If your education journey is coming to an end at Ozford, it shouldn’t mean that your learning journey stops too. It can be quite easy to get out of practice in learning when you finish school or university. Learning can continue throughout life, and it should, because it will enrich different aspects of your life and give you broader perspectives on life.
What is lifelong learning?
Lifelong learning is an ongoing behaviour in pursuing knowledge voluntarily for professional or personal reasons. Being a lifelong learner means that you are willing to expand your mindset and have a keen curiosity of the world. It means you have intentions to be the best well-rounded version of yourself and why wouldn’t you want that?
What are the benefits of lifelong learning?
The benefits of lifelong learning are that you will gain better social awareness which will enable you to form richer relationships with people throughout life. This is because you have a greater understanding of other people’s perspectives. Another advantage is that learning has been shown to increase your cognitive skills. With increased cognitive ability, you are less likely to have memory loss as you age, which will lead you to having a more fulfilled life. The last benefit worth mentioning is that if you continue to learn and gain knowledge, you will become more employable. With the world forever changing and with new advancements in technology, employers are seeking people who are dedicated to continuous growth and development in order to keep up with the changes.
What steps do I need to take to become a lifelong learner?
The first step in becoming a lifelong learner is being willing to do it. Lifelong learning takes dedication, discipline and focus. If you can make the commitment to dedicate a portion of your life to continuously improving your knowledge and skills, then you are already on your way to achieving it.
The second step is organising your learning. It will be hard to learn if you don’t have clear what it is you want to find out about. Figure out what you want to learn and what tools and resources you will need in order to do it.
The third step is efficiency. It’s very easy to say you will learn but if you don’t know how then you will feel quite stifled. Discover ways of learning that suit you best. This could be anything from reading books, joining a study group, or starting a project. Whatever it is that helps you learn, stick at it and remember lifelong learning does not need to be crammed into short spaces of time. Don’t overload your brain with information. Instead, plan to use short but regular periods of time to focus and set realistic timelines for achieving it.
Being a lifelong learner doesn’t happen overnight, it takes a lifetime. You might keep saying ‘one day’ but make that day today. There are many ways to pursue lifelong learning, and the trick is finding the best one for you. It’s always helpful to find other lifelong learners which you can collaborate with and find employment which encourages learning and developing your skillset.
A great way to becoming a lifelong learner is by going back to graduate school and earning yourself a Master in Business Administation (MBA), a Master in Professional Accounting (MPA) or a Graduate Diploma in Management. Check out our latest blog on Ozford’s new post-graduate courses and keep your eyes peeled on our website for how to apply.
Onshore students: Novemeber intake 2021
Offshore students: March intake 2022.