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I'm thinking about taking a class next year for personal enrichment. I have my Bachelor's already and I haven't gotten my Master's yet, and I don't know that I will anytime soon.
Has anyone taken a class or two for fun, while working full or part-time? If so, was it worth it and did you enjoy the class (or classes) as much as you thought you would? Did you take something related to your current occupation or did you take something in a different subject area that might have been less practical?
Yes! I've taken several college classes just for the heck of it. I've taken "practical" classes to help keep my resume up to date and some just-for-me classes, like a sci-fi literature class and an entry level viticulture class on wine and food paring. It's all good.
There are other ways to take enrichment classes, through the city or community or local businesses, and I've done my share of that as well. Whatever offers me what I want
I'm thinking about taking a class next year for personal enrichment. I have my Bachelor's already and I haven't gotten my Master's yet, and I don't know that I will anytime soon.
Has anyone taken a class or two for fun, while working full or part-time? If so, was it worth it and did you enjoy the class (or classes) as much as you thought you would? Did you take something related to your current occupation or did you take something in a different subject area that might have been less practical?
I'm looking forward to your responses.
When I was much younger, I took an Art History class that met on Saturday mornings. I was tired of sleeping in hungover and decided to force feed myself some culture.
We met and talked about artists and art periods, and spent a session or two at the Met and MOMA. The teacher was a very handsome, articulate man with a refined Dutch accent who knew everything about art and I remember I just automatically assumed he was gay. Ignorance of youth.
The good thing about classes like that is there's no homework and no grade. So, it is just kind of fun. I didn't make it to several classes towards the end, so you could say my plan failed. But when I did go, it was pretty cool.
The downside was it was pretty pricey. I took it through NYU, and it was a decent amount.
I'm thinking about taking a class next year for personal enrichment. I have my Bachelor's already and I haven't gotten my Master's yet, and I don't know that I will anytime soon.
Has anyone taken a class or two for fun, while working full or part-time? If so, was it worth it and did you enjoy the class (or classes) as much as you thought you would? Did you take something related to your current occupation or did you take something in a different subject area that might have been less practical?
I'm thinking about taking a class next year for personal enrichment. I have my Bachelor's already and I haven't gotten my Master's yet, and I don't know that I will anytime soon.
Has anyone taken a class or two for fun, while working full or part-time? If so, was it worth it and did you enjoy the class (or classes) as much as you thought you would? Did you take something related to your current occupation or did you take something in a different subject area that might have been less practical?
I'm looking forward to your responses.
The very first elective that I took solely because I wanted to has remained the single best course that I ever took at university. The professor was absolutely superb and the textbook (which I wish I still had) was excellent. The two semester course far exceeded the rather limited expectations I had. (I learned many decades later that the professor, who had a wonderful classroom presence, had a not inconsiderable reputation in the field of religious studies. I can certainly understand why.)
It did more to pick me up out of the environment and mindset I was raised in and give me a new look at the world than anything else I had taken before.
The course was entitled World Religions, and combined the origin and development of doctrine with a broad look at their history. I had just begun work that same year in one of my two majors sociology-anthropology, and it certainly had an influence on how I approached courses in that area.
I've taken classes for polishing up my job skills and others for personal enrichment. I doubt any of those classes I took helped me in any way. I passed all of my classes and received certificates. Next time I would like to try an on-line class. I'm very interested in green construction/eco.
When I was much younger, I took an Art History class that met on Saturday mornings. I was tired of sleeping in hungover and decided to force feed myself some culture.
We met and talked about artists and art periods, and spent a session or two at the Met and MOMA. ....
I took a few courses at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), and found they were very interesting. And I took a course at the Jung Institute in NYC, as well.
None met on weekend mornings, so no hangover or attendance problems.
I'm thinking about taking a class next year for personal enrichment. I have my Bachelor's already and I haven't gotten my Master's yet, and I don't know that I will anytime soon.
Has anyone taken a class or two for fun, while working full or part-time? If so, was it worth it and did you enjoy the class (or classes) as much as you thought you would? Did you take something related to your current occupation or did you take something in a different subject area that might have been less practical?
I'm looking forward to your responses.
Do it. Do it again after you get your masters. When you are in a class with a bunch of people drawn by a similar interest and not the need to satisfy curriculum credit, it is a different experience.
I do this as often as I can. Actually the mental stimulation keeps me sane Now days I usually find something interesting online as opposed to driving to a campus. Lots of community colleges/universities offer online courses for no credit, and this often costs a lot less. I've dabbled in foreign languages, once took a guitar class, and am about to enroll in some online programming classes on Coursera and Udacity (the last 2 are FREE sources). I've always had an interest in electronics, so I am looking to see if I can work some classes at a nearby community college into my schedule. I take stuff for personal interest, and I take stuff related to my job - programming.
The stuff I have done is often hit or miss. Some classes are incredibly awesome (guitar class was taught by a PATIENT, Spanish guitar expert and the entire class loved him) and some are just bad. But to me it's worth it to sift through a bad class just to find the gem of a class that inspires me to be better.
I have as well and I take them for credit rather than "audit".
I got a piano years ago from a liquidation sale but didn't know how to play.
Went to the CC and took music theory and then beginning piano and then intermediate piano.
I did that rather than just go for those private lessons as I do like to learn more in depth about something.
Also took several math classes to brush up on my skills and took them for credit as well.
If I could afford it I'd be a professional student
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Sure, it's enjoyable and can help you one way or another depending on the class. First time I did it I took a real estate class, prior to buying my first house. Later, I took a class on marketing artwork as I have several artistic hobbies and wanted to make a few extra dollars selling. I always use the extension or "continuing education" catalog as they have the classes at night or on weekends and you are not the only one older than 20. Cheaper too.
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Now days I usually find something interesting online as opposed to driving to a campus. Lots of community colleges/universities offer online courses for no credit, and this often costs a lot less. I've dabbled in foreign languages, once took a guitar class, and am about to enroll in some online programming classes on Coursera and Udacity (the last 2 are FREE sources). I've always had an interest in electronics, so I am looking to see if I can work some classes at a nearby community college into my schedule. I take stuff for personal interest, and I take stuff related to my job - programming. 
