I have been out of college (graduate school) for a little over a year now, and I find myself craving NEW knowledge, the desire- no, NEED- to learn. I am, and will be, a lifelong learner. Anyone else out there feel the same? I know my current job is neither mentally stimulating nor challenging, but I am beginning to think that is just life in corporate America, I hope I am wrong. To keep my brain from turning into total mush I have been keeping myself schooled.
Some of my current methods for staying schooled are:
Podcasts: These things keep me entertained and educated throughout the day, and keep me up to date on news- Wall Street Journal This Morning; finance (as that was my area of study and not being used in my current job); entrepreneurship- 48 Days ; and everyone’s favorite- TED talks on occasion.
Books: I have been reading so many books recently, which I had stopped doing much during graduate school for lack of time, mainly non-fiction books. I am aiming for 2 books a month (minimum). I recently finished Delivering Happiness written by Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap) by Tammy Strobel, and I am currently working on The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau. Check out your area library and see if they offer online books for your e-reader, I know mine does.
Coursera: offers FREE online courses through well known universities around the world. I am looking forward to taking a class this fall called Disaster Preparedness, offered by the University of Pittsburgh.
Google News: Every morning I scan the news headlines on Google News and read any articles of interest.
These are just some of the ways I am attempting to keep my brain active and avoiding falling into the post work corporate drone (get home, watch tv, eat frozen meal, watch more tv, get sucked into Facebook for hours while watching tv, eat late night snack, go to bed too late, wake up and repeat boring day).
Are you schooling yourself? If so, how are you doing it? I would love to hear other ideas…
Life After School 
I feel exactly the same as you – I’m 46 and still a life-long learner! Corporate jobs are hard for us. 🙂 Your recipe above is a good one – for an exotic flavor every now and then, try a new hobby, or read something you would normally NEVER read (because it is the opposite of your politics or values). Keep up the good work!