If you could imagine the worst possible regret that you could have, what would it be? Would it be the lack of traveling, companionship or a bad decision taken in a weak moment?

We all carry regrets with us. Like remnants of past experiences, one could argue that these regrets drive our actions, influence our emotions and make us who we are. But when you regret the incompletion or lack of education, it is the saddest regret of them all – a regret that should not exist. Whether its gaining an additional diploma, fluency in a language or a doctorate you’re after, going back to school is worth every minute of it.

Here are the stories of two women which might help make up your mind:

English Vinglish

I had started learning French in my spare time through Duolingo. It’s an app where you can learn most of the major languages in the world in a fun and interactive way. My Mom saw me using it and asked about it. And this was how I learned that my Mom had cherished a wish to learn English properly. She’d spent the formative years of childhood in a Hindi medium school and had always felt handicapped professionally due to her infirm grasp of English. So, what happened next? She tried the app out, loved it and has religiously taken lessons on the app since. I’m now trying to convince her to appear for an official English language certification test.

Back To School

While narrating this story with pride to one of my friends, she shared her Mother-in-law’s story with me, which was no less inspiring. Her mother-in-law had been brought up in abject poverty and had started working at a very young age to support her family. As a result, her education suffered and though a necessary sacrifice, it had stayed with her as a regret ever since. However, when her eldest son was 15, she studied and appeared for the matriculation (10^th standard) examination. She cleared the same with distinction and eased a lifetime of regret.

What these stories brought home is that it never too late to continue with one’s education or master a skill. The Governments in USA and Europe have realized the need for adult education and have created policies to facilitate it. The practice has seen fruition in evening colleges and schools in India as well. Irrespective of your profession, there are many resources available to help you complete your education. Some of these resources are as follows:

• Correspondence Courses & Open Schools

  

  With easily accessible institutions like the Indra Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the School of Open Learning (SOL) at hand, one can choose from a long list of courses to complete their education and even, improve their chances of employment. The courses are available in all fields and at many levels – undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma and even, doctorate. Certain organizations like Google offer certifications in Google Analytics as well.

• Apps & Websites

  

  With apps like Duolingo, Byju abounding by the dozen, learning languages has become child’s play. Similarly, websites like Coursera offers free and paid courses from renowned universities all over the world as well as open forums to interact with the teachers and other students. When it comes to resources, sites like Gutenberg can be relied upon for ebooks in both fiction and non-fiction genres. For those in love with programming languages, check out Code School or Code Academy.

• Teachers & Tutors at home

  
  Whether it’s been your dream to strum a guitar, play the piano, or learn a dance form – you can easily hire home tutors for most skills and hobbies on UrbanClap. This is especially convenient as you can find the best verified and certified teachers near your home in your budget, or join a class near you. If you’d like to brush up on academic subjects or prepare for an examination, you can also book academic tutors for subjects like Mathematics, Science, and English at your convenience.

  Also Read: 5 Reasons Why You Should Take Up a Creative Hobby as a Resolution

• Learn from a friend

  When all else fails, friends and family remain. If your friends are skilled at or talented in the subject of your study, why not learn from them?

There is no denying that life was tough for our older generations. With an emphasis on building a stable livelihood, our predecessors often had to sacrifice education or individual choices. With double the resources, access to the Internet and almost no borders on the free exchange of information, we have it a lot easier. And so, doesn’t it make sense to ultilize these resources to reach our full potential?

What do you think? Comment or share to let us know!