The learning never stops - and that's a good thing (it would be boring if you were done at some point).<p>In my case, I finished an M.Sc. in computer science, and really loved all the subjects we were exposed to. When I graduated, I had decided to go back and do a Ph.D. to be able to continue learning about cool stuff.<p>But I worked in industry several years before going back, and loved that too. I quit the Ph.D. program after one year, mostly because I liked working in industry better. And by that time (yes, it took me that long), I had realized that learning doesn't have to take place at school/university. You can keep learning your whole career, which is one of the things I love about being a programmer - it never gets boring.
One thing that certainly helps is online courses like Coursera, Udacity and others.<p>In my case this works wonderfully because I work so much better when there're multiple deadlines for the assignments, instead of a vague end.
I think this is one of the most important things in life-- to keep your curiosity intact. It isn't easy. There are a million organizational forces that will try to discourage you from having it, in their efforts to push everyone into mediocrity, but I <i>think</i> that if you keep your head up a bit and don't lose that spark of creativity, there <i>are</i> rewards at the end of the slog... somewhere, after ups and downs that most people can't tolerate.<p>I enjoy learning at work, especially if working on something no one told me to do. You really gain an appreciation for the value of education when you steal it from a boss.