Have you considered returning to school? Learning something new and staying mentally active is great for your overall health no matter what age you are. Don’t believe the age-old saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” because middle-aged and older adults can thrive in new environments. After all, many years of life experience equals wisdom.
According to an article in HEALTHbeat, a publication of Harvard Medical School, experts say there are strong associations between lifelong learning, health and consequently senior independence. Keeping mentally active – either through work, hobbies, volunteering or learning something new, helps the brain cells function and communicate, which is vital for older adults. Although there are plenty of stereotypes about aging brains and memory loss, simply staying positive and believing in your abilities can make a world of difference. Just like your body needs exercise, the brain needs to get a workout to stay alert.
If you’re considering taking a college course, you probably know that college tuition rates have grown exponentially in recent years. But you should know that there are many ways to take advantage of cost-friendly college courses.
Online courses
Today, online courses are very popular because they are typically much cheaper than classroom courses, and give seniors the ability to learn without having to drive or spend a chunk of money from their retirement fund. In fact, massive open online courses, or MOOCs, are open and free for everyone with an Internet connection, and they offer many interesting and varied courses that appeal to older adults. One such site – Coursera – offers courses like Growing Old Around the Globe from the University of Pennsylvania, Exploring Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas by the Curtis Institute of Music and Introduction to Sociology by Princeton, to name just a few of its nearly 400 free courses.
Online courses might be a good option for adults with hearing loss because they offer built-in hearing loss solutions: You can read what is on your computer screen and move at your own pace. If your classes contain videotaped lectures, you can turn the volume up as high as you need to on your computer and rewind when you miss something, options that aren’t available to those with difficulty hearing in a traditional classroom setting.
Scholarships
Some universities offer full- or partial- tuition scholarships for older adults, so this is a good option to learn more about. For example, Alabama offers free tuition for adults over age 60 who attend any of Alabama’s two-year public colleges.
Classes for older adults
Other universities offer classes specifically geared toward older adults, which usually have very small fees. George Mason University in Washington, D.C., is one of these universities – adults 50 and over can take an unlimited number of continuing education courses for a fee of only $125 to $350 per year.
Universities typically will provide students with hearing loss with assistive listening devices, note-takers or other solutions to make their classroom learning successful. College courses are a great way to keep your mind active and healthy.
