Back to School as an Adult

Have you seen the ads for One Day University educational seminars? Each full-day program is a series of one-hour lectures by great professors. There are some very good subjects (like history of the Supreme Court) and highly knowledgeable professors but . . . as fascinating as this concept is, I can get lots of great lectures absolutely free in my local library.

How? By borrowing any of the Modern Scholar series of lectures. Here's a link to one series of 14 lectures that my husband and I enjoyed just a couple of months ago, an indepth look at fantasy literature like Lord of the Rings. The range of subjects goes on and on, from history (like the surprisingly fascinating Wars That Made the Western World) to almost everything you'd ever want to know about Darwin and his influence on scientific thinking.

So instead of spending my day in a classroom or hotel ballroom, I take the CDs in my car and listen to very articulate professors as I drive. Each set comes with a course guide summarizing the highlights of the lectures and offering additional reading ideas (plus questions if you want to quiz yourself). Highly recommended and free for the borrowing from my wonderful public library, thanks to the generosity of the local Friends of the Library.