Where to start self-education: effective practical tips, training plan. Self-education plan The teaching itself

Why do you need a self-education plan? This may seem like a lot of work when you could simply buy 3-4 books on the topic and start studying them, right? But no. One of the main problems with self-education is that, without a clear plan and understanding of what and how to learn, it is very easy to get confused and give up the whole idea. This is why you need to first study the topic and create a plan - it will be a kind of compass with which you will begin your journey.

In addition, the plan:

• motivates;
• helps fight disorganization;
• serves as a visual reminder.

Drawing up a plan for self-education is an energy-consuming process, but it pays off with interest. The most important thing it gives is organization. It's easy to find thousands of excuses if your thoughts are in chaos.

It is also worth noting that teachers draw up a self-education plan for themselves. Such a tool can be useful to any person who is engaged in self-study and improves his skills.

Four types of plans

We will talk about four types of plans, each of which you can use independently or combine. Create something of your own that suits you.

Time based plan

This plan is universal: it is suitable for those who want to study one or several subjects at once.

Everything is simple here: you “book” a certain amount of time in the morning, afternoon and/or evening, after which you create your schedule, hang it on the wall and stick to it.

Place based plan

It's a cunning plan because it puts you in a position where you can't help but learn.

Places can be very different:

• a park;
• library;
• favorite cafe;
• public transport.

The essence of such plans is that you purposefully go there to learn. Surprisingly, sometimes it’s easier to motivate yourself to do it in the library rather than in the next room.

And, of course, it can be combined with the foreground.

Free plan

The free plan is fundamentally different from the others in that no goals are set during the learning process. Instead, you should keep a journal in which you record what you've learned, what progress you've made, and where you're going.

With this approach, you are often surprised because you simply give yourself, say, two hours of time without knowing what you will study. Some freshness remains and motivation increases.

The disadvantage of this plan lies in its own advantage: you can waste a huge amount of time on unnecessary things.

Goal Based Plan

To create this plan, you need to find three main goals that you want to achieve. Based on them, the entire training program is built.

This plan can be combined with others to find the perfect balance and satisfaction.

Now let's find out how to create a self-education plan.

How to make a self-education plan

Find out why you want to learn this skill

This is a preparatory step that should be taken very seriously. We often do thoughtless things that cost a lot: both time and money. In terms of training, everything is even more critical: you can waste several months, or even years.

This is especially true if you want to learn programming. In order to start making money in this field, they say you need to study from six months to a year and a half. So if you don't feel motivated or enthusiastic enough, then maybe it's not for you.

It's all about being intrinsically motivated. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you want to find a job that is more meaningful and important than your current one?
• Do you want to find a higher paying job?
• Do you want to change the world?

Even if the answers are a little pretentious, it is important that you understand that they are honest and frank.

The preparatory stage is completed. At the second stage, you will need a sheet of A4 paper or an electronic file. This is a must. You need to create a step-by-step instruction for yourself so that it constantly looms before your eyes and does not allow you to be distracted by anything unimportant.

Make a list of goals

This is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. You should come up with as many goals as possible so that you can compare them later and choose the most important one(s). So don’t limit yourself to something like “I want to learn how to create a website with WordPress” or “I want to learn how to knit a sweater.”

So, the list of goals is ready. How to choose the most important ones? First of all, you need to find out whether any of them are combined.

A combined goal is a goal that opens up more opportunities for you:

• Learning a new language can help you move to another country or get a better paying job.
• Learning Java will increase your income several times.

If you learn to knit a sweater, then most likely it will be an end in itself.

Therefore, ideally, you should choose goals that will significantly move you forward. This also has a positive effect on motivation.

Select one to three goals. There shouldn't be too many of them. At the same time, they can be quite ambitious, but not prohibitive.

Make a list of resources

You can either find everything you need on the Internet. Here are the resources you should consider:

• MOOC courses;
• books;
• magazines;
• blogs;
• educational videos;
• attending conferences and lectures;
• internship;
• volunteer work;
• trips;
• finding a mentor.

At the same time, you must understand that there is not enough time for everything. It is important to choose 3-5 main resources and focus on them. The rest is only worth pursuing if you purposefully set aside time to try something new.

Set key learning points

These are the points by which you can track your progress. Learning is a long process and sometimes boring, but the main difficulty is that you will not immediately get results.

In addition, an ambitious goal can easily suppress your psyche, especially at times when motivation tends to zero. Therefore, establish the key points:

• a certain number of written pages;
• website creation;
• Intermediate level in English;
• creating a phone application.

Set a schedule and daily routine

Learning is not something you can cram into your life and hope it will work. This is the basis, the Sun, around which all planets must revolve. Don't forget that you are studying to make your life significantly better, which means that this becomes your top priority.

Create a time frame for each goal. What are you going to do today, tomorrow, next week, in six months to achieve your goal? Make sure you master the skills and learn how to manage your time well.

Create a daily routine. You must change your life, because it will no longer be the same - it is naive to hope for this. A lot will change because you will be dedicating a large amount of time to learning.

So, let's repeat: you must change your daily routine, book time to learn your skill. And also set a deadline in order to keep yourself on your toes.

Track your progress

Tracking progress is the very process that positively affects the level of motivation. As has already been said, during the learning process you will not immediately begin to receive practical results, which means you can give up at any time. But not if you track your progress.

By tracking we primarily mean keeping a diary. You write down everything you studied and how you studied it, as well as how much time it took. Document every little detail. After a few weeks, it will be possible to draw certain conclusions based on this information. You will learn to identify trends, understand your strengths and weaknesses, bad and good habits. And finally, you will begin to draw the right conclusions, adjusting both your behavior and your self-education plan.

The English-language Internet offers a wide variety of applications that you can use to track your learning progress in order to adjust your plan if there are inaccuracies or gaps in it.

• Degreed. Learners use Degreed to quantify, track, and organize learning from any source, both formal and informal.
• Diigo. Simplify the operation of your information system and improve performance. Also adds digital marks and notes to PDFs, saves links, images and pages, and encourages collaboration and sharing with other students.
• TopTracker. This app can be used to track the time you spend in Photoshop or other digital tools (and therefore suitable for web designers and programmers).

The writer Isaac Asimov is said to have once said, “Self-education is the only education you have.” It’s hard to argue with this, because you are the one who knows best what you want to study. The main thing is to create an effective plan and strictly follow it.

We wish you good luck!

It's never too late to come to your senses and learn something new, especially if a person is organized enough to educate himself. Where to start?

First steps towards self-education

Already at a conscious age, people often regret their dishonest attitude towards studying at school or university. But there is always a chance to catch up or explore a new field of activity as an adult. You just have to be patient, willpower, and independently organize your own learning process.

The first step should be to draw up an action plan. In this list, it is necessary to indicate not only the goals set (whether it is an amateur level of playing the guitar or learning a foreign language), but also the time frame for their implementation. The planned date for completing the task will once again motivate you to take action.

So, the to-do list is ready. And to implement them you will need any available methods. This could be reading the necessary literature, watching a video on a topic, or visiting an interest group.

You should never miss an opportunity to expand your horizons. On your way to work or while walking your dog, you can listen to audiobooks or read educational sites instead of uselessly surfing the Internet.

Even with set goals, a person can gain knowledge in other areas. An erudite person views any problem or obstacle as an opportunity to learn something new. Do you want to cook a dish of Spanish cuisine? Or keep up the conversation about Swedish cars? You should not be lazy and look for information on the topic of interest.

The theoretical information obtained needs practice. What's the point of knowing how to change a faucet if you never try to do it yourself? Therefore, all acquired knowledge must be applied in practice.

Communication with professionals will help you test your skills and acquire additional skills. New acquaintances often allow you to enrich yourself spiritually, physically, or establish the necessary connections.

It can become the key to new knowledge, promoting the development of memory, associative thinking, and the formation of connections between already familiar and fresh material. This provides a chance to travel, communicate with representatives of a different culture and gain access to additional sources of information.

All the proposed methods help you independently organize the process of self-education to your taste.

Even if the school desk and university bench are long gone, learning does not end there. Self-education is available at any age, but now you can do without cramming and memorizing compulsory disciplines for the sake of assessment. It is better to go deeper and absorb knowledge that is interesting and applicable in practice. Where should an adult begin to educate himself? Let's look at it point by point.

An abundance of information leads to superficial knowledge. Yes, now it’s easy to get an answer to even a complicated question: just Google it. But how much will this information be absorbed and useful? The human brain is not able to process the amount of information that pours into it like a river from all kinds of sources. To avoid drowning in this stream, you need to be selective and have a clear action plan.

Determining the exact goal

Set a goal for yourself, or better yet, write it down. It should be specific, achievable and have a deadline. Learn a foreign language, become a good cook, learn to understand cars - these are vague formulations. Specific tasks are needed: read a book in English by the end of the year, master 10 new dishes, repair the engine yourself.

Defining a goal is the foundation of self-education, showing in which direction to move.

Making time for self-education

Think in advance about how much time you can devote to education. Determine gaps in your daily routine, or free them up to gain new knowledge. Don’t expect to act according to the situation, studying when you have a free minute. This will not happen: there will always be important matters and urgent work. Therefore, decide in advance, for example, that you listen to an audiobook on the go, watch a video lecture while ironing, or read a book before bed.

Don’t get carried away with perfectionism and give up what you started if you miss a scheduled lesson. Be lenient with yourself, take slow steps towards your goal, and everything will work out.

Making a plan

The goal has been set, the time has been determined, all that remains is to draw up a plan of action. Break your end goal into subtasks that are easy to accomplish throughout the day. So, if you intend to learn English, make it a habit to memorize 5-7 foreign words every day, and study a new rule weekly, the main thing is to do this regularly. In a year, your vocabulary will be significantly enriched with foreign terms.

Or you want to learn how to create websites, but don’t know where to start. Write a to-do list: listen to a video lecture, subscribe to a blogger, register on a thematic forum, buy a specialized book, register a domain. Gradually, without rushing, you will create your first website.

Surround ourselves with like-minded people

With the help of the Internet, it’s easy to surround yourself with like-minded people. Of course, it is better to stick to a live social circle, for example, sign up for courses, attend a conference, or a club of interests. However, if this is not possible, do not be upset, modern technologies will come to the rescue.

Here you can find information of interest, find answers to questions, get support and advice in moments when you give up. On the Internet you can ask an expert a question and get advice. This is much more difficult to do offline.

You can also openly declare your plans. In such a situation, it will be more difficult to leave the distance than by remaining alone with your intended goals.

Repetition and practice

It has been proven that if you do not immediately implement the information received into your life, it will quickly be forgotten. To memorize new material, you need to either repeat it or find practical application. Therefore, do not be lazy to re-read books and apply new knowledge.

Try to make the most of situations and gain experience. So, if you are persistently learning English and accidentally bump into a foreigner, try to talk to him. It’s okay if words alternate with gestures; it’s better than just sitting over a textbook. Theory is good, but it will not replace practice.

Ready to improve in the new year?

Don't dream about how you will become better. Don't speculate on this topic. And don't even make plans. Namely, to become?

Many successful entrepreneurs admit that their most successful investments are investments in knowledge. Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Robert Kiyosaki... The list goes on and on.

However, self-education is not only for business. If you want to be the best at anything - in sports, in music, in science - you simply need to study, train and invest time, effort and energy in your development.

Are you impressed by someone's achievements? You can repeat them and even surpass them.

And today I will tell you how to do this. Let's begin...

“Self-education is not for me...”

I have heard more than once from my friends that self-education is not for them. Why? They just “can’t force themselves” to study, study, read, watch video lessons, etc. Do you have this problem too?

Then catch the little secret. Use it and you will never need to “force” yourself again.

What's the secret? Ask yourself 1 key question: "For what?". Why do you need self-education?

But there is important point. The question must not only be asked, but the “why” must be expanded to the clearest and most understandable motives. To what has real value to you.

Let me give you an example. Why should I educate myself?

Because this way I can get the most up-to-date knowledge from the best sources.

For what?

To improve in your business.

For what?

To stay ahead of competitors/Optimize business processes/Offer the best solutions to clients...

For what?

To develop and scale your business.

For what?

So that profits grow.

For what?

To buy an apartment/Go on vacation with your family/Fulfill some old dream of yours...

This is not the only scenario for answering “Why?”. You can (and should!) have your reasons. Indeed, in addition to the opportunity to receive the most current knowledge, self-education provides many more benefits:

• Opportunity organize your own training.

This is especially convenient for those who are always short on time. Unlike classical education, self-education gives you complete freedom of action. You can study anywhere, anytime. Listen to audio courses while you're driving somewhere. Read a book while you wait for your appointment. Watch the webinar while sitting comfortably on the sofa with a cup of tea.

• Opportunity learn from the best in the business.

You can choose your own mentor. Buy a book from an author you consider an expert in your niche. Go to training with someone who has already achieved outstanding success where you are just starting. For me personally, this is a huge plus. I value the knowledge of practitioners. Those who have already done what I plan to do, have filled their teeth, and can now tell me what to do and what not to do.

• Opportunity create a cool environment.

If you decide to attend live training or online training that involves interaction between participants, you can make a lot of connections with people whose goals resonate with you. This gives a powerful boost of energy and motivation to action. In addition, through learning, you can find yourself a mentor, partner, employee or client. Valuable? Obviously yes.

• Opportunity study for free .

This is a huge plus for those who are just starting out and have a limited budget. Now you can gain a lot of knowledge and gain powerful experience absolutely free.

Where to look for information?

If, while unwinding your “why,” you nevertheless come to the conclusion that you need self-education, new questions arise. Where to study? How? Who? For myself, I identify several types of sources from which I draw information.

Books

The simplest thing you can think of. Select leading authors in the field that interests you, or those whose approach is most similar to you. I recommend making yourself a list of books that you want to read, so as not to jump from fifth to tenth (and this is a common mistake of those who are excited about the idea of ​​self-education). If you have very little time, audio books will really come to the rescue. There are also a lot of them, and they are freely available. Download and use it while you are traveling in public transport, working out in the gym, eating... Anytime. The main thing is desire, and there will always be time.

Don't know where to start? In this video you will find some recommendations:

Webinars

Another great opportunity to gain knowledge from leading experts without leaving home. The only thing that matters is to choose a speaker who will actually deliver value to you and not waste your time.

Without false modesty, I will say that our webinars are always distinguished by the highest quality of information. Our students often note that even at our free trainings they gain more knowledge than at many paid events. And such high attendance of our latest webinar series speaks for itself:

Online courses and educational resources

Today, many of the world's leading universities provide the opportunity to study online. And, by the way, it’s often absolutely free. The only difficulty is that the most powerful courses are almost always in English. However, even if your level is not very high, do not refuse to study. Subtitles will make it easier to perceive information, plus this is a great opportunity to improve your English.

Where can I find quality courses? Here are some decent options:

• edX - Courses from the world's leading universities;
• Coursesmos - Collections of compact courses for those who have very little time;
• Coursera - Also courses from teachers from famous universities from around the world;
• Khan Academy - Large-scale database of video lessons in more than 20 languages. By the way, you can watch the lessons regardless of the course you choose.

And, of course, ours, which is updated daily with new powerful articles :)

Live Events/Trainings

Sometimes I hear that all these trainings are pure deception, “sucking out money” and they actually don’t give any results. Are you also of the “same opinion”? Then this video is for you:

In fact, such events, in addition to knowledge, are also very energizing. When you meet people whose results are much higher than yours, it literally pushes you out of your seat and forces you to grow. Tested by our students :)

Self-education plan

If you have read up to this point, it means you are very serious. Therefore, let's not waste time and right now together we will draw up your self-education plan for 2016.

1. Choose a direction

What do you actually want to study? It's great if you have varied interests. But in the matter of self-education, this can only harm you.

Yes, the Internet opens up almost limitless opportunities, and you don’t want to miss them. So many books have not yet been read, so many courses have not been completed... I myself have dozens of books on my list, and this list is only growing. Not because I read slowly, but because there are too many interesting things around :) But if you seriously decide to engage in self-education, you should consciously limit yourself. Therefore, I recommend starting by choosing one or two areas that are most interesting and necessary for you.

2. Select materials

Everything is clear here. Having chosen a direction, select the educational materials you need: books, trainings, courses - everything that seems important and valuable to you.

The main difficulty at this stage is choose who to study with. I think this video by Olesya will help you decide on a mentor. It’s about learning online business, but if you wish, these tips can be applied in any other area:

3. Make a schedule

No, not like at school: 1st lesson, break, 2nd lesson... But classes should be regular, because chaotically received pieces of information are of little use. So look at your schedule and think about where you can include reading when you have the opportunity to listen/watch courses. For events that take place at a strictly defined time, such as trainings or events, it is better to reserve a place on your to-do list in advance.

4. Start learning

Have you found strong materials and made a plan? Then feel free to start! But at this stage it is important to understand that simply knowledge is not worth anything. You will only see the effect of your studies if you begin to implement what you have learned.

How to apply the acquired knowledge? Find out in this video:

5. Measure your results

The result is the only indicator that you are developing and moving forward. If there are no results, you should reconsider your self-education system. Therefore, I recommend regularly tracking the results of your classes.

And finally...

I left a powerful motivational kick for you :) If you are still in doubt, just read, or better yet, write down and place this phrase in a visible place:

“Education will help you survive. Self-education will lead you to success."

Jim Rohn.

Take action!

Click “Like” if this article was useful and motivated you for self-development!

Do you want your business to grow on autopilot? Oles will tell you, Read right now!

Self-education can become a worthy and in many ways a better alternative to formal education, be it a second higher education degree or advanced training courses.

Why is self-education better?

1. Self-education provides more relevant knowledge. Nowadays, most new ideas, appearing in people’s heads, are first discussed in conversations, blogs and articles, then “mature” into books, translated into Russian (if the book is foreign), included in educational programs and only then taught to students. The described process takes at least 3-5 years. Self-education gives you the opportunity to catch ideas in the bud. This is especially important when teaching everything related to information technology - by the time they reach textbooks, the knowledge is already hopelessly outdated.
2. Self-education allows you to create a personalized training program. In formal training, the curriculum is made up of a lot of material that you don't need. It is not memorable, but it takes time, effort and money. Trying to remember unnecessary material forces the necessary knowledge out of your head. And with self-education, you create a training program in full accordance with your needs.
3. Self-education gives you more motivation to learn. Although with self-education there is no “coach” effect (in the role of which teachers act) and material involvement (you don’t mind quitting), the motivation for learning is still greater with it. Due to its relevance and individuality, self-learning is more effective. You understand how to apply every letter of the acquired knowledge. You clearly feel the benefits of learning, and this gives you the strength to continue it.
4. Self-education expands your social circle. With the second higher education, the circle of your like-minded people is limited to your group, and with self-study you exchange ideas with the whole world via the Internet.
5. Self-education gives you the opportunity to learn from the best. Everyone who has gone through our educational system has fully felt the truth of the expression “Those who can, do, and those who cannot, teach.” By independently collecting sources of knowledge, you can learn from people who have suffered through the material through their own experience, and not from women who have been retrained from teachers on the history of the CPSU.
6. Self-education gives you the opportunity to manage your schedule. The existence of a schedule, imposed in formal learning, is also necessary in self-paced learning to achieve consistent results. However, when studying on your own, you choose the most convenient time for yourself.
7. Self-education is free. Both in courses and in self-study, your development takes time. With traditional training, you will also have to shell out money. But for the amount you pay for formal education, you can fill your entire apartment with books. For example, Executive MBA courses in Skolkovo cost 95,000 euros. With this money you can make a stack of 13,700 books 274 meters high - approximately up to half of the Ostankino Tower.

So, where to start your self-education and how to make it effective?

Your plan

1. Learn Albanian English

Most new ideas appear first in English. And not because the most advanced people live in English-speaking countries (although this is largely true), but also because this language has become modern Latin - whether you are a Swede, an Israeli or a Chinese, if you want to participate in an international discussion of something interesting to you topics, you will write in English. The universal language of the Internet is English, and the chances of finding answers to questions in English are much greater than in Russian or any other language.

Another reason to learn English is that Russian translations are often terrible. I say this not because I could have done it better, but because this job is really difficult to do well. For most terms in management, Russian translations have not yet been established, and specialists simply use Anglicisms. You can still get used to this by ear, but in writing it looks heartbreaking.

4. Use hidden time reserves for self-education

If you travel by metro, then your format is printed text And video, and an extra hour or two for self-development has just appeared in your schedule.

If you jog, walk the dog, drive to work, then your format is podcasts And audiobooks. Make it a rule to use the time in transport and while walking/jogging for self-education.

5. Find sources of periodicals

• Use lists made by others. Follow in other people's footsteps - look on the Internet for ready-made lists of sources. For example:
• Set up knowledge delivery to your home. Subscribe to blogs or use blog subscription programs:
• Perform periodic maintenance of information sources. The further you go, the more sources you will use and the more difficult it will be to choose the most necessary one. Therefore, periodically put things in order: remove unnecessary things and add new ones in accordance with your changing needs.

6. Google it / Ask Yandex

Self-education can take many forms - any problem can be turned into a chance to learn something. Never sit down to solve a new problem without doing at least a cursory search for a solution on the Internet. Yes, reinventing the wheel can be an interesting activity, but smart people try to learn from other people's mistakes, not their own.

11. Apply it!

Scientists have proven that the application of knowledge is a mandatory stage in the assimilation of information and an indispensable condition for the growth of competence. Since your self-education program is customized to your needs, there should be no problems with immediately applying your new knowledge.