Embracing the Joy of Learning
I have a confession to make – I love learning!
I am always intrigued and interested in finding out about new things and enjoy the challenge of mastering new skills. One of the great joys of my life these days is learning Italian.
Progress is not rapid as I only attend one class each week but I keep working at it and I am slowly and steadily improving my understanding and learning how to make myself understood – as I think of it, I am learning (successfully) to speak Broken Italian.
In the past couple of years I have also discovered the joy of creating lino-cut prints, modern calligraphy, improved my knitting skills and started making toys.
So what, you may be thinking to yourself, or, wish I had as much spare time as you do!
Overcoming Age Barriers
The point I want to make here is that I am happily learning all these new things despite reaching an age when, according to some views, it is hard or even impossible to learn new things.
I completely disagree with that view. I am now in my mid-60s and hope that I will still be learning new things in my 70s, 80s, even into my 90s.
My Personal Journey: Learning in My Mid-60s
What has any of this got to do with AAT?
I have been tutoring AAT students for many years and students enrolling for their first course are often very nervous. A common concern for students in their forties, or even in their thirties, is that they will be too old to learn and succeed on the course.
In fact, this is also something I know about at first hand. In my late thirties I decided to give up working as an accountant in practice and returned to university to complete a PGCE course (Postgraduate Certificate in Education).
Returning to university after a gap of nearly twenty years was a bit daunting at first. I was used to hand-writing essays, not word-processing them on a computer. I was many years older than the other students on the course.
What I found though was that my experience of life and work during those years since I left university the first time had actually sharpened my brain. I hadn’t studied for a long time but my brain was just as ready for study as it ever was.
In fact, it was better. I found the learning experience second time round to be hugely enjoyable.
Lessons from Experience: The Power of Practice
Like so many other areas of life, learning is a skill that needs practice.
If you haven’t studied for fifteen or twenty years you will be out of practice at studying and learning. It may seem at first that the course is too difficult and you are too old to manage it.
That is not the case, what you are dealing with is not an age problem but a familiarity problem. Don’t give up, once you get back into practice you will find that learning becomes easier.
Building Confidence: The Key to Successful Learning
Successful learning is often about confidence and we do tend to lose confidence as we get older.
Lack of confidence and self-belief can be a major obstacle when studying for professional exams and it is this that can make learning more difficult, rather than our age.
Getting into a regular study routine and making full use of the learning resources and support available to you will help you to achieve that most valuable confidence-booster, passing your first exam.
Support and Guidance: Your Pathway to Success
Once you have that first success your confidence will increase and the learning will become easier.
I have seen time and time again the difference in students once they have re-acquired the skill of successful learning.
If you have been thinking about improving your career prospects but are afraid that you are too old to study – you are not! Talk to us and we will be happy to advise and support you in your learning. We love seeing our students succeed whether they are 16 or 61.
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