A critical element in lifelong learning is the self-regulation of motivation to learn. Learners without motivation to learn lack the drive to actively engage with ideas and content, even if they have the ability to learn. Motivation for sustained engagement can be considered a combination of goal-relevant motivation and experience-defined motivation (i.e., the degree of interest in the process; Sansone, 2009; Sansone & Thoman, 2006). Through experience, individuals learn to regulate these two sources of motivation to create more sustained and optimal levels of motivation and engagement. Such regulation leads to more optimal engagement and greater sustained effort, and is critical when considering learning. Given the recent work on lifelong learners and the self-regulation of motivation, experiential education appears well suited to provide experiences that offer optimal engagement and, ultimately, influence motivation for future learning. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to determine the effects of an experiential learning semester on both optimal engagement and orientation toward lifelong learning. (Contains 1 figure.)