The new year is marching along, and spring is right around the corner. But that doesn't mean those lofty goals that were pondered back at the start of January need be left behind - it's never too late to tackle the goals and resolutions you made for 2012.
There's no such thing as too late when it comes to achieving personal goals and resolutions - even those that may have been made on New Year's Eve and forgotten soon after.
Burnaby NOW reporter Christina Myers has been talking to experts around the region to gather advice to help NOW readers reach their goals in 2012. In past instalments in this series, the NOW heard from experts in finance, nutrition and exercise, going green and family relationships.
In today's edition, we take a look at a resolution that many people may have in the back of their minds throughout the year but never get the chance to act on: learning something new.
Keep an eye on upcoming editions of the NOW for more instalments of the "This Year, I Will" series, including advice on getting involved in the community and getting your home organized.
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We talked to: Keith Chong, district principal with community and continuing education in the Burnaby school district
Question: People tend to think of "learning" as something for children or young adults, but is there any age when people are "too old" to learn something new?
Answer: In the Burnaby school district, one of our most central perspectives is that everyone can be viewed as a lifelong learner. Many people find learning is easier when they are young. However, I have dealt with many mature students who would take a course in math or chemistry and make a comment such as "that (concept) was easy, but I could never understand it when I was in school."
Age should not be viewed as a barrier to learning but maybe as a window as to when a student is "able" to learn. For different people, these "windows" of learning will be at different stages of their lives. Another benefit is that many people will come back later in life to learn something new in order to keep their minds sharp. In this way, these people will always be vibrant by keeping their minds active and thereby keeping them also young at heart and living longer, productive lives.
Q: What kinds of programs does Burnaby offer under continuing education? Can you give us an example of a few of them?
A: In addition to the programs that you may expect such as those leading to high school graduation, continuing education offers a variety of programs for English language development through our ELSA and Foundation programs. We also offer vocational training programs for those people looking to get into a vocation or for those who need to be retrained for new opportunities. Some of these programs include our very successful medical office assistant, health-care assistant and early childhood programs. Many of these are offered on both a full-time or parttime basis. Also offered are a multitude of general interest courses including wine education, yoga, floral arranging, jewelry design, beekeeping, Photoshop, to learning about real estate.
Q: How many people each year take advantage of continuing education programs in this district?
A: Burnaby's community and continuing education program is the third largest program in the province with over 16,000 adult learners. Besides servicing the needs of adult learners in Burnaby, we draw students from all over the Lower Mainland. We also have a growing number of international students who will partake in our programs before moving on to post secondary programs such as UBC, SFU or BCIT.
Q: Is there a "typical" continuing education student in terms of age and educational background, or is it a real variety?
A: The current economic situation that exists has really changed any image of what a "typical" continuing education (CE) student might be. Due to the economy, we are seeing more young people who may have just recently finished school coming back to CE to complete their high school graduation or get their prerequisite courses in order to go into a post-secondary program.
We also are seeing middle-aged people who have either lost their jobs or are looking at obtaining better working opportunities coming to CE to get retrained with new skills so they can work in other industries.
We also have a very high number of mature students taking courses for the challenge of learning something new or to learn more of what they didn't get a chance to learn earlier in their lives.
There is no common age, educational background or income level. Students are coming to continuing education for a variety of reasons, and CE has tried to provide the diversity and depth of programs to meet the needs of whomever has an interest in learning regardless of their motivation.
Q: Where can people go to learn more about continuing education programs here?
A: There are several ways to find out about our programs. You may wish to go to our website at www.burnabycce. ca to look at our program offerings and descriptions, schedules and registration procedures. You may also get information by calling our main offices at 6046648888 or picking up our brochure that is delivered to your homes twice a year or at community centres or libraries.
If you are interested in our vocational programs, there are also information nights that you could attend throughout the year. Please look at our website or call to find the location and times of our information nights. You may also see our advertisements in local newspapers.
Q: What would you say to someone who may be feeling nervous or unsure about signing up for a program?
A: Please feel free to contact us to talk to a program adviser so that we may answer any questions about the program you are interested in.
By knowing and understanding the answers to any questions you may have, we hope that you would find your learning experience to be both positive and enjoyable. You will not only learn new skills and acquire new knowledge, but you will make new friends and form connections within the community.
Q: What kind of costs are involved with CE programs?
A: If you are a B.C. resident, courses in the high school completion and English Language Development programs are free for most students as they are subsidized by the provincial government. General interest programs could rage from $25 to a few hundred dollars. Vocational programs could range from $200 to $4,400. To assist with finances, Burnaby continuing education is currently working on developing student loans from neighbour financial institutions.
Q: Any words of wisdom you'd offer to Burnaby residents who'd like to "learn something new" this year?
A: If you don't like the path you're on, choose a different path. Don't be afraid of change. Embrace it. New knowledge can lead you on a path of discovery, and can bring about changes such as a new job and new friends. Try something new and enrich your life. Burnaby community and continuing education is a great place to learn, connect with your community and make new friends.
Our courses offer you great value and we offer an extremely diverse selection of learning opportunities. I encourage everyone to come out and sample what is available to you.
Remember: although rewarding, learning can be hard work. Don't let small setbacks make you quit. Keep your eye on the end goal, and strive for success.
