This research explores the influence of flexible learning on the enhancement of life skills among students enrolled in Arabic language departments within Colleges of Islamic Sciences in Iraq. A quasi-experimental methodology was adopted, comprising a sample of 92 students who were randomly allocated into two equal groups: an experimental group (n = 46) exposed to flexible learning approaches, and a control group (n = 46) taught through conventional instructional methods. The evaluation of life skills encompassed four key areas: self-awareness, problem-solving, leadership, and ethical decision-making. Statistical procedures, including the t-test and Eta squared calculations, indicated statistically significant improvements in favour of the experimental group. The effect sizes were notably large, with Eta squared values recorded at 0.19 for self-awareness, 0.52 for problem-solving, 0.22 for leadership, and 0.26 for ethical decision-making. These results demonstrate that flexible learning considerably contributes to the advancement of essential life skills. The study advocates for the broader adoption of flexible learning frameworks to foster holistic student development. It also recommends extending the scope of investigation to encompass additional academic disciplines and incorporating longitudinal and qualitative methodologies to more comprehensively assess the sustained and contextual effects of flexible learning. Future inquiries should further examine the contextual variables that shape learning outcomes and undertake comparative analyses of flexible versus traditional teaching practices to clarify their respective impacts.