Self-Education

[Lifeisamazing]

Most people who are in college don't really do any studying except for what they are told to do in school. Is that a good strategy to become really good at something?

I went to one university for a year, then to another for a year, and then decided to drop out, because a) nobody was passionate about what they studied, b) I didn't get any practical knowledge. With my first year off, so far I have done a lot of networking and focused on getting better at training and consulting people. I feel I have progressed a lot more in a few months than I would have if I spent time getting a degree.

I'm a huge fan of self-education. Self-education is about applied knowledge. People who educate themselves don't absorb information they don't need and that's the biggest plus compared to wasting time for formal education.

What kind of strategies do you use to educate yourself and get better at something you love to do?

[Andrew Gubb]

The education system, with its culture of obligation, actually destroys any self-directed impulse to study. The idea is you let go and have someone else tell you what to do. Then you don't need to think or take responsibility yourself.

Hey, it works for some, but I wish they'd call it what it is: BDSM.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

Hey, it works for some, but I wish they'd call it what it is: BDSM.

Yes, I wonder how many people into BDSM were given corporal punishment on a regular basis at school? We start to like what we become used to.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Andrew Gubb

The education system, with its culture of obligation, actually destroys any self-directed impulse to study. The idea is you let go and have someone else tell you what to do. Then you don't need to think or take responsibility yourself.

Hey, it works for some, but I wish they'd call it what it is: BDSM.

It does make things very easy: You don't have to think what to do, you are just given orders.

Anyway, how do you study on your own then?

[taylor]

If you have enough self-discipline or curiosity to learn on your own that's great and you'll learn much more quickly than school typically if you have that personality. I would skip class and do my own thing as often as possible even while I went to school. Also the whole networking thing is a great practice as well.

However, two downsides to watch out for:

1. It's not what you know it's what you can prove you know.

Most people go to school for a degree with good reason -- that's how employers screen job candidates. It doesn't matter what all you know if your resume gets thrown out instantly because you don't meet the minimum requirements. Now, some employers might be okay with a non-graduate if you can display that you're better qualified than a degree holder, but these are rarer and you're starting out with a large disadvantage even with them. If you're serious about not going to school, focus on building tangible experience and knowledge. Give them something to show for all your time spent.

2. Self-education is often sloppy rather than structured.

An upside to self-education is that you can let your curiosity and interest lead you, but this can also be a downside as you end up not learning some of the boring subjects you would have had to learn with a structured degree plan. Many of those boring subjects are on the degree plan for a reason: you need to know them.

As far as strategies for learning: organize the information as you're learning it, review everything you learn, spaced repetition, practice practice practice, scenario training (try to simulate what you'll be using the knowledge for), and try to choose projects that require the desired information to be able to finish.

"An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field." - Niels Bohr

[Beingist]

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

What kind of strategies do you use to educate yourself and get better at something you love to do?

I've always been autodidactic. Benjamin Franklin was an autodidact.

As an autodidact, I have no specific strategy. While no strategy may itself be a strategy, I think that not having a strategy is one of the fundamental characteristics of an autodidact.

[Lifeisamazing]

Taylor, thanks a lot for sharing the wisdom!

Originally Posted by taylor

1. It's not what you know it's what you can prove you know.

Isn't a great personal online brand a much better way to prove you know something? That includes a blog/website, social networking profiles, contributions for other online sites, quality network, real life results.

How much does a degree really show if pretty much everyone is "required" a degree? Want to become a janitor? Do you have bachelor's degree?

Originally Posted by taylor

2. Self-education is often sloppy rather than structured.

I think this is a big argument. I try to put together a good learning system for myself that takes into account my learning style, quality resources, and real life application. But this system never gets fully complete, it gets better and better.

[taylor]

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

Taylor, thanks a lot for sharing the wisdom!



Isn't a great personal online brand a much better way to prove you know something? That includes a blog/website, social networking profiles, contributions for other online sites, quality network, real life results.

How much does a degree really show if pretty much everyone is "required" a degree? Want to become a janitor? Do you have bachelor's degree?

That's exactly the kind of thing you want to do. Build something tangible you can show off as proof of expertise. I can't show an employer all of the books on business I've read, but I can show him the business I made with that knowledge.

You seem like a bright and logical person. This can have its drawbacks. Don't assume people are as bright and logical as you. Many people are going to think "No degree. Durr.. he's not as smart as suzy who has a degree in marketing. Durr." I'm serious, they will. I know many managers will screen you on this fact and there's no wiggle room in their minds. Depending on your chosen field (more traditional or credential based the harder it will be) you might have success hustling your way in, but it's going to take extra strategy and effort than what most people do.

Here's an idea. Try firing off some resumes with what you honestly expect to accomplish and see the response rate from employers. Then you can judge for yourself how market ready you will be as a product. This can also give you solid feedback about what employers are looking for so that you can tailor your skills to fit those needs.

Also, you might like the book "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 37.0" or whatever number they're on now. Many of those ideas sound likely to fit in well with your current strategy.

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

I think this is a big argument. I try to put together a good learning system for myself that takes into account my learning style, quality resources, and real life application. But this system never gets fully complete, it gets better and better.

Excellent! And you always learn more by doing than just reading. Experience > words.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

It does make things very easy: You don't have to think what to do, you are just given orders.

Anyway, how do you study on your own then?

Not that hard... just get reading. You could buy college textbooks which contain all the info you'd get in college anyway... and just read them. 10,000$ or so dollars saved just there for the same product.

I actually prefer to read online or to get specific books (usually not wordy, pretentious textbooks) about what I want to learn. The best thing is you don't have shoved down your throat the exact curriculum you have to learn. You either have a goal which needs knowledge, or simple curiosity, both of which probably need a lot less raw facts than you'd be cramming in a few years of college. The 80/20 rule here, or in this case, the 99/1 rule.

[Mariana Trench]

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

It does make things very easy: You don't have to think what to do, you are just given orders.

Anyway, how do you study on your own then?

I voraciously devour whatever I'm curious about, and then talk about it in order to challenge my perceptions and get a deeper understanding than simple memorization. I've virtually done this instead of high school, and I feel it's served me much better than anything else could have.

Originally Posted by taylor

2. Self-education is often sloppy rather than structured.

An upside to self-education is that you can let your curiosity and interest lead you, but this can also be a downside as you end up not learning some of the boring subjects you would have had to learn with a structured degree plan. Many of those boring subjects are on the degree plan for a reason: you need to know them.

I don't think this is a valid criticism. Define need. If you need to know something, you will learn it, because you need to do things with it, right?

If it's a matter of deepening your understanding of your field, then, honestly, it seems curiosity would lead one there.

If I haven't addressed something you're thinking of, perhaps an example would make your point.

As far as strategies for learning: organize the information as you're learning it, review everything you learn, spaced repetition, practice practice practice, scenario training (try to simulate what you'll be using the knowledge for), and try to choose projects that require the desired information to be able to finish.

Those seem like good way to learn information in a structured program, but honestly, I only use the last two. Even when I was still more than technically in school I learned more on my own.

[Clint Cora]

The threads about college and university are interesting on this forum, particularly as I'm just headed into a time period where I'm actually going to a few universities (in both Canada and the USA) as a keynote speaker. I personally think that college has value but one must see through the official courses for the most benefit. I like self education and do not see college and self education as mutually exclusive.

College teaches one to research efficiently, some discipline in studying as well as commitment if one goes through the three or four years to earn a degree. Then with a degree, it certainly doesn't hurt since it's a sign that one has something to show for.

However, other extremely valuable benefits can be derived from time at college which in my mind can be even more important than the actual courses. The social interaction skills for example are gold if one can develop them while on campus. It teaches many students some valuable lessons since college is often the first time they are away from home.

As one learns the research and study skills at college, one can then go on to do even more efficient self education. In many cases, the real education about life starts after graduation.

Now can all of these skills be developed without college? Of course but at least with time on campus, college can be a good venue to be in to develop such skills.

Although I didn't particularly like my time on campus, I also realize that I didn't approach university the right way. I took the experience too much on face value with just the courses. I now realize that my time would have been much richer if I had only got involved in my campus activities.

Having said this, I don't regret getting my two degrees. Even though I don't remember much of what I took in the courses, my degrees did help me get into the door of a long and lucrative corporate career. The couple of years I spent at university certainly do not look like a real long investment in time in comparison to the number of working years I'll spend in my life.

I have the rest of my life for self education.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Mariana Trench

I voraciously devour whatever I'm curious about, and then talk about it in order to challenge my perceptions and get a deeper understanding than simple memorization. I've virtually done this instead of high school, and I feel it's served me much better than anything else could have.

I have seriously never understood the memorization idea, even though school was only about memorizing material. I never try to memorize anything, I just think about how I can use the knowledge in my own life.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Clint Cora

College teaches one to research efficiently, some discipline in studying as well as commitment if one goes through the three or four years to earn a degree.

This is valuable and necessary for some but pointless for others. If you love personal development, you need little discipline.

Originally Posted by Clint Cora

However, other extremely valuable benefits can be derived from time at college which in my mind can be even more important than the actual courses. The social interaction skills for example are gold if one can develop them while on campus. It teaches many students some valuable lessons since college is often the first time they are away from home.

You can indeed meet great people in college, but I met only one who I have co-worked with on something, and I really like that person. Most of college interaction is done drinking, not my kind of interactions.

The arguments above are all decent arguments, but they are not a deal-breaker if you think for yourself and network hard.

Originally Posted by Clint Cora

I have the rest of my life for self education.

True and that's great, but we are always looking for effectiveness. How can we do things better? The main things is college is not for everyone, some people just dislike being there, but they never do anything about it because of fear of failing in life.

[taylor]

Originally Posted by Mariana Trench

I don't think this is a valid criticism. Define need. If you need to know something, you will learn it, because you need to do things with it, right?

If it's a matter of deepening your understanding of your field, then, honestly, it seems curiosity would lead one there.

I dunno. I'm pursuing entrepreneurship which I find an interesting way to make a living. However, in school I intentionally studied something I find uninteresting, actually the most uninteresting of my broad field. I studied accounting because I knew it's so boring that I wouldn't really learn it unless some external system forced me to. It's a critical piece to any advanced business education, but it's not very compelling stuff.

The things you're curious and interested in you'll of course learn no matter what. It's those needed subjects you find dull that you have to make sure you don't skimp on. Whatever those are for your specific field.

[cheesedip1]

Yeah, I always try to learn a lot in my free time. College is okay, but sometimes I think the knowledge isn't always helpful. (input sad face here)

[cheesedip1]

Okay, I was being generous. Most of the time, unless you are actually going into that field, all the general education classes are a waste of time, to me.

It's like pulling teeth when I'm attempting english, or algebra.

[taylor]

Originally Posted by cheesedip1

Okay, I was being generous. Most of the time, unless you are actually going into that field, all the general education classes are a waste of time, to me.

It's like pulling teeth when I'm attempting english, or algebra.

Self-actualization baby! It's the only way to learn. Pour yourself 100% into whatever you're studying no matter how stupid. You're stuck in class anyway. May as well do your best and enjoy yourself. I made really good grades, learned a lot and enjoyed all my classes this way.

[Bongza]

Through self education I have made in real estate business and I did not know anything at all, but I had to buy books and downloading ebooks from the net and my principal is always surprised when I ask questions.

Anyway I am still going to do certificate in real estate in order to register myself with the board of realtors.

[Shift]

There was a good article in the paper a few days ago about how our futures depend on our skills and experience. Self-education is already extremely important, and it's great to see that a lot of people are clueing in.

It definitely brings up the question of whether or not college/university is worth it. I wouldn't want a self-educated doctor or nurse, but I wouldn't oppose to buying from a self-educated entrepreneur or a self-educated landscaper.

I think college is worthwhile if you take a holistic approach. Make your education a part of your life, not so much something that you do between the hours of 8AM-5PM. Make yourself valuable and you should be fine.

Originally Posted by taylor

I'm pursuing entrepreneurship which I find an interesting way to make a living. However, in school I intentionally studied something I find uninteresting, actually the most uninteresting of my broad field. I studied accounting because I knew it's so boring that I wouldn't really learn it unless some external system forced me to. It's a critical piece to any advanced business education, but it's not very compelling stuff.

I think this is a great strategy. I've unconsciously been doing this myself with certain subjects, like marketing. I tried studying marketing for years and when I finally took a course, it clicked. Currently, it's my favourite subject.

[stevebrule]

Originally Posted by taylor

1. It's not what you know it's what you can prove you know.

Most people go to school for a degree with good reason -- that's how employers screen job candidates. It doesn't matter what all you know if your resume gets thrown out instantly because you don't meet the minimum requirements.

To some extent this is only true in the corporate world. In the freelance world -- writing, design, coding, you name it -- official credentials are rarely a prerequesite.

As long as you have the skills, and the samples to prove it, you can find work.

Freelance work is a great option for self-learners with no official credentials in the field they want to work in. This doesn't apply to all skills, obviously, but you would be surprised how succesful people can be with self-taught skills.

[NoJobRob]

I love self education. I've been to college too, and did very well, but if I'm not interested in something enough to learn about it on my own, then what's the point in learning it? I'm sure there are exceptions to that, but I've molded my life in such a way that it allows me to learn what I want and ignore everything else. I think that's good for me though because I'm not the kind of person who knows a little about a lot, rather, I like to know everything in a few specialized areas. My passions are music, ancient history, and the financial markets. The first gives me a way to artistically express myself in many ways, the second feeds my need to dig deep into our world's history and have hours of fascinating reading filled with wonder and intrigue, and the last pays the bills and secures my future. All three of these things I've taught/studied myself.

College does have its uses though, but with how expensive it is now, I'd only seriously consider going if I knew exactly what i wanted to do, and stood a chance of getting a job in that field. There are of course benefits to college, but they vary from person to person. I went to a very good high school with great teachers, and when I got to college I felt kind of let down. It was like "This it it?" Whereas others who went to so-so or poor high schools probably got a lot more out of it because their earlier years weren't put to as good of use. This isn't meant to sound judgmental or anything, it's just the way it is. There's a lot of really really crappy schools out there that don't adequately prepare their students for college. Their valedictorians are at the same level as the average kids from good schools.

[Kinsington]

I believe "Self Education" is a misnomer. How can you educate yourself? If you could, you would already have that knowledge, so you couldn't teach it to yourself.

There's only two ways of learning (that I can see). Listening to, or reading something by someone else. And experiencing something first hand (often after reading about it by someone else).

[Hennessey]

I think what they're referring to is living life like a journey, which I feel is the way it's supposed to be lived. Instead of jamming tons of information into your head, that you don't require at the present, you administer the information to yourself as you require it. People that go to college are basically building a bomb shelter in their head, filling it with things that they don't need at the present but may need down the road. The problem I have with that is, stuff goes bad sitting unused in a shelter, and then when you need it you got to go rediscover it anyway so whats the point? The only practical use of college was using it on a resume, as an accomplishment. But if you look at the unemployment rate of college graduates or better yet the ones working in their field of study, it might make you think twice of it's practical application. It's always good for networking though, but you can always just go to the college bar for free!

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Kinsington

I believe "Self Education" is a misnomer. How can you educate yourself? If you could, you would already have that knowledge, so you couldn't teach it to yourself.

There's only two ways of learning (that I can see). Listening to, or reading something by someone else. And experiencing something first hand (often after reading about it by someone else).

You actually make a good point that "self-education" is a bad word to describe what we are talking about here. Maybe terms like informal education and life education would fit here better.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Hennessey

I think what they're referring to is living life like a journey, which I feel is the way it's supposed to be lived. Instead of jamming tons of information into your head, that you don't require at the present, you administer the information to yourself as you require it. People that go to college are basically building a bomb shelter in their head, filling it with things that they don't need at the present but may need down the road. The problem I have with that is, stuff goes bad sitting unused in a shelter, and then when you need it you got to go rediscover it anyway so whats the point? The only practical use of college was using it on a resume, as an accomplishment. But if you look at the unemployment rate of college graduates or better yet the ones working in their field of study, it might make you think twice of it's practical application. It's always good for networking though, but you can always just go to the college bar for free!

Exactly!

Arguments for going to college generally are these: gaining knowledge, getting something to put on a resume, and networking. But we can actually achieve all of these things without formal education as well or even better than with formal education.

The biggest problem is that some employers might have a really inflexible mindset with regard to formal education. That would mean a very small chance of getting to work for him unless you became a good friend with him somehow. But think about it, would you really want to work for someone who places formal education above skills and real-life knowledge? I wouldn't.

[Alen]

Nice thread guys!

(1) The problem is that the formal education doesn't give you everything you need. For example: self-confidence methods, eye contact power, gratitude, philosophy, business, etc.
Formal education is to narrow to give you everything you need.

(2) The solution is that you learn on your own. Read a book, listen to a speech, etc. This way you can get the knowledge you need.

What I see as important is that you read books from people who are successful in a field you are interested in. Don't read a book of theoretical king. Take someone who has done it.

And the most important thing is to implement and focusing on the knowledge. Take what you've learned and implement it. I suggest 30 days challenges. For example: If you have just read a book about the power of eye contact, take 30 days and train that. Your challenge is, that when you make an eye contact you never look away first.

The good idea is also not to over read. To read too much. Take a book that you like and study it for a month. In the mean time also do a 30 day challenge. If you read to much material you don't implement anything.

Learn from successful people, implement and focus.

[juriggs]

I personally use goal setting as a tool to help me structure my self learning. It helps me stay organized and motivated, and it gives me a record to look back on on those days when I'm feeling like I haven't accomplished much lately.

[Clint Cora]

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

The biggest problem is that some employers might have a really inflexible mindset with regard to formal education. That would mean a very small chance of getting to work for him unless you became a good friend with him somehow. But think about it, would you really want to work for someone who places formal education above skills and real-life knowledge? I wouldn't.

You got that right there. The other thing about employers is that they feel that those who went to college survived their exams. In self education, one doesn't necessarily have to go through tests, exams and essays that access how much one learned. So this could be another reason why employers put emphasis on degrees.

I think overall if you are going into a specialized trade or become a business owner, you could probably get away with self education. However, the reality is that not everyone in this world is cut out to be self employed.

The vast majority of people will still opt to be employees for some company. I was discussing this very issue with the faculty staff member who brought me to the University of South Carolina to do a talk this past week. We both noticed that although the value of a degree may not be that great in many cases anymore, those without one will find themselves in a situation where they just can't compete in the job market anymore for progressive positions.

When all other candidates for a progressive position have degrees and you do not, you will likely not be called for an interview. Again, if self employment is your goal, then this won't be an issue. Just hope that you never have to be in a position where you want to change your career focus and become employed, at least for a progressive corporate position.