10 Ways to Keep Learning and Improve Knowledge
Education is not limited to getting a university degree or going deep on a particular subject, although if that is what you want to do, you should.
Continuous learning helps keep our minds active and make life interesting.
What Is Your Reason?
Why do you want to keep on learning? What subjects interest you?
For some people, they want a specific degree, for others, they keep learning to keep their minds fresh, improve mental health and ability.
Continuous education and learning is an important way to improve your overall life and happiness.
Here are 10 ways to keep learning.
1. Read Books on Different Subjects
Anything you want to learn more about will have a book on it.
You can either purchase them or use your library.
Since I know the sort of books I like and ask for recommendations, I often buy the books I want.
The book section is the first place I check in second hand shops, there is a book fair that is on regularly or I can buy them online.
Most of the time I get the books I want, almost new but at second hand stores for $1 to $5.
But if I love a particular author, what they are doing or want the book right now, I buy new to support them.
Check out the 10 finance books that improved my finances and financial knowledge.
2. Take Online Courses or Attend Workshops
Depending on where you live and what you want to study, there are loads of free courses available that come with a qualification e.g. through TAFE if you qualify.
Alternatively, there are online course platforms for anything you can think of.
Some such as Udemy have a wide variety from different people teaching what they know.
Universities and other schools offer online options for a selection of qualifications.
Look up courses, workshops and educational options in your area to see what would be a fit for you.
3. Listen to Educational Podcasts
I love listening to podcasts and audiobooks on a variety of topics.
Listening doesn’t help me absorb it as well as reading does but I find it a better use of my commute to listen to something educational.
If you are learning a language, you could choose to listen to podcasts in that language to help you improve faster.
Look up the topics you want to learn more about, it doesn’t have to be qualification level, just pick any topic and find relevant podcasts.
I am subscribed to a few specific podcasts and listen to most of the new ones but I have also gone back to their previous episodes for specific topics.
There are podcasts on everything and many of those doing them have websites, YouTube and courses too.
4. Engage in Critical Thinking and Debates
What is critical thinking and what are debates?
Critical thinking is the ability to objectively analyze and evaluate information to form a reasoned judgment.
Debates are structured discussions where opposing viewpoints are presented and defended, encouraging deeper understanding of complex topics.
Together, they help you learn by sharpening your reasoning skills, exposing you to new perspectives, and strengthening your ability to articulate and defend your ideas.
When engaging in critical thinking and debating, it is important to remain open minded, curious and conscious.
Don’t let others sway you easily but don’t be so rigid in your thinking you can’t discuss topics and learn from others.
Debating and critical thinking skills are extremely important in all areas of life and help you learn and progress.
3 Tips for Effective Critical Thinking and Debating
This sounds great but if you have not grown up doing it, didn’t join the debate team at school or can’t think of examples, how do you do it?
Here are 3 tips to help you thinking critically and debate effectively.
Stay Curious and Open-Minded
Question assumptions and be willing to consider viewpoints that challenge your own.
I try to live my whole life with a curious and open minded approach because the things I learn and opportunities that come as a result are amazing.
If you are trying to debate but are being defensive or dismissive, neither of you will learn and it will be a negative experience.
Being open-minded and curious, thinking things through from all perspectives and discussing things openly will teach you much more and be a positive experience instead.
Use Evidence, Not Emotion
When you start arguing with emoption instead of debating with evidence, you lose credibility and it is not an educational or positive exchange.
Support your arguments with facts, data, and logic rather than personal feelings or opinions.
People learn more from the facts and logic you share rather than emotion.
Emotion can be useful but for the most part, when it comes to critical thinking and debating it is about facts, data and logic, not emotion.
Listen Actively
Rather than planning what you are going to say next while they are still talking, aim to be fully present and listen completely to them.
Then take a moment to think about it and respond thoughtfully.
For those who are neurodivergent such as my kids and I, this can be difficult (especially with ADHD or when it is a topic we know a lot about).
However, if you can develop the skill to listen actively, you will learn much more.
Pay close attention to what others are saying, so you can respond thoughtfully and identify gaps or strengths in their reasoning.
5. Teach Others What You Learn
When you teach someone else something you learnt, you reinforce your own learning.
Approaching things from a teaching perspective teaches you as well as them.
Only do it if you feel confident and be careful teaching things that require qualifications.
Teach what you know to people who are open to learning, don’t just infodump or force people to listen to and learn from you.
Share your knowledge when it is welcomed and you will both benefit.
6. Seek Mentors in Areas of Interest
Mentors do not need to be paid coaches, they are anyone you can learn from.
It might be someone at work you respect and admire, an author, speaker or other professional you’ve never met but can learn from their content.
Having mentors helps you see what is possible and can be motivating.
7. Travel and Experience Different Cultures
Experiencing different cultures will completely change your mindset and life.
My kids and I have travelled extensively, they are also mixed race so are part of a few cultures.
They credit the travel and experience of other cultures as being the reason they are more open minded than other teens.
Their knowledge of international issues, cultures, worldviews and emotional intelligence is all above average for their ages and often surprises adults.
When you travel, immerse yourself as much as you can into the culture of the place you are visiting instead of staying at resorts.
Learn from locals, experience their country and culture from their perspective and help support their economy at the same time.
For example, when we travel to Vanuatu we stay with our family. My father in law is chief so it is quite a cultural experience.
When we were locked down in the Solomon Islands in 2020, we rented a home in the suburbs instead of the expat community and my kids played with the kids nextdoor every day.
Instead of being worried about the state of the world, they were helping to grow vegetables, building pig pens, using a well and building cubby houses.
You learn so much by doing rather than simply reading.
8. Stay Curious and Ask More Questions
The number of questions I asked when I was younger infuriated my parents.
I see “jokes” about how frustrating the questions kids ask can be but that is how we all learn.
My second daughter was nicknamed “Queen of the What Ifs” because she constantly asks what if xyz?
Some of it can be completely random but the amount we have all learnt because we constantly ask what if and why is huge.
Even if you were discouraged from asking questions as a child, try to open your mind, be curious and start asking questions now.
If you assume you know everything or keep your mouth shut when you want to know more, you will never learn.
9. Challenge Your Beliefs by Learning New Perspectives
I was raised in a heavily religious home in Tasmania, all my extended family and most of the community we spent time with were members.
School was slightly different but I was raised a specific way and didn’t think much of it until I was a teenager.
Then I started learning more about the history, other religions and spiritual perspectives, more about science and talked to other people who had left the religion.
Once I had the courage to leave, after learning a lot, my whole world opened up.
Recently, one of my children wanted to go to the religion I grew up in which is quite different to how they have been raised.
It’s been an interesting learning opportunity for both of us. Neither of us would ever join again but it has been an educational experience.
She learnt more about me and why I have some of the “quirks” I do, as well as the biases I have had to unlearn and how much I grew through my own choices.
The discussions we’ve had have been enlightening for us both and I am grateful she came to a similar conclusion to me about the religion.
Challenge your beliefs, view life from different perspectives and stay open minded.
10. Apply What you Learn to Real-Life Situations
It is one thing to keep learning or keep looking for ways to learn, it’s another to apply what your have learned.
Education is important, implementing what you find useful into your daily life is what will help you stick to anything you discovered.
If you don’t apply it to your life and leave it as theory, you are likely to forget it.
Anything you learn that you find valuable, find a way to incorporate it into your life so you solidify what you have learned, change your habits and progress.