Abraham Lincoln once said, "I don't have a very good opinion of a man who isn't wiser today than he was yesterday." This quote offers the premise for saying that learning is a daily adventure that we face for a lifetime. Education doesn't stop just because school is out. Truly efficient people have not become efficient by sitting, but by dedicating themselves to constantly learning and competing with themselves to grow and educate themselves day by day. By making a commitment to learn something new every day you will not only appreciate your discoveries, but you will also be able to apply your knowledge and become a teacher for future generations.
Steps
Step 1. Learn to learn
Determine which learning style (s) you prefer. Find out which techniques are most effective for you and use them as much as possible, for example by watching educational videos on the internet that you find on sites like YouTube, in case you are more prone to visual learning.
Most people learn using several methods, but prefer one or two. Use your attitudes to your advantage
Step 2. Find out what your skills and interests are
Try different things, so that you don't lock yourself in the belief that you are good at only a few. You probably have several skills, but you won't be able to know until you put them to the test.
Be wary of past memories that tell you to stay away from certain things. This attitude, if taken to the extreme, can prevent you from trying a host of new experiences. As you grow up, you develop greater experience, coordination, responsiveness and confidence that one experience cannot teach you; you can, however, dedicate yourself to learning again from one you have already had. For example, if you had a bad experience riding a horse when you were young, avoiding getting back into the saddle now that you are more mature and peaceful you may miss the opportunity to take a once in a lifetime excursion. Or, as a young man you may have hated certain sports, flavors or activities due to your lack of experience, strength or maturity. These are all things that change as you grow, develop and adapt to new environments. Be careful not to let experiences like these preclude you from opportunities
Step 3. See learning as an exploration and an opportunity, not a chore
Don't force yourself to learn things just because they are important and necessary. Instead, learn out of necessity and, together, out of love. Follow your heart, as well as your sense of duty. Do you remember the story that you had to study in school and that you hated so much, with all those names and dates that seemed to mean nothing? The purpose was to make you learn details that would later allow you to piece together different bits of information. At the time it was a tedious task, which today, however, takes on significance.
Even when you learn out of duty, as in the case of vocational training, try to go beyond what is required of you. Look at the history, the case studies and the different applications, to make your learning experience much more complete
Step 4. Learn the basics
It can be a tedious job at times, but if you learn a few principles of mathematics and natural science, you will be able to remember, connect and understand all kinds of complex concepts through a relatively small number of rather simple bricks. Later you can consider precise formulas and small notions, but the fundamental concepts, if you learn them by heart, will do most of the work and save you a great deal of time, which otherwise would have to be spent in constant consultation. To enjoy comprehensive presentations provided by renowned professors and experts, turn to some OpenCourseWare (the educational material published online by a university), scientific television programs and lectures offered by iTunes University.
- Combine learning the basics with fun, for example through intellectual games and hobbies. Don't reduce their frequency to the point of forgetting what came first in a given sequence: a lesson, or even a half, every one or two days might be a good pace. Get a list of universities and institutes that offer free or affordable courses.
- If you find complex math in itself particularly counterintuitive, you can try to learn things that put it into practice. Without seeing the applications, it is difficult to understand what concepts you need to understand a computational problem.
- Read books written by people who have had a hard time with the basics of math, science, or other topics, but who have managed to find shortcuts without giving up. Their learning methods may help you improve yours.
Step 5. Read, read, read
Make friends at the local library and among new and used book dealers. Reading represents access to other worlds and to the minds of human beings. By practicing reading you will never stop learning and you will be amazed by the incredible creativity, intelligence and, yes, also by the banality of mankind. Wise people always read a lot of books - it's really as easy as it sounds. Reading will also help you learn about the discoveries and mistakes of those who preceded you: in fact, it is a shortcut that saves you from learning the hard way.
- Read books of all kinds. Being a crime fan shouldn't stop you from indulging in non-fiction from time to time. Don't put limits on yourself.
- Recognize the educational value of whatever you read. Nonfiction, of course, provides us with lessons on the topics covered. Fiction, free from such constraints, can teach you a lot about good writing, storytelling, vocabulary, and human nature in general. Furthermore, it will tell you a lot about the customs, morals, thoughts and habits of the period in which it was written; fiction readers are also said to be more understanding than those who don't read it, because it teaches us to interact in society.
- Newspapers, magazines, manuals and comics represent various forms of reading. Likewise, so are websites, blogs, reviews and other sources of online information.
Step 6. Expand your definition of learning
If you still don't know it, take a look at the theory of multiple intelligences. Consider how it fits you and what areas you can improve on.
- Perfect your skills. Are you good at fly fishing? Do you get along well with computers? To teach? Playing the saxophone? Hone these skills and take them to the next level.
- Try new things, whether or not they belong to your areas of expertise.
Step 7. Do things that are not within your aptitude
As an adult, your best teacher may be your own experience. Whether you're in paid work or volunteering, focus on a project or play around with whatever catches your attention, try a lot and see the results. Apply these same results to other aspects of your life to increase the value of what you have learned. You never know when you will make a providential discovery as a result of your innovative observations and approaches.
Step 8. Create
Not all knowledge comes from outside. In fact, some of the most powerful manifest themselves when you create or conceive something for yourself. Creation, like intelligence, can take on an artistic or scientific, physical or intellectual, social or solitary character. Look for different means and methods and perfect the ones you like best.
Step 9.
Observe.
Look at your world more closely, examining both the usual and the unusual. Also, look at it from different points of view. For example, you are likely to react differently to news that comes from a friend rather than a country.
- React to what you observe, pay attention and examine your own reaction.
- Be aware; if you find it difficult to observe things long enough, consider meditating. It will help you learn to see things you haven't noticed since you were a child.
Step 10. Attend courses, both official and unofficial
No matter how zealous you are as a self-taught, there are topics that are best learned with the help of a teacher. Remember that a teacher can be found in a classroom, but also in an office, a neighbor's garage, a shop, a restaurant, or a taxi. He could also be a mentor or some kind of guide in your life, like a spiritual teacher or a counselor.
Many of the best universities in the world provide free videos and teaching materials for their courses on the internet, such as the "Open CourseWare" project. With its hundreds of courses, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology makes a significant contribution. You can also make use of iTunes University, which can be accessed through a computer or portable electronic device
Step 11. Ask questions
Asking the right questions can be more important than having the answers and can turn virtually anyone into a teacher. Make sure you listen carefully and understand the answers.
- It can happen that an answer is difficult to understand. Feel free to take notes, ask other questions, and break the answer down into multiple elements in an attempt to make sense of it. Address your favorite learning style: if, for example, you find it easier to understand something through drawings, make some.
- Keep a journal or notebook to keep track of what you learn and the questions to ask. Questions can teach you as much or even more than the answers. A diary or notebook can also be used to record your progress.
Step 12. Examine and reflect on what you learn
Does what you learned make sense? It is true? Who said that? How did this conclusion come about? Can it be verified? Is it a logical, valuable and pertinent argument or consideration?
Read the articles How to Improve Critical Thinking and How to Develop Critical Thinking Skills for more ideas on how to evaluate what you are learning
Step 13. Practice what you learn
This is the best way to test it, and it will help you assimilate it more fully and keep it longer in your memory. It will also help you discover weaknesses and strengths present in your learning, which is how we advance the body of human knowledge. Who knows what you might be on the verge of discovering, unraveling, or connecting?
Step 14. Teach others
Teaching is a great way to improve your knowledge and understanding of a topic. If you are not a teacher, you can spread your knowledge by writing an article on WikiHow, which you and other contributors can return to improve in the future, or answer the questions that are asked in a discussion forum.
Joseph Joubert once said: "To teach is to learn twice." As you teach others to learn, you will find that you yourself will learn more than your pupils. Not only will you need to have assimilated your subject matter, but you will also need to satisfy the inquisitive minds of your students and extend your understanding beyond what you have considered, to the point of knowing how to answer every question that is asked of you
Advice
- Test yourself. Read college notes, take academic-grade tests, listen to college lectures, etc.
- Learn something for pure love of knowledge. Get a knowledge just because it is there, like a mountain to climb. Explore freely. Learn concepts and be self-taught.
- Do what works best for you. Life isn't a dress rehearsal, so make the most of it.
- Another good way to learn is to find other people who are dedicated to your subject matter or who already have a good understanding of it. Just being in their midst and having conversation will take you much farther than the study you can conduct in solitude.
- Leave perfectionism behind. Experiment, make mistakes and ask silly questions. If you wait to know everything, you will wait a long time.
- Sleep, exercise, and eat right. Your overall health will have a significant influence on the effectiveness of your learning ability.
- Have fun. Fun is a very important part of learning, especially for adults. Makes a significant contribution to your motivation.
- Keep an open mind. Some of the greatest advances in science, mathematics and art (but not only) have arisen from questioning common beliefs and being open to unusual results and new and different ways of doing things. Also, do not assume that you are unable to contribute simply because you are not an expert or because "it's not your field". Often, people outside a discipline but educated, enthusiastic and observant can see connections, gaps and new ways of progressing that escape those who are deeply immersed in their profession or field of expertise.
