Human beings are always learning from our environments and life experiences, but having some intentionality about what we are learning can greatly improve the quality of what we learn and its benefits for our lives. It is possible to learn something new that is of value every day. Here are some ways to make that happen.
New Environments Lead to Learning
Seeking out a new environment or situation can lead to valuable opportunities to learn something new. Even something as simple as visiting someone you’ve never visited before or shopping at a different store can teach you things you didn’t know before and lead to growth. There are plenty of ways to experience a new environment, too, so you are unlikely to run out of these opportunities any time soon.
Breaking routine helps you experience something different, and you notice more about what’s all around you than you do when you are going to the same places and doing the same things. Intentionally getting out of your comfort zone teaches you things that you wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to learn.
Travel to A New Destination
The ultimate new environment comes by traveling to a new place that you’ve never been before. Even a day trip to a new place can teach you many new things about that place, its history, and the things that make it special. Travel can also teach you about different cultures and ways of doing things, which can be incredibly useful in our multicultural world.
Be Around Other Learners
Making friends with others who pursue and enjoy learning will stimulate and encourage your own learning. You can be around other learners by joining a group or club aligned with an existing or new interest, or even just by hanging out in a place where people learn, like a library or museum. You can also volunteer at a school or other community where learning takes place and get the benefits of the environment while helping others.
Teach What You Know
The process of teaching something to someone else—even if you know it very well—always leads to more learning for the teacher. Everyone has some kind of skill that they can teach to others: it could be making your favorite recipe, writing a story, or doing your taxes. You can teach someone informally, one-on-one, or in a classroom. All of these ways of teaching will help you learn your topic more deeply, which will, in turn, make you an even better teacher.
Take a Course
Whether you set out to earn a degree or just want to extend your learning with continuing education courses, a classroom situation is sure to teach you something new each time you attend. Continuing education courses are available on many different topics from hobbies to people skills to job-related courses that could earn you a promotion or advanced certification.
CCSU offers many continuing education courses in both professional and enrichment topics that can help you learn something new every day. View open courses to see what is available and coming up shortly.