[Closed] Learning something new. Ideas please.

Do an open university level one course. Science and maths for me

[url= http://www.coursera.org/ ]Coursera[/url] has loads of free courses on a wide range of topics, if you fancy studying you should be able to find something you're interested in.

Otherwise maybe learn to draw?

If you like I.T. have a look here...
http://www.teamtreehouse.com/

Hi,

Oil painting (have done this a few terms, essential for me and highly enjoyable)?

Another language, and study another culture?

Musical instrument or singing. Doesn't have to be traditional, could be electric guitar, drums, or could be classical, oboe, violin, piano?

Building?

Permaculture?

A new sport, ie swimming?

Definitely recommend something different, ie if you spend long hrs on a computer do something non-computery. Do a language anyway! All the best.

I've recently bitten the bullet and joined a writers' group and a creative writing group at the local library. When I bombed out of uni I deliberately ran as far away from jobs involving writing anything more than my initials, and it's wonderful to be back. My writing's appalling, but that'll come with time - the unexpected bonusis all the new perspectives I look at life from to see if I can find a story. It certainly makes me more aware of the things around me, and possibly (possibly) a bit more receptive to other people's points of view. Learning to handle constructive criticism at group meetings'll be hard but helpful too.

Or learn Photoshop and infiltrate the pisstaking creative elite on here....

If, like most of the slackers round here, you spend most of your life 'working' in IT I'd recommend either learning a musical instrument or doing something like woodwork or cabinet making.

It's incredibly satisfying being able to stand back and look at something while thinking 'I made that!' 😀

Meditation -step away from the woo and chakras and all that and you might find a useful skill that helps with all sorts of other stuff.

Learn a language
Do an art/pottery/woodworking course
Photography
Yoga
Try a new sport
Jewellery making

A First Aid Course?.

I'd say a good start is to look through the Coursera (as mentioned above) or Futurelearn lists. They're short, free courses that'll get you into the habit of devoting time doing them each week. There's bound to be something already there that sparks a bit of interest in your mind that you could then take further with longer, expensiver courses after.

Personally I've done courses through them on game theory (very tough), psychology (pretty dull), bookkeeping and statistics (handy for my work).

Definitely learn something where you make stuff. Incredibly satisfying. I'd recommend woodworking myself. I'm terrible at it but even the most hopeless creation can have you brimming with pride.

Personally, I took up drawing about 4 years ago,
Never really been interested in it before despite my dad being a graphic designer, got stuck in Geneva airport for a few hours so drew my son on a scrap of paper.

[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6615709761_aac1b5ded6.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6615709761_aac1b5ded6.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/b5Bf2p ]alex4[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/53067724@N00/ ]Jon Wyatt[/url], on Flickr

Then I thought I quite enjoyed that and started giving it a go. I'm still pretty crap but I really enjoy it and it has the great benefit of being something you can do when you're a bit broken or it's pissing it down outside or you're just sat on the sofa in front of the telly. Very satisfying. I've taken an oil painting class quite recently and will be starting another one early this year. That's a completely different way of creating art but I've gone out and bought a load of oil painting stuff now so I best give it a proper go. 😉

I have really enjoyed doing the one photo a day over last year.
It was a great way of getting back in to the habit of carrying a camera more,and made the commute a lot more 'eyes wide open'.
This year I am booked up for some local camera courses and may delve in to the world of photshop.

@samuri,nice work!

Morris dancing.

Not my cup of tea at all but Ive never ever seen a miserable morris dancer.

thanks cliffy.

Learn an instrument. Nobody has ever regretted learning to play music. It's the best thing in the world.

I am currently playing with a 3D drawing and modelling program, Rhino 3D.

They offer a 90 day evaluation program and loads of tutorials, videos and pdfs.

Very satisfying.

[url= https://www.rhino3d.com/download ]Download link[/url]

Kung Fu. Once mastered you can walk the earth, getting in adventures n shit...

Teasel
😀

fill yer boots

https://www.khanacademy.org/

But I'd go with a musical instrument. Or quadcopter flying.

I'm trying out a basic Art History course in an attempt to see if I can turn around my ineptitude as a student and possibly move on to a "real" qualification in time (degree maybe?).

I chose Art History for no better reason than I quite like some paintings and would like to know why the ones I don't are like any good 🙂

Not long ago I finished a City & Guilds in plumbing having done 2yrs of 2 nights a week at a local tech college. I enjoyed it very much and it's a handy extra set of skills to have to hand.

Framebuilding seems to be the in thing to learn at the moment.

How about doing some volunteering with a local charity - not necessarily learning in the academic sense but will develop some new skills, learn more about an area of society you have some interest in and meet new people.

See http://www.do-it.org.uk/ for more info and opportunities.

Pluming or fixing cars ...

Pluming

[img] https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRl_v4ga_dpBe17nXgoh3lXOFT31cEdLUUQBBqqCsGE8wW5opYHiw [/img]

This year I am learning to fly fish. My grandad loved it, and one of the things I miss in my life is time spent out in the countryside.

Climbing, makes you see the world in a whole new light, i can't walk past anything taller than 3 metres without plotting a route.

spud-face - Member

Pluming

sounds ace! Is that a night-school thing, or home study with residentials?

D'oh! I mean plumbing ...

Gravy wrestling?

[img] [/img]

Nice tip Mogrim, I've just had a skim through Coursera and signed up for a couple of courses (it's amazing how much of the internet I don't know about) - cheers!

Yogic flying?

[img] [/img]

twinw4ll - Member
Climbing, makes you see the world in a whole new light, i can't walk past anything taller than 3 metres without plotting a route.

I agree, check out local indoor climbing or bouldering centres. It's so adictive.

Cheers for the link, mogrim, I think I have just enrolled on a course in Python for noobs! 😳

All my sensible suggestions have been done above.

So I'd just like to say: OMG samuri is Noel Gallaghers dad!

Photography, welding or cooking.. All great skills to learn

Synchronised swimming?

[img] [/img]

spud-face - Member
Nice tip Mogrim, I've just had a skim through Coursera and signed up for a couple of courses (it's amazing how much of the internet I don't know about) - cheers!

Stoner - Member
Cheers for the link, mogrim, I think I have just enrolled on a course in Python for noobs!

You're both welcome 🙂

Top tip: the courses require a fair amount of time (how much exactly depends on the course, your prior knowledge, etc) - but you need at least 5-6 hours / week IME. Get the videos done during the week, leaving time for the homework / quiz at the weekend. One benefit of them is that they're a free way to check out if you have the discipline and free time needed for doing a paid course!

[i] OMG samuri is Noel Gallaghers dad![/i]

heh! I'd not noticed that before but now you mention it. It certainly explains all the drugs and swearing.

Wheelieing?

Coursera [url= https://www.coursera.org/course/modelthinking ]model thinking[/url] and how to reason and argue.

Thanks for some interesting ideas. I will take a look at some of the suggestions and courses over the weekend.

Another thank you to Mogrim here.

But how and I going to find time for family, work, doing the house up, training AND Coursera.

Not enough hours in the day

Another thank you to Mogrim here.

But how and I going to find time for family, work, doing the house up, training AND Coursera.

Not enough hours in the day

😀

Another tip - check the dates of your course, and be aware of half-term / Easter etc.: a week off due to a skiing holiday isn't hugely compatible with a short 6 week course, and even a long weekend away can be troublesome...

My two thing I want to learn this year are to play the ukulele and to learn to Eskimo roll a kayak.

Then invent something new like Synchronised-yogic swimming in gravey,could catch on. 8)