Have any of you done any structured learning recently.

I did a part-time education Masters in my 40s while working full-time, and intended doing a doctorate. I eventually found one that was a good fit and started in my 50s. However, partway through I deferred (a combination of reasons) until I retired, but in my early 60s, I realised I was not retaining information the way I had when I started, and it was not to be. A shame.
Moral? Don't wait, do it now!

Mizuna, I took up the piano again after retiring - a 50 odd year gap and I’d only ever passed grade 2. Worked on my own for about a year before joining a group class, but that was a few years ago now. About grade 5 standard now, or at least that’s the level of pieces I play - piano is a bit neglected now though - 3 grandchildren arrived after I got back to the piano!

Just started Welsh with Duolingo. I’m not Welsh but I’ve always loved the sound of it.

I did a degree in paramedic science and qualified aged 50. I still get a thrill out of saying I’m a paramedic when people ask what I do.

When I retired I bought myself a keyboard with touch-sensitive keys so I could improve my piano skills (neglected for 60-odd years). I play Baroque music mostly and make myself tackle music that's difficult. So it's structured in a way. I'm currently tackling a Grade 7 sight reading test I found in a charity shop. I only got as far as Grade 3 as a child. I love the challenge and enjoy seeing how much better I play now.

Good point foxie48. So easy to ignore our creative side. My best course ever was called 'Art and the Environment' and involved lots of creative activities such as drawing, photography, journals, music and knitting! I learned so much about myself and how I learn from that course.

I chose to do extra mural classes. Loads of subjects from Poetry to Geology to Egyptology to Genealogy. Everyone else was doing them out of interest, not looking for another degree.

I got hooked on Egyptology and am still very interested in it. As for genealogy, it has become a bit obsessional.

If you don’t use your brain it atrophies.

That's interesting foxie. I specifically called it structured learning for that reason. I think all learning is interesting (and amazing) but it could be for many reasons.

I've completed several academic courses as an adult but when I retired I realised I had completely neglected my creative side, tbh I wasn't even sure I had one! I've followed a number of art courses, just finished one on painting landscapes in watercolour and currently doing a drawing course. I've plans to do a course on making silver jewellery later in the year. Structured learning doesn't have to be academic or lead to a qualification.

Great to read these! I have a background which includes lots of OU, including a BA (Hons), and other study alongside various professional qualifications. During lockdown I enjoyed OpenLearn and FutureLearn courses (all free online) which included several on social history. This led me to apply (age 70) to Oxford University and I have just finished their Advanced Diploma in Local History. It has been challenging but really worthwhile. I hope it goes well for you DaisyAnne and anyone else thinking of returning to study. My advice if you are looking at structured study leading to a qualification would be to look at something where you can build on credits (such as OU). While waiting for that to start maybe a FutureLearn course in a chosen subject from a respected university - I found Strathclyde very good - could be a good start.

I joined DuoLingo (free) 930 days go to learn Spanish!. It takes about 15 mins a day. I’m loving it and can now read the language quite well now.

Witzend

I did an OU degree (BA Open) in my 50s, just subjects I was interested in - classical studies inc. Latin and Greek, but level 3 courses were Eng Lit - the 19thC novel and Shakespeare - 10 plays. Enjoyed all those courses - final two were a lot of work though.
Had previously studied only modern languages at degree level.

I did Greek and Roman Myth and Approaching Literature for my final two level 3 OU courses. Myth had an externally marked project ( I did mine on Persephone and the Patriarchy) and Literature had a 3 hour written exam.

Nannylovesshopping

StarDreamer I study Portuguese with Duolingo online, brilliant and free!

Thank you.

As a result of seeing your post I am now learning Welsh with Duolingo.

I have started a thread in case anybody else is and would like to chat in Welsh at the very basic level of the early parts of the course please.

www.gransnet.com/forums/culture_arts/1313124-Prynhawn-da

I did an OU degree (BA Open) in my 50s, just subjects I was interested in - classical studies inc. Latin and Greek, but level 3 courses were Eng Lit - the 19thC novel and Shakespeare - 10 plays. Enjoyed all those courses - final two were a lot of work though.
Had previously studied only modern languages at degree level.

My MA was much cheaper than a BA.
It was also part-time which suited me, and I paid fees monthly so affordable at the time.

I am a great believer in life long learning.

Despite being quite bright, passing my 11 plus and attending a prestigious grammar school I was a hopeless student, hated school and regularly played truant, I left school at 15 (1966) without a qualification to my name.

I was shipped off to secretarial college but was eventually expelled. Again for truancy. I was lucky in that, despite my appalling record, I landed a training post with British Rail as it was then. They paid for day release where I learned secretarial skills, shorthand and typing. For every exam I passed my salary went up by 25p a week (five shillings - a small fortune to me back then).

Then it dawned on me......there was value in this education milarky. ?. I knuckled down, enrolled for night school and gathered a clutch of GCE "0" levels as they were known then.

That was it I was hooked. I married but unfortunately my first husband didn't appreciate my brain so I gave up official studies but did continue to self educate, devouring the library. (This was pre internet).

Then when I was 40, with a much more enlightened and supportive 2nd husband and two young children, I finally went to university as a mature student where I studied art and design.

Since then I have continued to self educate, continually learning and "feeding my brain".

During covid I really got into you tube. You can learn anything on the internet. I am currently trying to learn about the intricacies of the stock market and economics., as well as brushing up my Spanish and Italian. I have also engaged a personal tutor to improve my computer skills.

Onwards and upwards, I think I might take up piano lessons one of these fine days. Now that I'm retired I am not bothered about passing exams nor do I feel the need for formal qualifications, I just do it for enjoyment.

I took an exam in Victorian Studies - the teaching was excellent and went on to do a Masters at Birkbeck College, London. It was wide ranging and hard work but enjoyable. I also did GCSE in law at a local college which again used most of my brain cells but was really good. I was in my fifties at the time and was the oldest in the GCSE class but felt very welcome. I'm now learning Welsh on line purely for fun to keep my brain cells going and because there are Welsh connections in my family

I started an Open University Humanities degree when I retired. I have one more year to go.

Nannylovesshopping

StarDreamer I study Portuguese with Duolingo online, brilliant and free!

Thank you, Nannylovesshopping.

I did a PGCE in my mid forties a few years ago.
I’d love to do some more learning - maybe a degree in the visual arts, or another MA.
I definitely need the structure that you mention DaisyAnne, but I resent how much it costs, and I couldn’t really justify it.

StarDreamer I study Portuguese with Duolingo online, brilliant and free!

I did an MA in 2016.
It was not in the same subject as my undergraduate degree from all those years ago.
It was exciting and liberating to do something entirely for me.
Just go for it!

Life as a teacher was one long continuing education! Add to that the study of new A level texts, new courses, new mark schemes ( and applying them!), by the time I retired, you would think I had had enough,
But I trained with Citizens Advice, a traditional certificated course over several months, not the short one they seem to do now, and we always need to keep learning on the job.

I did my BSc (Hons) with the OU in my 30s MSc in my 40s, OUBS management courses in my 50s . I would done something else if it wasn't so blooming expensive but I have done a few freebies e.g. Setting up a Community Enterprise, Creative writing

Wow. I have to admit I wasn't expecting so many replies. As a great believer in lifelong learning of all sorts, I am full of pride for my fellow GN members.

My DIL challenged me when I told her I "needed a few more lives" to do everything I thought I would like to achieve. Reading about you getting out there and doing it is inspiring. My brain will toss this about while I continue to see what is added by others.

I completed my Open University Honours degree in the Arts in my late 50s. Over the years, whilst still at work and now retired, I have always had a course on the go. I have done loads at OUDCE (Oxford University) and the CATS points I obtained became part of my OU degree. I was particularly pleased that points from a course on Progressive Rock Music of the 1970s went towards that degree! OUDCE do some excellent Day Schools as well. I have also done lots of face to face courses at the V&A. The best ever course I did was a year long course on London, Medieval to Modern. Nowadays. Everything is on line with Microsoft Teams. My current course is on the Edwardians.