Yes, I've gone back to TAFE, and am doing an evening course in repairing small engines (mowers, wippa-snippas, chain-
saws etc). Third lesson tonight, have just arrived home.

5.30 - 9 pm two nights a week for six months. And I get the qualifications at the end of it.

It's something I can already do (didn't have the 'ticket' tho), but the course was available and they needed to make up the
numbers, so I enrolled.

IMO, you are never too old to learn, and never too old to go back to school, TAFE, Uni if you wish to do so. And you can
never have too many skills/qualifications, especially now with jobs being so scarce.

Anyone else doing, thinking of doing, or recently done an evening course?


*Those who come to mock or 'knock', please don't bother**

Actually,

I trained austranger last night on how to operate an important shortcut on his computer...

which was in a lesson I taught on my course while doing the Cert IV 

    Great believer in T.A.F.E. myself, when I got my Fiddlers Three I went and did a course on making clothes for kids, and then got roped into helping give a catering course, and a cake-decorating one too.
     Just as a side-effect, it was a great place for a single bloke to meet women too, especially that clothes one!

      I did try doing a couple of others over the years, even that small engine one, but Life kept interfering, three sproggs, volunteering with the Sallies, big needy family, girlfriends, something always had to give and that was usually it unfortunately, self-indulgence ranks pretty low with me.

                                           

UNTIL NOW!

                                                         

Good for you, Kat.

I enjoy studying and I hope I always will. My grandfather teaches language and philosophy courses for senior citizens like himself through some kind of program. It's good for them and for him. He also tutors his Chinese neighbours English and they do nice things for him in return. He spent some time lecturing at universities in China so it also helps to keep his Chinese fluent. He's in his late 80s 

Good on you El Gatto, you can never know too much.

I went to uni when I was 57 and graduated when I was 60. I was the oldest person to graduate from my uni that year. I struggled a bit along the way, even considered chucking it in on a couple of occasions. I will never put my degree to use in the workforce, but I'm still glad I did it, keeps your mind active.

I'm learning another language at the moment. Now that is hard work, I'll be lucky if I get to 50 words by the end of the year, that's my goal.

I know what you mean with the languages, I have a basic smattering of German, but that's about it.

Anyway, regarding this 'Outdoor Power equipment' course, one of the course requirements, which each
student has to supply, is a 4-stroke 'project' motor which we'll learn how to rebuild from scratch to as-
new condition.

Well, I had a few 'vertical shaft' motors from old lawnmowers lying around at the men's Shed, but I
really wanted a 'horizontal shaft' motor as they're more versatile for powering pumps, generators, mini-
bikes, concrete-mixers  etc.

And, naturally, I couldn't find one at short notice.

But luck was on my side. A couple of the guys were clearing out one of our storage sheds and found
this vintage American-built 'Little Wonder' edger/rotary tiller, which they didn't want. The motor is
basically sound, and would run with a minimum of effort.

So yours truly has 'acquired' it, and the 3-horse B&S motor will be my course project. I was really
after an HK40 Kirby-Tecumseh or Kirby-Lauson engine or similar, or an old Mk10 Villiers,but the B&S
will suffice.

See below...

Kat wrote on May 19^th, 2014 at 9:56pm:


Good on you.

The young fella, as well as running a three state operation in light engineering, has spent nearly all his working life (20+ yrs) studying.

Says that the different courses, etc, keep him from going stale.
Even took 3 years off, just before I handed over, to qualify as a chef.

Has till end of this semester to complete what he is doing and says he will have a break from study until the new year before starting another course.

Kat wrote on May 24^th, 2014 at 8:45pm:

good stufff cat!!