Every
morning for the past week or so, I have awakened to crisp autumn air that makes
me think of leaves crackling underfoot, of a sugar-dusting of frost on my car
as winter begins, of sweaters and soft warm socks replacing T-shirts and
flip-flops, of spiders and mice making their annual migration indoors — and
school starting.
In the
store, shelves and racks of school supplies are on display for all to see.
Although I don’t usually love autumn (it’s too close to winter for my liking),
I think there’s a special charm in this part of the year — in being able
to flip through fresh blue-lined pages of a college-ruled notebook, lining up
my “new” textbooks on the shelf or picking out highlighters, pencils, pens,
markers, crayons and colored pencils.
So even
as I feel winter snickering at me behind every rustling leaf, this time of year
also heralds the opportunity to learn something new and meet new people.
Oh,
school is frustrating and even excruciatingly painful at times. There are
difficult subjects, overwhelming responsibilities, too little time, boring or
frustrating assignments and homework — and who can forget about timed tests?
But as
much as the thought of those things can make my heart (and motivation) sink
straight down to my toes, I still hold that there is something exciting about
learning. And I intend to pursue that joy as long as I can, and to see it as a
joy and not always a burden. Because therein lies the fun.
One year
ago was the first autumn I could remember not attending classes, and I was
actually somewhat relieved about that. But I still had plans to resume school
within the next year or so and even took the GRE to explore my options.
This
year, that dream seems to lie ever further away, and that makes me a little
wistful. I miss shopping for textbooks and school supplies, arranging my
calendar and preparing to meet my professors and classmates.
But
although that dream is deferred to some distant day in the future, with the
onset of the school year comes other opportunities — opportunities to learn new
things, to create art, to teach and even to travel.
It is
for this reason that I am adopting a challenge this fall.
We often
do New Year’s resolutions starting on Jan. 1 because that’s a good place to
stop and reevaluate and start anew. But I think the beginning of the school
year is another excellent opportunity.
For me,
as an English major, I love literature. I love reading and writing about what I
read and talking about what I read. But for the last year or so, I haven’t
always read the best-quality literature — certainly not to the standard of some
of what I read for my favorite classes.
So my
goal this autumn is to create my own syllabus of sorts. It’s not going to be as
rigorous as an actual class, and that’s OK. But I have a reading list I want to
start chipping through, including a lot of classics.
I also
intend to learn more about music, starting by transcribing and arranging some
of my favorite pieces so I can play and record them, and I would also like to
learn more about history in the British Isles, art, writing and much more.
Maybe
I’ll even polish up my poor Spanish ability with Duolingo, or learn the basics
of some other language like Welsh or German, or if I’m feeling really crazy,
maybe I’ll do something with math again — maybe geometry!
Lifelong
learning isn’t confined to the walls of a school or the limitations of even
online classes designed by others. It’s something everyone can pursue in one
way or another.
If you
are already in school, find something every day to get excited about learning,
even if you have to find it yourself. But really, there is something
interesting in nearly every class; you just have to find something you actually
care about instead of seeing it as something a teacher or parent cares about.
If
you’re not in school, consider pursuing a hobby where you make something or
learn something or give to someone else.
And not
all learning has to be expensive; the library, for instance, holds whole worlds
within the covers of its books, movies and audiobooks. You can find how-to
books or whodunit books and movies, literature from ancient Babylon or from the
current year, textbooks, study guides for things like the ACT, movies, music of
all types, maps, magazines, games and so much more.
Do you
want to learn a new language? Get a free Duolingo account. A new instrument? You
can find teachers in town, or you can even make music with something as simple
as rubber bands, balloons or glasses of water. (Don’t believe me? Go look up
MysteryGuitarMan on YouTube). You can learn how to cook new dishes, create art,
do magic tricks and much more.
You can
even go on small adventures, either every day or once a week or whenever you
want. Go on a walk. Find a new music genre. Notice something new as you go to
work.
But this
time of year is the perfect time to find renewed joy in learning and exploring.
So I invite everyone to smell that crisp autumn air, listen to the rustle of
the leaves, watch the changing colors and find the youthfulness of the dying
year with me.
