October 24, 2022
If you could take a free class at a university, what course would you take?
There are many states in the US that offer free college courses to senior citizens. I always thought that was a neat bonus to growing old. Well, I’m there, age wise, and I’m also in one of those states. Now, I have to wait to be here for a full year to be eligible for the program, but that time will pass quickly. (I will have to buy books and man, they are expensive these days.)
But I have a dilemma. Do I want to tie myself down to classes again? I’m enjoying this whole ‘no schedule’ lifestyle. Or rather, a limited schedule. It’s ‘freeing’ not to worry about what time I get up or go to bed, changing what chores I will tackle any day on a whim, not taking my laptop with me everywhere I go because I might get called into work. (That was a hard habit to break!)
But if I decide to pick up a class or two or three, what class would I take? There are lots of options, many of them strictly on-line. It would have to be something I’m curious about. Or perhaps even passionate.
So, I flipped through some college catalogs, to find what i was looking for.
History courses could be fun, especially as I’ve lived through events that now appear in textbooks. To my surprise, English and writing courses don’t appeal to me like I thought they would. Maybe I’m afraid they’d cramp my style. But what would I consider tackling?
Back in the before years, my first choice of a college degree program was library science. I’ve worked in libraries, I’ve featured libraries in my stories—how much fun would it be to go back and complete my degree? Of course, everything has changed, including me, and it seems the classes that I’d need to take are on topics I can relate to. Perhaps it’s one of those ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’ occurrences.
I won’t pick any specific class. I have an entire program of classes to consider and the rest of my life to take them.
What subject would you pick if you were granted a free university class? Share in the comments if you like. And don’t forget to check out the other authors on this hop and find out what they want to try.
As always, until next time, please stay safe.
October 24, 2022
If you could take a free class at a university, what course would you take?
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Libraries are fascinating being on the inside. My mother is a retired librarian so I got to hang about in places others weren’t allowed. The local library was in a massive manor house. Lots of back hallways.
When I walked into my (new-to-me) local library, I wanted to cry. It’s a big building, but the collection is small. There’s a whole second floor that isn’t being used. Yes, it’s a small town and economics are rough, but I could only imagine what it looked like at its peak.
The thing that puts me off is the idea of having to sit in a room with a group of people and learn. I enjoyed studying for my professional exams because you were expected to do it on your own, or with minimal (1 on 1) help.
I’ve always been a fan of on-line classes. I took several courses where the lectures were on VHS tape (I’m THAT old) and the only time you had to go on campus was to take tests.
I worked in a library for a couple of years before I had my sons, and enjoyed it. Now I think I’d find new subjects more difficult to learn and would be slower to grasp facts compared with younger students. This would put me off.
It’s not that subjects are harder, it’s my learning style has changed. I need music or something to help me focus.
There’s something to be said for taking classes without worrying about whether they add up to a program or a degree. @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
Yes. Learning for the sake of learning.