I was having dinner with some friends a couple months ago and we were talking about how we only have one semester left before we graduate from college. One of them looked disappointed and said something that caught my attention: “I’m really going to miss learning.”

I didn’t respond at first because I was trying to process this statement. What did she mean exactly? Did she think graduation was the cut-off point for learning? That after graduation we wouldn’t constantly be exposed to new information and experiences?

I am writing to let you know: graduation is not the end of learning. Learning does not only happen in the classroom. Learning is not just reading a textbook or listening to a lecture.

Learning is gaining knowledge. Learning is gaining skills. Learning is experiencing life.

We spend a quarter of our lives in school. It makes sense to see graduation as the light at the end of the tunnel—the finish line. Of course, we all want that diploma and want to be able to say “I did it!” But it’s important to understand that learning is a life-long journey. It begins at a young age and continues throughout the course of our lives.

When I was younger, I used to think that graduation meant buying a pantsuit and a briefcase and finding a full-time job that I hopefully enjoy. Now it means something completely different to me. The opportunities are endless.

You can go to graduate school and get your master’s degree. You can continue the journey of sitting in a classroom and absorbing information like a sponge. Grad school allows you to gain in-depth knowledge in a certain area.

You can get multiple certificates. No matter what field you’re interested in entering, you can get a certificate to learn more about something you’re interested in. This really adds to your resume and allows you to gain new skills without having to repeat college.

You can sign up for night classes. Have you ever wanted to learn how to paint? Have you ever wanted to learn how to speak Italian? Have you ever wanted to learn how to kickbox? You can take these courses at a junior college near you. You can even watch YouTube videos or download the Duo Lingo app to gain these new skills.

You can take online courses and learn more about a subject that you’re interested in. Want to work in a field that has nothing to do with your major? Take some online courses and learn more about what interests you. Online courses are flexible with your schedule and can easily be accessed on the go.

Have you ever heard of Coursera? It’s an education-focused technology company that offers online courses to everyone. You can learn a new skill in four to six weeks and even earn a course certificate. These are priced at about $29-$99. Coursera even offers specializations and online degrees.

You can also learn a great deal from reading. I’m not just talking about textbooks—I have learned some really great life lessons from autobiographies. I have learned about art from books on Dali, Van Gogh, Monet, etc. I have read books on fashion, photography, architecture and more. I have also learned a lot about entrepreneurship and how to be a strong leader from articles on LinkedIn.

You will also continue to learn in your career. No matter what job you get after graduation, you’ll train and develop news skills or improve current ones. You will learn about different company structures and cultures. You will continue to better yourself and will learn from the people around you.

And don’t forget one of the best forms of learning: traveling. Travel as much as you can while you’re still young. You will gain new perspectives and see different ways of living. It’s so important to step outside of your bubble that you were raised in and embrace the world around you. There is so much to see and so much to do.

Continue to learn. Continue to better yourself. Continue to experience life.

Graduation is simply the closing of one chapter and the opening of the next.