As September settles in and the summer is officially over, that can only mean one thing: It is Back to School season. It is the best time to get back to work. Kids everywhere are buying their school supplies and choosing their classes – so why don’t you?
It is never too late to continue your education. If there is anything you want to be better at, or know more about, NOW is the time to get to it.
Investing and Saving
How is your financial knowledge? Need a little help with basic investments, stocks and retirement accounts? There are a ton of online classes and several banks and organizations across the nation teach basic finance. TD Ameritrade, Coursehorse and Morningstar all have cheap or free classes to get you started.
Music
Want to sing? Play the guitar or piano? Read music? All can be accomplished with the right classes and a ton of practice. While some basic music theory knowledge can be gained online (try Musictheory.net and Earmaster), true musical skill comes from in-person training. Open your phone booth (or web browser) and find he local music schools. Yes, many cater to kids, but most music teachers teach adult students as well.
Car Repair
Tired of spending a ton on small fixes to your car? Wish you had the capacity to fix it yourself? Try the manuals available at Chilton DIY or the OEM tutorials from AllData Repair. But be careful. Start with the small repairs before getting too ambitious.
Politics
It is a crazy time in the world, so you might want to get a better understanding of our current political climate. Try MIT’s OpenCourseware classes in Political Science. All OpenCourseware lectures are free and available in topics from art to medicine to business practices.
Self Defense/ Health
Every neighborhood has a local dojo, kickboxing gym, or basic medical training (like CPR and the Heimlich). These are important skills that we all need, and few actually attain. A little initiative here might mean keeping yourself (and others) safe and sound.
Improv
The residual skills learned by people taking improv classes reach far beyond the scope of comedy. Improv helps us to get out of our head, trust our gut and think on our feet. It trains our brains to be sharp and focused, and we strengthen our sense of humor along the way, that can only help us. Improv troupes almost always teach classes and they are popping up anywhere. (Any big city has a few.) Do not take these classes online. (That defeats the purpose.)
Phys Ed
Maybe you can use a bit more physical education? Skip your normal gym routine and mix it up. Try something you never would – aerial yoga, spin, bootcamp, or dance. Push yourself in new ways by exploring news ways to work up the sweat. Or, for a more hands-on education, consider investing in a trainer. Be picky though – finding a trainer is like finding a girlfriend. You have to make sure he/she is the right one for you.
Negotiation
Many determine success less about our abilities to do our jobs, but by our abilities to negotiate getting our jobs. Big class websites like Coursera and Udemy have fantastic classes about negotiation that are free (or reasonable). If you know you need some help in this area, do not negotiate with yourself. Empower yourself.
Meditation
We all need a break, and the key is getting the most out of the breaks we get. Meditation can help you focus, rejuvenate, be more productive and make better decisions. Online mediations are cheap and a great option for those of us who will stick with them. If you need more (or you do not trust yourself to stick with something on your own), try a yoga class or meditation at a yoga studio.
Get back to school and we will see you at graduation!
