6 tips to become an effective self-learner

1. Prepare a study environment — the physical and virtual environment:

An ideal study environment will go a long way in enabling the self-learning process, and in fact, you will enjoy the whole process a lot more in the right surroundings. Whether the place is a study room in your home or a coffee shop, the choice is yours. But it simply must be a space you are comfortable sitting and helps maintain a good posture. Your study material should be easily accessible and also one where there are fewer distractions around. If you have your video game or a phone with social media apps open that you might feel like browsing from time to time — that will be a distraction. This will reduce the learning capacity and effectiveness. Here are some of the things that can be useful to set up a study environment:

1. Arrange your desk/table — sticky notes, pens, notepad, reference books, textbooks and everything you need. You can also personalize the space by putting up a motivational poster, family picture, quotes etc., Clean up clutter and mess, as a clean surrounding will help free your mind.
2. Laptop/tablets/Ipad — Ensure you have all the required tools to support your digital classes/online learning, including a good internet speed.
3. Good lighting and a good posture: Find the best lighting that suits your needs, gloomy corners might not motivate one to study, so is the case with studying while lying down on a bed to learn, hence choose good light and a good chair!
4. Finally, get a cup of coffee — and enjoy your study session!

Photo by Jeff Sheldon on Unsplash

2. Collaboration and Community Learning:

Do you remember as children, we studied in groups before an exam? That made a subject more fun and interesting, and more often we would remember that concept for a longer time than the ones we studied alone?

Now, thanks to the power of the internet there are several learning communities you can join. And based upon the subject of your interest you can look up for relevant communities both online and in the real world.

For instance, let’s say that you want to learn photography skills, you can enroll in classes that teach you the right skills and also join online communities and photography groups to share your work and learn new techniques from other members; Community meetups are another way to interact with people with a similar liking- this also makes learning a whole lot of fun!

3.Setting Goals:

Have you interacted with someone from the Army or a Sportsperson? If you ask them how they are successful in leading a battalion or playing a game, they will tell you how every task or plan they make is made up of goals, and how they break down every goal into deliverables.

As a self-learner you are like an athlete who is to participate in the Olympics — it’s only accomplished because they set a goal during every practice session before they actually go for the finals!

SMART Goals is a well-known technique used to help set your goals

• Specific: Try to be as detailed as possible. Something like “I want to learn English” is a vague goal, but something like “I want to be able to read, write and speak in English” is more specific
• Measurable: One should be able to measure or quantify the progress and set milestones. For instance, “I should be able to read 3 English short stories in 10 days.” will help measure the progress
• Attainable: Being realistic in setting goals will enable you to prioritize the day to day activities, instead of overburdening yourself. Imagine saying “I wish to write and publish an English novel in a year’s time once I learn English.” It may not be practically possible and will reduce the learning rate simply because of the pressure of high ambition.
• Relevant: This step involves reflecting on how much of relevance this goal has in your life and how it is going to impact your life upon the completion. For instance: “Will I be able to get to grow in my career once I finish this English course?”
• Time Bound: “What can I do today? What can I complete by the end of the week? And in three months I should be able to complete the project that is due for the English course.” Setting a timeline for yourself will help you finish what you started, ultimately helping your self-learning journey progress further.

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4.Finding the time for self-learning — through self-motivation:

Yes, agreed — this is not easy to accomplish. We often have several things in a day to complete. From the daily tasks at work to taking care of family needs, one has to wear multiple hats in today’s world.

So how do we take out the time for “ self — learning”?

1. Checklists: Make a checklist of ‘things to do’ and plan your schedule for the week. And break the checklists into smaller parts if required. Let’ s say you have 3 tasks for the week which include — write a blog, finish a presentation and then finish the online course you have enrolled for. Start with writing all of the 3 tasks on a pinboard > Set 2 days for each task > Now break the tasks into smaller ones

If it’s writing a blog for your students then break the list into Research online> shortlist a topic>narrow down on 3 topics that best suit the audience> write the blog!

• Creating a routine: Some people work best in the mornings, and then some at night. Though it is said that you are the most productive and fresh in the morning, choose a time that best suits you. If weekends are your best time, then choose that!
• Discuss with your manager at work: Several companies these days are supportive of their employees enrolling in weekend classes/online classes as it helps in your career. It’s important to discuss and share with your team members to see if they can support you in all ways possible. For example, if you have a webinar to attend, let your manager know in advance that you will need a one hour break.

Photo by David Travis on Unsplash

5. Create your moments of reflection:

“Self- Reflection is a simple review of the way you have been doing things, what have you accomplished, and if something can be improved. In a time where we all lead busy lives, it would greatly benefit our minds and well-being if we pause, breathe and reflect.

Reflection is a simple practice of looking inward within yourself and assessing yourself or discussing the same within your peer group:

Imagine you are looking at a mirror and describing what you see, your thoughts, feelings, and emotions on that day like:

1. What are my strengths, have I made the most of it?
2. Have I been able to manage my time effectively, if not how should I make this work?
3. Is the course I am studying adding value to my career, if yes, how can I make the most of it?
4. Am I happy in my current situation, what is that I have to change? Do I need to take a vacation to help me concentrate better? … and so on

Once you do reflect, it’s important to take the necessary steps to progress and change those things you wish to do better.

For example, let’s say you are trying to bake a cake — it tastes alright, but you know it can be much better, you will not continue baking the same way, right? You will analyze what are the ingredients that can be added or reduced to make it the perfect cake. And then go about making the changes — this is reflection!

Photo by Anita Rakhe via Trainer Tribe

6. Be smart about your learning:

As a self-learner, you are going to come across different learning materials, online information and even be a part of discussions with people. Filtering out and validating the information is important. If you are unsure about anything, always remember to clarify through research, or simply connecting with your community of learners — in the end, you will be able to ascertain the best solution.