Reflecting on learning in my academic career

I recently wrote about the courses I am taking this semester. While I now am actively working towards certifications for my professional development, perhaps I did sell myself short when I mentioned that I am returning to learning.

In fact, over the past years I have constantly been learning.

Looking back, here are a few things in which I have been learning as a research, person, and professional:

• Meditation courses: I use Headspace, and have taken various mindfulness and meditation courses over the past years, as well as used mindfulness worksheets.
• Language learning: With Duolingo, I can take bite-sized lessons and gradually work towards my understanding of new languages. I compliment this with other content, such as seeing videos about these languages online (there are great Instagram accounts dedicated to learning various languages as well!), and listening to podcasts (shoutout to Coffee Break Swedish).
• Personal development courses: I have purchased various courses and course bundles in the past, trying to learn new skills as well as pausing to think about how I am organizing certain aspects of my life.
• Books: Both for my enjoyment, and for work I have been reading a lot. I read fiction, non-fiction, and technical books like a little animal hungry for letters. And I am someone who learns from what I have been reading – I do remember quite a lot of what I read, so reading remains a good means towards learning for me.
• Journaling: Isn’t journaling the ultimate reflective exercise, and a way to find out what we already know but can’t put to words yet? It is perhaps one of the keys to understanding the self, which can then help us figuring out what we should be learning in the first place.

Here are some ways in which I have been learning over the past years. How do you learn?