In keeping with the theme of positive aging is the idea of later-life education. As people age and review their lives to that point, some experience regret, that they did not pursue certain paths. The idea of furthering one’s education can be intimidating, however, and seem impossible.
Contrary to this idea, there are a number of programs at universities designed to accommodate varying needs, such as a busy schedule. Many universities offer advanced standing programs, night courses, and distance education (online) classes, to name a few. Furthermore, equivalency tests are offered in order to recognise the practical knowledge people may have acquired previous to beginning their degree.
Recently, the Huffington Post published an article on Sharon Handelsman. After years of working as a nurse-midwife, Handelsman decided to pursue her life-long dream of becoming a doctor. She describes living in a university residence in her 50’s, with students who were coming out of high school, and getting her degree at 58.
This inspiring story shows us that it is never too late to begin a new project, and can be viewed at:
For a list of resources related to later life learning in Ontario, visit:
No comments:
Post a Comment