It's often said that nothing is more rewarding than learning. However, building the habit of being a lifelong learner can be difficult, and the sheer amount of resources available today can be overwhelming. Fortunately, a bit of dedication can go a long way toward putting you on the path to expanding your knowledge and becoming more intellectually enlightened. Here are three ways to continue expanding your knowledge.

Earn an Online Degree

Unstructured learning resources can be excellent, but nothing can fully replace the structure that comes with earning a degree. Thanks to online learning resources, earning a degree has never been more accessible. From community colleges to some of the most well-known universities, online educational opportunities are plentiful and convenient. Furthermore, the cost of online education programs tends to be far lower than their in-person counterparts.

Motivation is a challenge when expanding your knowledge, and it can be easy to get lost in the weeds when research a topic on your own. By having assigned reading and projects to complete, you can learn in a planned, tested manner. In addition, tests provide powerful motivation, and being able to prove your knowledge of a subject matter feels empowering. Even if you're satisfied with your current job, online degrees can help you earn more, even if the degree is in an unrelated field. Earning multiple degrees provides you with a vast reservoir of knowledge that can change how you see the world and make you a more desirable employee.

Create Your Own Courses

Wikipedia is perhaps the most impressive source of knowledge the world has ever seen, and relying on Wikipedia and the sources it links to can give you a solid introduction to nearly any subject matter. However, it's easy to get caught opening more and more tabs and getting lost in unrelated articles. Create some structure for your ongoing learning by writing down your goals and studying relevant resources. If a Wikipedia page consistently links to a particular source, consider going to the source directly. Take notes to track your progress, and feel free to modify your goals as you learn more about the material.

In many cases, the best way to learn is to write and to teach. Consider launching a blog to track your progress and share the information you've learned with others. Having a blog makes it easy to review your notes in an organized manner, and it opens up the possibility of building a community with others interested in similar material.

Build a Reading or Study Group

As medical and law students know, study groups are powerful tools for learning complex material. When you're part of a study group, you feel an obligation to meet your group's goals, and you can ask others for help when you're struggling with a topic. Check online and at a local library to find out if there are local groups about the topics you're interested in studying, and find out if people want to meet in person on a regular schedule. If no such group exists, consider asking if anyone else is interested in launching one.

Take a look at online forums and other resources about the topics you're interested in. You may find online study groups already exist, and forums can be a wonderful place to start a virtual study group. Group video chats are a great option, but even meeting in a chat room or having everyone make a weekly forum post on a particular topic can be a great way to spur your continuing learning.

Knowledge is powerful. It shapes how we view the world, and it can open up personal and professional opportunities for growth. We live in an era where there are more options for learning, communicating and building connections than ever before, and those who take advantage of these opportunities can ensure they never stop learning.