The Learning Curve

[Legend]

My wellness teacher brought up, rather a while ago, the information that continuing your education, even beyond schooling, is actually proven to prevent things like Alzheimer's. It also keeps the brain healthy and stimulated. And really, it's just fun.

So I've been wondering-- what sorts of things would -you- like to learn? Here's my list:

Things I'm in progress of learning through various methods, outside of school:
Spoken Mandarin Chinese
Chinese Brush Painting (pending time)
Very basic Tai Chi (pending the finding of my DVD)
Basic Drawing


Things I plan to take courses on, or learn some other way one day, outside of school:
Written Chinese
Italian
Karate
Calligraphy
Horseback riding
Grant Writing
Technical Writing
Creative Writing

Things I may learn to do one day, but I'm not sure:
Colouring/Inking/Shading
Judo

[SirGunslinger]

I'm still in school till Spring (hopefully!), but I've been learning a large amount about networking, systems, and general IT at work

I've been learning Mandarin on the side, but it is slow going since I'm tone deaf =P, but hey at least sentence structure in it is simple.

[Legend]

I have this awful CD that's mostly just travel mumbo-jumbo as far as the language is concerned, but it's something anyhow. I got disillusioned when they started talking about suitcases and hotel rooms and stuff, though. I want to learn -all- of Chinese, not just the stuff I'd have to say if I traveled to China, because that's not happening anytime soon.

I want to learn to read it too, because it'd be awesome to read Romance of the Three Kingdoms in it's native language.

I'm still in school too, until next fall (not this, but the one following) but after that I'm definitely taking some extra online courses and stuff. Especially the Technical Writing and Grant Writing ones since that's the field I'm currently looking to go into.

[Ming]

I could probably produce pages of things that I would like to learn. But for now, I'd like to learn...

- to play the guitar
- to draw better
- lock-picking
- Spanish (well, to get better at it)
- home brewing (beer)
- boating/nautical things
- card counting

I'm always up for learning more about:

- philosophy (particularly Eastern)
- religion/belief systems (especially Voodoo)

[SirGunslinger]

Mandarin from what I've learned so far, the pronuciations are fairly straight forward (once you figure out vowel consonant combinations your golden), and once you get used to the 5 tones, you can learn basic Chinese on your own.

I actually sucked it up and got a tutor. She teaches me Chinese and I teach her English Vocabulary and Grammar.

[Zinka]

ha ha, Ive still got a couple years left of undergrad, and I'll probably go to grad school for art but I think its safe to say I'll be learning things about art for the rest of my life, both in and out of school. I would like to take up art history more thoroughly in grad school though.

Hmm, languages I want to learn, wether I have to teach myself, get a tutor, learn in classes, or go live in the country for a couple of years(most likely in this order...sort of):
-Spanish
-French
-Chinese, probably mandarin, only cuz of the connection to kung-fu
-at least one slightly more obscure language (probably something Ill pick up if I do peace corp-which would happen either before or after grad school)

and of course I want to solidify my japanese...but that should be done by the end of undergrad (hopefullly!)

sports and things:
-I'd like to finish learning kyudo at some point since I can't continue here in Japan for now
-Surfing
-I can snowboard but I want to learn some serious tricks

Music:
-The banjo, more than anything I just think it looks and sounds cool
-drums

and I also have a lot of interest in religions so If I could just study various religions forever that would be cool too...I've already learned more about Japanese religions this year than I ever thought I could so I could probably devote a year to a specific countries religous history and learn a crapload.

after that? well, Im willing to learn anything honestly...I just wish I could read biographies more often but they are hard for me to get into.
^.^

[underpants]

I've been through college and grad school, but there's a ton more I'd like to learn!

- Spanish, and brush up on my Italian and German
- How to fly a plane
- Becoming a real professional photographer, not just an amateur.
- How to speak in an English and Southern accent
- Become a better baker

That's all I can think of for now, but I have a whole list of achievements, too!

[Silver Adept]

Just out of college, but also trying to find work in a profession that stretches your brain on a regular basis. Which will also give me access to all sorts of books to read, should I think I want to know more on something.

I think, though, that my mental exercises may be crosswords and Sudoku. Although, it would be fantastic to learn a good meditative pose and be able to practice it.

[Legend]

I am definitely going to learn more about religions as well, but most of that I'm going to do by visiting the various churches. There are a lot of different religions in this area, and I have a friend I met in philosophy who knows where to find all the churches/temples/whatever and has informed me that they're usually very good about talking to people about their religion, just to inform and not to convert, necessarily.

[SirGunslinger]

I know Toco Hills in Atlanta has a large Jewish and Islamic community.

Actually, if you mention conversion at a Jewish Temple they will run you out of the Temple =P.