Self-education is the new standard and strategic way to learn. It does not imply traditional methods and curriculums; instead, it is a self-driven approach to learning something new and exciting. Since the global pandemic has reshaped almost every aspect of life, it eventually had the most significant impact on education. Students on any stage, including secondary, higher-secondary, under or postgraduate, now seek new ways to make their learning journey smooth.

Fortunately, given the technological advancements of our era, especially the internet, students worldwide were able to continue their education despite lockdowns. Self-learning doesn’t only help acquire academic knowledge but is the most effective method to learn practical skills without relying on other resources/institutes.

It is essential to understand that self-education does not mean internet surfing, reading tons of books, or going through success stories. Instead, it is a challenging journey where everything needs to be self-organized. Otherwise, this remarkable skill can go to waste instantly.

Now, let’s discuss eight tips that can make your self-learning ride exciting:

Find a purpose and prepare to learn

Self-education appropriately initiates and meets expectations when there is a purpose to fulfill. Once you decide to self-learn, identify and list down things you are interested in learning/mastering. Do not rush for the available skills and knowledge scattered around but seek your curiosity. Self-assess your capabilities and desire to learn by asking these questions:

• Why do I need to add to my knowledge base?
• What skills best match my interests?
• Will this learning bring any reward in the end?

Determining self-interest is a must before learning anything. Or else it will turn out to be a useless effort that you will eventually never apply in life.

Stay organized

An organized content helps make the learning process efficient and timely. You might love to learn via academic journals, articles, and books. So, instead of hoarding your favorite books or literary works, try using a book catalog to organize the whole reading material. This way, you can manage everything as per your reading preferences.

Remember, since you’re monitoring yourself, no one will reward your performance or punish you if you waste a day. Make a timetable that helps you stay on track and keep a strict check on yourself. Focus on being vigilant about your academic endeavors, given the fruitful results it will bear in the future.

Set a clear goal

Self-made people are distinguishable from the masses after they maneuver a challenging route, facing obstacles, rejections, and failure at times. Their predefined goals act as catalysts to propel their academic journey, leaving no room for distraction. It would help if you followed the same tactic by choosing a destination before setting off on the path.

Maybe you want to learn social media marketing? Or perhaps you plan to become a data analyst? In either case, you need to prioritize the time and content consumption required to achieve the target. The world is full of knowledge, ready to be consumed, and each claim to be beneficial for you. But, ensure not to get distracted with every alluring skill or lucrative career. It’s viable to stick to the target you initially set, or else you will end up reaching a vague point.

Assess learning resources

Internet is updated with an estimated 1.145 trillion MB of data per day, which means we have overwhelming knowledge at our fingertips. But not everything is trustworthy and credible to be consumed. Various things, such as journals or books, might be outdated as per current needs, practices, and standards.

So, ensure to add only the latest and most reliable learning resources to your knowledge bank. A logical way to validate the quality and authenticity of learning resources is to compare them with the latest findings.

Note learning highlights

Take bullet notes of your learning and write them down on a notebook or desktop/mobile notes in the easiest, understandable way. So, whenever you need to revise, it’s available at your fingertips rather than reading and understanding the whole material again. Creating learning highlights also helps motivate and make the learning process much immersive.

Make use of funky sticky notes, doodle diaries, or try using a digital app to maximize your proficiency and productivity.

Apply your learning – self-assessment

After spending a good week or two in in-depth learning, start applying it practically. Try to self-assign yourself with minor tasks. If you’re a business student, check out some case studies online with exercise questions to test your concepts. Or, have a discussion with a friend regarding a topic to determine how well you can address differing opinions and queries. It will not only polish your skill but will help you identify learning gaps.

Do not switch learning resources frequently

There will be moments when you’ll doubt your capabilities of pursuing self-learning, demotivating you from this path. And when you question your judgments in picking out the most reliable and relevant educational material. You might sometimes feel like you can’t judge which subject material or course is more crucial to study. Such instances may lead you to switch between learning resources quite frequently.

Switching between multiple learning platforms or contents takes your journey at scratch again. Going through intros, same course outlines, and exercises will waste a considerable chunk of your time. It will also create a confusing mess in your head. So, it’s viable to stick to a single path after assessing it at the start.

Engage with like-minded community

Self-education is about learning without being dependent on others. Still, it’s also mandatory to discuss what you have learned and cross-question new concepts. Exchange learning experiences and methods that are useful to you. Join relevant social media groups relevant to your field/profession. Note down the tips and information members share on the group and read the latest articles online.

Bottom Line

Undoubtedly, self-education is a path that only resilient and persistent individuals willingly pursue. Nonetheless, given the plethora of learning resources, organizing tools, and research material available these days, self-learning prospects have become reasonably achievable. So, decide the career path you want to set foot into and explore your self-learning capabilities. With a little bit of effort, hard work, and consistency, you’ll eventually attain lucrative results.