Doug's Story - Lifelong Learning
I retired in December 2008 from a career in Health Care. I was initially trained as a physiotherapist and later as an administrator/manager. Since graduating from University with my physiotherapy diploma/degree I have always had the need to continue to educate myself for my job responsibilities. It was initially with correspondence management courses and later a more formal program at the University of Colorado, where I obtained my Master of Science in Health Administration. I was 45 at the time. My total working time has always involved continuing education and developing skill sets to keep me current with job responsibilities and demands.
Having a background as a physiotherapist laid a foundation to live a healthy life. We eat nutritionally and exercise regularly. I believe that as one ages the mind also requires exercise. A couple of years ago I began exploring the Lifelong Learning Programs at the University of Regina. Initially, my focus was on learning how to operate some of the new computer technologies that were being developed and how to organize our photograph library. Recently, our interests have expanded. Last spring we took a course on Middle Eastern Current Affairs taught by retired professor Dr. Cleveland. We enjoyed the course thoroughly as well as his format as there was lots of time for class discussion of the various issues presented.
Recently our focus has turned to what we do to keep our minds more engaged and active. In the Fall Session of 2017, my wife and I enrolled in Introduction to Spanish and Ukulele for Seniors. We also took a shorter course on World Religions. All of these courses are challenging “our grey matter”, so that is good. Looking through the various course outlines that the Learning Program has developed, you will notice there is a wide range of courses offered. Interaction with your classmates is encouraged and the instructors encourage a fair amount of class discussion . These are all added bonuses to your learning experiences. All our courses have been very positive experiences for us. I strongly recommend you explore the Lifelong Learning Centre and register next time round. Courses offered vary in length and times and I am sure you can find something that meets your needs. Happy learning to you all.
Doug - November 2017