THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021- Lifelong Learning

 THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021- Lifelong Learning

For the past three days, I have written about higher education.  Getting a degree - associate, bachelor, master's, and/or doctorate seems to be expected.  But, there are needs for technical knowledge.  My auto mechanic doesn’t need a degree to figure out what is happening to my transmission!!  My hairstylist doesn’t need a degree to make me look good (if that is possible!!)

But, my mechanic and stylist need education.  My car is increasingly computerized.  My transmission issue is not a mechanical issue but a software glitch!!  My stylist needs to know the new techniques.

Maybe the professional world sets a standard for us - the requirement in some programs and jobs to get CEU - Continuingl Education Units - to keep their certification.  

When I graduated with my doctorate in 1990, I was “smart”.  I knew the theories - the concepts.  Then, I went to Citibank for my first summer there - and I realized I wasn’t all that smart!!  The way of ‘real’ business can be different than the way ‘academics’ sees things.  Those twelve summers in the ‘real world’ helped my teaching.  

I kept learning.  My retirement was somewhat reflective of lifelong learning.  It was becoming harder to keep up (and technology does move quickly). I didn’t want to be the professor who taught from notes from years ago!!!  Keeping up in a world of technology does mean we are life-long learners.

*****

I want to reflect on a “radical” (maybe not so terribly radical) event of some time ago. My great friend and colleague TF somehow decided to do a “recall’ of our graduates.  We sent out invitations to join us for an update on their degrees.  Like cars that are recalled for mechanical issues like airbags that don’t deploy appropriately, we need to be ‘recalled’ occasionally.  

My doctor ‘recalls’ me once a year for a physical examination.  Maybe some of my parts need to be checked.  I got my colon checked last spring (actually during COVID) for cancer, polyps, and other issues.  I got my heart checked and scans of my chest and surgeries.

I’m not sure how TF and I hit on the ‘recall’ process.  As we had the letters sent out to our Information Systems graduates, most got a good laugh and said “Yup, those two professors are at it again.”  But, there were a few (maybe the ones who struggled a little that thought ‘maybe this is for real’!!!  

It was a day of reunion, a day of sharing, a day of alumni sharing their stories and successes.  It was a day of reconnecting with alumni - and the alumni reconnecting with others that they knew or didn’t know.

So, how about you?  Are you a lifelong learner?  Do you keep up with your field?  I’ve had the opportunity to review some academic papers in my retirement.  I do read about my field - but not to the same extent.

I do learn something every day -and challenge myself to grow as a human being (and as a woman).

Retirement doesn’t mean ‘turn your brain off’, but rather keep learning!!!

LOVE WINS!!!

HUGS!!

Karen