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The one habit you need for the future: Bill Gates

BEIJING, CHINA - NOVEMBER 21: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Chairman Bill Gates speaks during 2019 New Economy Forum at China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE) on November 21, 2019 in Beijing, China. 2019 New Economy Forum themed on 'A new community for the new economy' is held on November 20-22 in Beijing. (Photo by Hou Yu/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Chairman Bill Gates speaks during 2019 New Economy Forum at China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE) on November 21, 2019 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Hou Yu/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

If there’s one thing that should never change, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says you should never stop learning.

Speaking to his alma mater Lakeside School in Seattle last year, Gates was asked: "What do today's students need to know to thrive in 2030 and 2040?"

"For the curious learner, these are the best of times because your ability to constantly refresh your knowledge with either podcasts or lectures that are online is better than ever," Gates said.

The coronavirus crisis has seen a huge increase in appetite for upskilling courses, with some LinkedIn Learning courses seeing an eye-watering 10,925 per cent increase in growth.

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During the height of the pandemic, several online learning platforms were offering content for discounted prices or completely free for a period of time.

According to Gates, students should have a basic foundation of knowledge; and the subjects history, science and economics would be particularly useful.

Not only that, but students will have to be armed and prepared for technological changes and challenges.

“During the decades ahead, the digital revolution will surprise us,” he said, adding that technology such as artificial intelligence will move to unexpected frontiers.

“A key metric is that sense of self-confidence as a learner, a willingness to keep learning and then foundational knowledge, ideally including the sciences."

Gates is well-known for being an avid reader.

“Reading books is my favorite way to learn about a new topic,” he wrote in a 2016 blog post.

“I’ve been reading about a book a week on average since I was a kid. Even when my schedule is out of control, I carve out a lot of time for reading.”

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