Whether you loved or hated school, retirement is a great time to learn about things you wish you had studied before (such as the stock market), entirely new subjects (the history of opera), or subjects already of interest (World War II). Taking a class, even online, could add years to your life, because just like your heart, your brain needs to be exercised in order to stay healthy . And usually there are no exams or homework for you to worry about.
Lifelong learning is a term that has recently been added to the retirement lexicon. The "lifelong," "extended," and "continuing education" labels refer to those courses offered at colleges and universities for students who aren't necessarily looking for credits but want to continue their education. There are courses in everything from bioethics, literature, and spirituality to the history of the American musical. In some situations, subjects cover areas chosen by the students themselves. For example the class might involve activities such as a weekly nature walk to identify local plants and trees, followed by a discussion and slide show. Sometimes the programs avoid using the words class and teacher and identify the gathering as a "study group" with a "coordinator" instead.
If a semester or a month seems too long a commitment to make, you can find courses as short as a day, even in serious subjects, often taught by professors from Ivy League colleges. Other programs offer weeklong summer seminars in vacation settings. After all, boomers are probably the best-educated generation in history, and we have been brought up to value learning. While we may have vowed never to take another course once we earned our degree forty years ago, we still have interests in many things, and years of brain activity ahead of us. Check your local centers of higher education and libraries for the most up-to-date listings of continuing education near you.
Learning is not limited to educational institutions. Join a book group in your neighborhood or one organized by your local library; check the lecture series at the nearby community center or religious institution; join a writing group, a knitters' society, or a bridge club. Take a comedy class, learn to play the piccolo, try hip-hop or swing dancing. And don't forget all the options available on the Internet. Language classes are a good place to start, especially if you are planning to travel abroad. Learning a language electronically enhances your computer skills and, of course, teaches you the basic language skills you need when traveling. Some people like to combine the visual computer lesson with a conversational language class so they can actually hear what the new words sound like; conversely, if you are a person for whom the aural experience of language is not enough, sign up for a computer language course simultaneously with the active one and you will soon be a star pupil. Any chance to learn something new is like a health club for the brain.
Playing a musical instrument is a wonderful thing to do in retirement. So many people regret not sticking with their childhood music lessons. Well, there are no excuses now. You have the time, patience (hopefully), and resources, and there's nothing to stand in the way of your practicing. If you never started, or if you once played but gave it up later, now is a great time to take lessons. If you don't own your instrument of choice, you can rent whatever you need. If you don't have the space for a piano, keyboards with weighted keys are a great substitute. Most will accommodate headphones and can be used even when the rest of the household is sleeping.
If you don't want to deal with a music teacher, computer programs can bring out your inner Chopin or Ringo. There are digital keyboards, guitars that hook right in to the computer, and even a program that teaches you to sing. Or try a group music class at your community college, senior center, or musical instrument store. You might wind up forming a band with your classmates. Retirement is all about trying something new, seeing if you enjoy it, and moving on if you don't. But first you must try it. Sitting and looking at the catalog is not enough.
–Miriam Goodman is the author of Reinventing Retirement: 389 Bright Ideas about Family, Friends, Health, What to Do and Where to Live, from Chronicle Books, at book stores and online.