Learning
Learning
Have It Your Way
High school algebra? College chemistry? They're history. As an adult you can learn what you want, when you want, any way you want--and with a sense of fulfillment, accomplishment and fun.
"It's one of the great things about being a grown-up," says Ronald Gross, chairman of the University Seminar on Innovation in Education at Columbia University in New York City and author of Peak Learning: A Master Course in Learning How to Learn. "When you were in school you were pretty much told what to learn. Now you can pick your own topics and change whenever you feel like it. It gives you a great feeling of freedom."
And a feeling of youthfulness, too. When you were a girl the world seemed a boundless place, full of potential and hope. Learning can bring that feeling back. So read the great philosophers. Program a computer. Learn how to fix your lawn mower. It's like being a child again, discovering why it rains or what makes the sky blue. And your life isn't ruled by final exams, hall passes or pop quizzes.
Flex Your Brain
Let's start by debunking one of the great myths of aging. Yes, you are losing 50,000 to 100,000 irreplaceable brain cells a day. But it doesn't make a bit of difference because you started with more than 100 billion. By the time you reach the age of 70, you'll still have 99 percent of your original total.
Experts say it's not the number of cells that counts, anyway. It's what you do with them. "The adage 'use it or lose it' applies to the mind as well as the muscles," says Marian Diamond, Ph.D., professor of neurosciences in the Department of Integrated Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Physical exercise makes muscles grow and mental exercise makes the connections between brain cells grow.
"Studies show that the area in the brain devoted to word understanding is significantly larger in the average college graduate than in the average high school graduate," Dr. Diamond says. "Why? Because college graduates spend more time working with words."
So there's no reason adults can't learn as well as children do. In fact, being an adult often makes learning easier. "You can put things in context," says Gross. "When you're learning something, like philosophy, you have years of experience that will help you see where things fit in. You never had that edge when you were young," he says.
Experts say older women may even handle the rigors of college life better than younger women. A study of 85 women students at the Pennsylvania State University in University Park found that those who were 26 years old and up felt less stress at school than students of typical college age. Past experience with raising families and having careers may buffer against the stress.
A Primer for Women
The key to learning is overcoming the notion that the whole process is boring--or scary. It doesn't have to be either. "Learning can be life's greatest joy," Gross says. "It's what makes humans human." And the part about being scared? "Why worry when you're doing it for yourself?" Gross asks. "Failing is not an issue. There's not going to be a test. Learn for the sake of learning and you'll see how great you feel."
Ready to get started? Experts offer these tips.
Follow your heart. What have you always wanted to learn? Gardening? Spanish? Arc welding? Gross says you should make a list--and don't worry about whether the items seem "important" enough. Remember, you're learning for yourself.
Pick one or two topics, save the rest for later and take it from there.
Show some style. In school everyone learned the same way: by being quiet, listening to the teacher, going home and studying. Some people thrived and others didn't.
That's because people learn in different ways. Some do best in large groups. Some like to go off on their own. Others like to interact with one or two good friends, to share ideas.
How about you? Do you like seminars with lots of people or one-on-one sessions? Are you sharpest at night or in the morning? Do you concentrate best with the radio playing softly in the background?
"How you learn plays a large part in what you learn," Gross says. "Figure out your own style and make yourself comfortable."
Take your time. It's one thing to learn to play chopsticks. It's another to play Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. And it's yet another to play Beethoven's Fifth while cooking a pear tart à la Julia Child and running a road race like Mary Decker Slaney.
In other words, take your time. Otherwise, you may burn out on learning. "Too much stimulation loses its value," Dr. Diamond says. "By all means, enrich your mental life and keep your brain active but allow yourself adequate time to assimilate new information."
Abandon ship! So you always wanted to learn to sail. And there you are, sailing solo, trimming the jib and gybing the main. But it's just not as much fun as you thought it would be.
Head for the lifeboats and try something else. "There's no sense staying with something that isn't what you really want to do," Gross says. "And there's certainly no shame in it. Just try something else instead."
There's one exception. Before you jump overboard, make sure it's for the right reason. Are you quitting because it's not interesting? Or are you having trouble with it because you're still learning the basics? Mastering a new task means sailing through some rough water. But riding out the storm has its rewards.
Challenge yourself. Do you only like crossword puzzles that you can solve? Then you're not challenging yourself. While pushing too hard inhibits learning, not going hard enough can be stifling, too. Gross says you should always leave another bridge for yourself to cross. "Proceed at your own pace, but always proceed," he says. If you reach a goal, bask in the victory. Then set another goal and go after it.
Don't be afraid to ask. If you're taking a knitting class and don't know a knit from a purl, drop the needle and raise your hand. If you're not sure how hard to tighten an oil filter, call a garage and ask. Or consult the nearest librarian (a library card is one of the most powerful learning tools around). "Part of learning is knowing when to ask questions," Gross says. "Try to work things out for yourself. But you're not doing yourself any good if you reach a dead end and stay there."