retain or rebuild the neurological plasticity you naturally possessed as a child. Mentally stimulating activities can help you build a hedge against future cell loss. And if you can find an activity that requires both mental effort and manual dexterity, like painting or knitting, that’s a huge bonus.

So, keep doing your daily Wordle, crossword, or Sudoku. Force yourself to think. Learn something new.

And if you’re really brave, sign up for a course. You may just find it the start of something wonderful. I’ll be teaching the eight-week Creative Writing course offered by Red River College again this fall, on Wednesday evenings beginning October 11. I’d love to see you there.