I have a seminar that meets on Sundays at 5 p.m. I’m the only student enrolled in it. The professor and I spend most of it talking, and she asks a lot of questions. Though we cover different topics each week, the format is largely the same: an icebreaker about our days, a debate about current events and, to end it, some lighthearted conversation about sports. It’s not rigorous, but I have still learned a lot. The professor is my grandma.
Admittedly, I used to skip LIFE 101 too often. But for the past few years, my attendance has been stellar — and both my grandma and I have both benefitted from it. I have learned wisdom that only someone older than me could impart, and she has gained much-needed company on cold, gray days in the Chicago suburbs. We talk for only one hour, but it makes our entire weeks better.
Though everyone has a different relationship with their family, the vast majority of us would also benefit from calling our grandparents more often. So take this column as an order: Call them.
It’s a cliche that the elderly are wiser, and research shows that it is only sometimes true. It is undeniable, however, that they are more experienced, which makes them uniquely equipped to offer practical life advice. For every disagreement you’ve had with a friend, your grandparent has had 50; for every rough day you’ve faced, they have endured a hundred. While your grandparents may not always handle these situations better, simply hearing about their experiences and reactions can help you navigate your own challenges.
Even if their advice does not end up being helpful, asking for it is still worthwhile; in fact, calling your grandparents is one of the best things you can do for their health. Sharing advice and “grandparenting” gives older people a sense of purpose and keeps their memory and cognitive abilities sharp. Additionally, almost a third of older Americans feel lonely and isolated. The health implications are frightening: Social isolation is associated with a 50% increase in dementia risk, a 32% increase in the risk of stroke and a 29% increase in the risk of heart disease. A one-hour call can meaningfully reduce these feelings of loneliness and, in turn, could ward off health issues.
But the best reason to call is simple: It’s fun. Few people will be as genuinely interested in your life as your grandparents are. My grandma makes me painstakingly recount everything that happened over the past week. She asks what I ate in the dining hall (and makes sure I had enough). She takes careful notes on who my friends are and what they’re up to. Whenever I travel, she asks me for photos and tells me that I could have a future as a photographer (believe me, I do not). She cuts out articles from the Chicago Tribune that I might be interested in and gives them to me when I come home.
After debriefing your personal life, it’s fascinating to trade perspectives on the past and the present with your grandparents. Some of them have lived through wars, sweeping technological change and political upheaval. Sure, you can read about these things on your own, but talking to someone who experienced them makes the history feel immediate and real. After I watched a documentary about World War II, I asked my grandma what she remembered from that time. She told me about her brother fighting in the war and the shock of visiting him at his military base in the segregated American South.
The exchange goes both ways. Just as I listen closely to her stories, she listens with the same intensity when I explain parts of the modern world with which she is less familiar. I set up Spotify on her iPad and slowly went through the steps to create a playlist. I once showed her how to use ChatGPT. The last time we talked, I tried to explain prediction markets.
I’m sure some of you talk to your grandparents often. But if this is not the case, I implore you: Please go on your mental “Courses@Brown” and at least add LIFE 101 with your grandparents to your primary cart. The syllabus is unique: historical perspectives, personal advice and a lot of talking about yourself. It’s an easy A — the professor loves you and just wants to hear your voice.
Ben Aizenberg ‘26 can be reached at benjamin_aizenberg@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
