For families with school-aged children, Fall is naturally the season when we think of Back-to-School but everyone can consider it a time of transition, change, and new beginnings – so why not go ‘back to school’ yourself?

Learning something new benefits both your brain and your body!

Keeping your mind engaged keeps your neural pathways active and may even stave off dementia. Adapting to challenges and being open to new experiences keeps you mentally sharp and can increase your satisfaction and self-esteem as well. Learning new skills relevant to your career may make you more relevant and competitive but will also increase your confidence and productivity.

Whatever your interests, online learning is available, and now more than ever many of those resources are free. 

Want to take up genealogy? Get started with Brigham Young University. Learn a language with Babbel or Rosetta Stone. Need to brush up on your business skills? The US Small Business Administration had courses on its website.  Exercise at home with the new YMCA 360 program. Learn to cook with your favorite chef via their You Tube or Instagram channels.

Higher learning institutions such as UC-Berkley, Stanford, Harvard and MIT all now have free online courses available, so if your interests lie with classical subjects such as literature, mathematics, science or history, there is something for everyone. The Smithsonian, Holocaust Museum, History.com, NPR, PBS, Sierra Club, and the National Parks all have classes. Prefer philosophy or need some motivation? Go to TED.com or nobelprize.org for inspiration from some of the great minds of our time.

More sites that specialize in online learning include Skillshare, Lynda, Coursera, CreativeLive, Udemy, Pluralsight, and Khan Academy, each with a full course list of varying subjects. Learn how to play a musical instrument, build a website, or get a book published!

Continuing throughout your lifetime to learn new things

from art to economics can increase not only your brain speed and function, but will contribute to your overall physical and mental wellbeing. At Stanton Architects, we regularly engage in continuing education opportunities, and we hope you enjoy this Fall season and embrace it as a new beginning for yourself.