Learning As A Hobby

I enjoy having hobbies. I love reading fiction and crocheting, just as much as I love reading non-fiction, learning how to code, and speak German. But when it comes to learning and also trying to find full-time work, how can I know that what I'm studying on my own time is worth it?

The answer for me is surprisingly simple: Just as much as job searching and applying to jobs is stressful for me, learning things I'm interested in helps me unwind from all that stress. This is because I use the act of learning the same way I use the act of crocheting as a hobby. It is a calm time, a time where I can shut off the stressed side of my brain and dive head-first into things that interest me and I want to know more about for a couple hours.

I started learning German via Duolingo starting in January, as part of my resolution for growth. Progress has been nominal, and I am nowhere near close to start having conversations yet, but I'm having fun learning words and small phrases. I know that a large part of my family tree has roots in Germany, so I thought it would be an interesting language to learn, and I was right. Learning German has given me a greater appreciation for compound words, and it has also proven to me that English is just seven different languages stacked on top of each other and wrapped in a trench coat.

More recently, I started up basic coding lessons via Codecademy. I have always been a nerd, and taught myself a lot of HTML when the internet became available in my town when I was 12 years old. I've learned more over the years, to the point that I was using HTML every day at work, and I would like to delve deeper in coding. What I've learned so far about the basics has been interesting, and I look forward to learning more.

So what is next for what I want to learn? Nothing so long-term as languages, but there are some very nice, short, learn-at-your-own-pace classes I can take about grant writing. Taking a few of those would look good on a resume and my LinkedIn profile, as well as be a nice challenge for me to stretch my writing skills again.

I hope that whatever your hobby is, it's something that keeps you happy and helps you unwind.

-A.M.W.