Our freetime is a precious resource that is shrinking with each passing generation. It is not to be given up lightly. Taking part in an evening class usually requires a little sacrifice to be made with regard to time spent with the family, working, socialising or just relaxing. The benefits are myriad; here are just a few reasons to take the plunge:

First and foremost, the evening course should benefit the student; it should not be taken at the behest of anyone else. You will need commitment and drive to complete your course, and if you are not interested in the subject matter, it will prove difficult to complete. You will reap the greatest rewards out of a course you enroll in for personal reward.

The Student Within: Personal Development
With all the commitments that come with modern life – work, family, social-life - it is easy to start feeling a little rusty around the edges. Enrolling in a nightcourse is one of the most effective ways to shake off the dust that accumulates with simply going from day-to-day, coping with whatever life throws at you. By engaging in a stimulating challenge of your own choosing, you may discover fresh mental and physical resources you never knew existed within you.

Many of those who take an evening class are returning to complete a formal education that circumstances would not allow them to finish the first time round. Adults, who partake in literacy and numeracy classes or take a GCSE/A-Level course, give themselves a fresh footing in a society where information and the ability to communicate are all.

Learning a new skill often provides the student with the sense of confidence and self-reliance that comes with overcoming a challenge. The subject matter need not be of everyday practical use such as a computer course. Even learning the mysterious arts of belly-dancing will invigorate the student with a sense of achievement. If a completely foreign skill can be mastered; then you know that you are well-prepared for the challenges life may throw at you.

Have you ever pondered what untapped potential may lie within you? Perhaps you are a live at home mother, juggling the plethora of tasks that make up the job of running a household. The ability to multi-task is central to the business-world, and a nightcourse is just the way to find out if you have got what it takes. There are many courses provided for those seeking to harness their creativity. It is very difficult to sit down at home, with all its distractions, and bash out a short-story or painting. Adult education provides the structured surrounding where your creative talents can be teased out and developed.  

Healthy Benefits: Activating the Brain
A recent report in the New York Times investigated the various factors – wealth, health insurance, etc. – that influence the average person’s lifespan. “If you were to ask me what affects health and longevity”, said City University of New York researcher Michael Grossman, “I would put education at the top of my list.”

Besides the physical benefits of activity-based courses, from yoga to kick-boxing, the positive effect of adult education on a student’s mental health and lifestyle can be immense. One study found that one additional year of education for Swedish men born between 1945-55, increased their chances of being a healthy weight from 60 to 72 per cent.  The socialisation and companionship involved in adult education can play a strong role in lessening the occurrence of stress, loneliness and depression. Many in the scientific community believe that the brain needs to be ‘exercised’ just as much as the body. Actively engaging in a night class can help sustain your powers of memory and concentration, and possibly even stave off forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s. As one American researcher, Dr Gary Small of UCLA, put it, “It’s the use-it-or-lose-it theory. If you keep your brain cells active it improves their efficiency”.

So there you have it, take a nightcourse and enjoy eternal life! Or perhaps, a tad more realistically, take a nightcourse and enrich your life.