What to do with all your time?

westv

katejo said:

zagubov said:

Learning stuff.

It’s one of the few things that slows down the subjectively accelerating pace of time as you age.

I was an OU tutor many moons ago while also being a full-time lecturer in a college.  Quit the OU to do a part-time degree alongside my full-time job.

However, at least back then, OU tutors could enrol on other OU courses either free or subsidised. 

When I finally retire f want to look into that again. If you’ve got expertise in anything academic there might be  a way of earning, helping others to learn and/or learning something new. Obviously go to the summer schools to meet and bond with fellow-students.

There used to be A level and GCSE evening classes at many local colleges but that seems to have been cut savagely.

Other distance learning providers are available -i’m not currently an OU employee or related to one, so I don’t want to push that one particular provider but I’ve always been banging on about it being such an overlooked resource.

So much learning to do.

That's one of my plans once I am fully retired. I want to be able to do daytime classes instead of evening. Sometimes I  have found courses of interest  (perhaps a series of lectures) but I can't book just 1 and take a day off. I have to book all 6 which isn't possible while  still working. 

Do actual classes still exist? I thought everything was online now.

MallyGirl

Vespaboy said:

My ex Poly wrote to me a number of years ago to see if I wanted to send my degree certificate back so it could be re issued saying “ university of…..” suffice to say once a poly student…..

Same here - for a cost of £40. Once an OxPoly girl, always an OxPoly girl!

Albermarle

westv said:

katejo said:

zagubov said:

Learning stuff.

It’s one of the few things that slows down the subjectively accelerating pace of time as you age.

I was an OU tutor many moons ago while also being a full-time lecturer in a college.  Quit the OU to do a part-time degree alongside my full-time job.

However, at least back then, OU tutors could enrol on other OU courses either free or subsidised. 

When I finally retire f want to look into that again. If you’ve got expertise in anything academic there might be  a way of earning, helping others to learn and/or learning something new. Obviously go to the summer schools to meet and bond with fellow-students.

There used to be A level and GCSE evening classes at many local colleges but that seems to have been cut savagely.

Other distance learning providers are available -i’m not currently an OU employee or related to one, so I don’t want to push that one particular provider but I’ve always been banging on about it being such an overlooked resource.

So much learning to do.

That's one of my plans once I am fully retired. I want to be able to do daytime classes instead of evening. Sometimes I  have found courses of interest  (perhaps a series of lectures) but I can't book just 1 and take a day off. I have to book all 6 which isn't possible while  still working. 

Do actual classes still exist? I thought everything was online now.

Out of interest I had a look at our local sixth form college that in the past also did a lot of evening classes.
The actual classes are much more limited than before and are mainly hands on things like pottery or flower arranging, plus some language courses.
The rest seem to be all online.

af1963

How do people fill their time after retirement ?

Where do you think nine pages ( so far ) of replies come from !

roubiliac

Since retiring I play golf weekly. I have done a free on line art course at MoMA on Post War American Abstract Impressionism, written several articles for travel magazines, written an as yet unpublished book on life in France,  visited a dozen opera houses around Europe and the U.K. with my wife of fifty years, developed a passion for cooking and enjoy gardening. I go to the theatre and music concerts as often as I can.
I also enjoy a daily afternoon nap of twenty minutes!

LameWolf

I had to retire in 2001 aged only 41, due to ill-health.

To retain my sanity and continue to be useful, I'm under contract with a company offering home-from-home dog boarding, for dogs who would prefer not to spend their owners' holiday in kennels. The dogs come and stay in my home, and judging from the positive feedback I've had, plus regular clients coming back time and time again, the dogs enjoy it as much as I do.

Since my husband passed away in February 2023, this work has become even more important to me.

Iguana

Meet-up is great for meeting new friends.

older_and_no_wiser

Iguana said:

Meet-up is great for meeting new friends.

Yes I agree! Our local Meetup groups in South Manchester are great. Regular walking, chats, discussion groups, debating, coffee/lunch. 

Smudgeismydog

Hello @LameWolf, I’m sorry to hear about your husband. I think it’s great that you’ve found dog boarding to not only provide a sense of purpose, but it clearly sounds like real enjoyment, I think that’s wonderful, x

westv

older_and_no_wiser said:

Iguana said:

Meet-up is great for meeting new friends.

Yes I agree! Our local Meetup groups in South Manchester are great. Regular walking, chats, discussion groups, debating, coffee/lunch. 

I've never heard of Meetup. I will have to have a look. I'm imagining it's something that might be more used in the larger cities but I'm just guessing there.