8 Back-to-School Tips for the Lifelong Learner

The first two weeks of August are a flurry of activities for students and parents. Whether it’s prepping for college with dorm room accessories or buying new shoes and pencils for the kindergarten hopeful, everyone is busy with back-to-school shopping. But what about those of us who are not preparing to go back to school? We know that this time of year may be discouraging and upsetting for those without a classroom. Whether you’re a recent graduate, a retired teacher, or just an academic at heart, the smell of fall in the air gives your pangs of grief rather than the heady promises of success and new ventures. Fall can make even the most self-motivated learners feel a little stuck in the day-to-day while everyone else seems to be experiencing new and fascinating adventures.

To help, we’ve compiled a list of eight adventures and activities sure to brighten your fall season with new ideas and learning opportunities. Just because you aren’t going to a classroom this fall does not mean you can’t reignite your drive to study and cultivate a scholarly atmosphere in your home or workplace.

1. Update your reading list: Every lifelong learner has a reading list far too long! We also habitually jot down names of books or authors we want to read in the margins of our books or on any scrap of paper we find. Take a couple of minutes this week to search through your journals or study notes to see if books need to be added to your list. Decide on a few of the books you are ready to tackle and add those to the front of your commonplace book (see below). Of course, there are a few helpful apps for keeping track of your reading list. Check out https://www.goodreads.com/ for a great place to start!

2. Survey a college class: Many colleges and universities will allow you to sign up to survey or audit a class. This means you can attend lectures and participate in discussions without being required to complete assignments or take tests. You get the benefit of learning without the stress of meeting someone’s expectations. Of course, you do not get any college credit for the class. However, this option is great for those of us who enjoy great literature or want to expand a hobby. And now, many colleges and universities (like Houston Christian College) are offering survey classes online! You can join the lectures by Zoom and participate in scholarly conversation without leaving your library (or bed!)

3. Start a new podcast: Another way to broaden your academic or professional knowledge without physically attending class is to tune in to new podcasts. You can use an app like Spotify or Pocketcasts to search for podcasts by keyword or subject easily. Choose podcasts that appeal to your favorite subject areas, and see where the knowledge takes you! Podcasts are a great way to remain connected to your desires for learning while driving down the road, completing mindless tasks at your day job, or while cooking dinner. Some of our favorites are Verse by Verse Ministries, Close Reads, Forma Podcast, Cafe Schole, Bibliophiles, and The Writing Life.

4. Restock your personal school supplies: Who says you can’t splurge a little at your nearest school supply store? New school supplies are the perfect way to reset your mind for the season and get your brain excited to learn again! Below we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite supplies!

• Pens: Uni Ball Signo, Pentel EnerGel, Sharpie S Pen, Pilot V5 Pens

• Notebooks: Apica Notebook CD 15, Mead 5 Star, Poppin spiral bound, and Victoria’s Journals

• Highlighters: Midliner Highlighters

• Planners: Rifle Paper Co Planner and Anecdote Planner

• Tech: Airpods, Keyboard, Noise Cancelling Headphones

• Other: Sticky Notes, The BEST sticky notes for annotating your books

5. Begin a commonplace book: A commonplace book is a notebook or journal where you copy extracts and quotes from other works to have them at hand for your personal use. We discovered commonplacing about three years ago, and it has been a wonderful habit! Now, I (Karen) keep my commonplace book beside me as I read. If I come across a passage or a profound quote or beautifully written poetry or prose, I copy it into my commonplace book. I also note any information I might need for a bibliography and put a title or subject header on it. Then, when my next writing or speaking venture arises, I have a handy place to find good source material. Commonplace books often have keywords written in the margin for easy reference. We'll be posting more blogs on commonplacing soon, so check back for more information on how to start yours!

6. Join a learning community: Sometimes, we all need a little encouragement on our learning journey, especially when no one is there assigning us an essay or exam! One of the easiest ways to create this accountability is by starting a book club or study group with peers. If you don’t have anyone close to you interested in studying your topics of choice, try looking for an online Facebook group! Social media platforms can be a great way to connect with people worldwide who share your passions and interests! Many blog pages (and hopefully our own one day!) will have online discussion forums to collect your thoughts and discuss them with other readers.

7. Become a mentor: Lifelong learners make great teachers, and really, what better reason to keep learning than the opportunity to pass that knowledge on to someone else? I believe if you look around, you will find someone who would love to know some of the things you know. In addition, becoming a mentor to someone is the best way to build community. Share your love of books, cooking, landscaping, or hiking with someone who would love to grow in that area. Let a young person into your space and have real conversations.

8. Start a new Bible study: Fall is a great time to evaluate your Bible Study habits and set new goals and habits for the coming year. Have you ever read the Bible all the way through? Or, is there a particular book of the Bible you’d like to get to know better? Or maybe a Greek or Hebrew word study? If you feel more comfortable with study aids, we’ve found the following resources helpful:

• Blue Letter Bible - the Blue Letter Bible website and app allow you to focus on the etymology and cultural context of passages in the Bible. This site is great for doing in-depth word studies of Scripture.

• Verse by Verse Ministry

• Bible in a Year Plan

We hope these tips encourage you and your concordia to create new lifelong learning habits this fall! If you have any suggestions you’d like to share, please add them in the comments section below!