Keeping the Brain Active
Vernice Shostal | Senior Living Magazine
A recent study has shown that the brain, like a muscle, grows in size with use and exercise. When mental exercise occurs, specific actions in the brain take place as a result. Without exercise, both brains and muscles atrophy. Many people over the age of 50 are aware of the benefits of physical and mental exercise, and enjoy the rewards this brings them.
One program that offers the “mature” person a chance to stay mentally active is the Humanities Diploma Program, a division of Continuing Studies at the University of Victoria. The program, designed for people who do not fit the traditional student mould of recent high school graduates, allows learners to deepen their ability to read actively, think critically and write about what it means to be human. The prerequisites are some life experiences and an interest in studying an area of the humanities. Some participants in this course still work while others are retired. Students who complete the Humanities Diploma (HD) Program successfully may use the credits they earn toward a degree, if they qualify based on current admission criteria. Many diploma recipients have already done that.
Judy Duncan, a former certified dental assistant, who entered the program in the fall of 2004 and received her diploma in 2009, is working on her bachelor’s degree. “It is important to stay mentally active because it keeps one engaged in life,” she says. “If you stop doing things or having an inquiring mind, you disengage, and eventually withdraw. Besides, all the literature says staying mentally active will keep your brain pliable.”
Judy became interested in the program when she was searching for new ways to “broaden her horizons.” The HD program fit her needs because it offered a good variety of courses and a flexible time frame for completion. She continues to take classes, mostly in Greek and Roman Studies and a few in Religious and Medieval studies, choosing classes that interest her and that she can apply toward her degree.
Judy found returning to a community of learning challenging at first. Although her study habits were well entrenched, card catalogues had disappeared. In essay writing, she had to learn to expound on a given subject instead of condensing it like you would for business writing. She found that the available information for researching subjects had expanded and the databases available through the (virtual) library are enormous. But she soon got used to it.
A perennial learner, Judy found the HD program her “way of re-entering the scholastic world.” The campus is “a vibrant place. One can see the young people applying themselves and also how dedicated they are to different causes that they support.”
Ray Illsley got involved with the Humanities Diploma Program through a friend who said the program would fit his interests. Although a voracious reader all his life, Ray never thought himself “smart enough” to be able to attend university. Born in England, he left school at 16 with a “less than stellar academic performance.” A mandatory course in the Diploma Program, Humanities 100, covers mainly philosophy, Ray says, but within it, he was also able to take courses in two of his favourite subjects: history and English.
In the program for only one semester, Ray is proud to have “passed with an A+ mark,” somewhat daunting, he feels, since having set the bar so high presents him with a challenge. At age 55, the chef of 35 years is the second youngest in his group.
On campus, Ray enjoys meeting a variety of people from different backgrounds. He loves to roam the library, sit in the café and enjoy a latté while working on his latest essay. Ray has discovered that he loves researching information. Not only does he enjoy writing, “I am actually quite good at it,” he says. “I increasingly want to express myself through the written word.”
When Ray started the Humanities course, he didn’t consider doing much more than achieving his diploma, but with his professor’s encouragement, after he receives his diploma, Ray plans to continue taking classes toward a BA in history. “
We are at the top of the evolutionary tree because of our ability to use the enormous power of our brains,” says Ray. “To let this stagnate is a waste. Curiosity about our world, its history, its people, its achievement should be a constant source of wonder and instil in us the reality that knowledge is power, and that power can be harnessed for the greater good.”
Laura Infield who began classes in 2010 learned about the HD program from the University’s Continuing Education website. As a responsible citizen and voter, Laura felt that issues were becoming more complex - sending troops to Afghanistan, the economic crisis, health-care funding and others. Laura wanted a better background to be a more educated voter. In addition, the former RCMP employee needed to feel that she was doing something worthwhile with her life. “
I don’t think it’s healthy to become isolated into cliques made up of people that are all your own age,” she says. “The university provides an opportunity to meet a diverse group of people of all ages and backgrounds. It’s good to stay engaged, especially with all the new technologies and social networking.”
In the beginning, Laura was not confident she would be able to manage the course load, and was concerned she would be a lot older than the general population at university, but Humanities 100, the first class she took, gave her the confidence she needed to carry on as a regular student the following semester. “
It’s interesting to notice how differently I approach things than my younger counterparts,” says Laura. Although they can multi-task much better than she can, Laura can relate and retain a lot of information better because she has the life experience that makes the information relevant, so “it seems to balance out in the end.”
Although she has always been a reader, Laura found the university environment disconcerting in the beginning - writing term papers, doing presentations, public speaking, working with other students on projects. But “it was very satisfying to learn that I could be successful in a university environment.”
At the end of the program, Laura will transfer the credits she gains from her Humanities course to a degree with a double major in writing and linguistics. “It should be a good marriage,” she says.
Fifty-plus active men and women who have recently enrolled in the Humanities Diploma Program have illustrated that one is never too old to learn. Staying mentally active as one ages, is the best way to prevent dementia and to keep in touch with the rapidly changing world.
