In the age of the World Wide Web, online learning is more popular than ever. Indeed, what could be more convenient? You can study from anywhere in the world with internet access; the choice of courses is vast and varied, and the volume of free educational material available online is so vast that it will take time and patience to select the right one for you. So how can you learn independently, for free, systematically, and efficiently, using information from open sources? Read on to find out!
Some people buy online courses, while others simply haphazardly study everything they can find on a topic. Therefore, in the field of online learning, there are always two extremes:
1. Purchasing a ready-made course and neglecting other sources. However, a well-promoted and advertised course may prove ineffective and at odds with the learner's specific goals. It may also prove rather limited, i.e., containing the experience and knowledge of only one specialist.
2. Free, independent, but unsystematic absorption of all available information on a given topic. The difficulty in this case is that many fields of knowledge contain nuances that are interpreted differently by different authors. All this creates confusion when applying the acquired knowledge in practice.
Before we move on to the method of independent learning itself, let's think together about what the knowledge we gain should be?
1. Modern. The information being studied must be current, reflecting the latest experience of leading experts. Such information cannot be obtained from 20-year-old books in the city library (which in no way diminishes the importance of the library itself; a truly enthusiastic person will find “gems” there too… but not when the latest knowledge is needed); therefore, we turn exclusively to the internet for it.
2. Versatile. It's essential to consider the same issue from different perspectives. This will help avoid one-sidedness and a flat perception, and will allow for different approaches depending on the situation.
3. Successfully applied in practice. It's important that your instructor is a successful practitioner. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case when choosing an online course; and there's almost no hope if you're taking an offline course at a local school (unless you live somewhere in Chicago near Kendall College, where they train world-class chefs!). But this is possible if you choose your instructor yourself, which is entirely true of self-studying online!
If you're studying photography, have one of the most successful practicing photographers as your instructor, whose work is professionally executed, inspires with its beauty and style, and (be warned!) sells for a lot of money.
If you're studying to be a fashion designer and dream of creating your own clothing collection, it's a logical step to study with a specialist who has already produced numerous collections, made certain mistakes (which they can warn you against!), arrived at the optimal solution, and gained invaluable experience that they can now share with you. After all, the problem with courses is often that they're taught by “experts” who haven't achieved any greatness in the field they're teaching.
If self-education is your path, you have the chance to learn from top instructors. Of course, this will require a little more than just paying the money and attending a course… but the results are worth it!
So, what exactly is this wonderful self-study method? You can create your own course structure and gather information on the topics online.
Firstly, it is necessary to find as complete a content of a suitable course as possible on the Internet (we search on the pages of various universities; sometimes the advertisement of a particular course contains comprehensive information about its content) and then use this structure to independently search for information on each point and its thorough, in-depth study and development.
Secondly, after acquiring the basic knowledge, delve deeper into each point , using not just one but several sources, drawing on the authors you've chosen to focus on in your studies. Sometimes this requires digging deep or possessing the skills of Sherlock Holmes to understand, for example, how a dress is designed from an Instagram photo; or, after seeing an incredibly beautiful photo, to understand how the shot achieved its unique atmosphere.
Moreover, we don't leave such important examples at the level of “saw—appreciated—understood.” Our goal is: “saw—appreciated—analyzed—decomposed into its components—derived a recipe—preserved it—applied it a thousand times in practice—modified it to suit your own needs—developed your own style.”
If you speak a foreign language (then you're truly lucky!), be sure to study foreign sources: they tend to better reflect current trends in many fields of knowledge. Keep a notebook handy and take notes.
And thirdly, take self-study seriously: notes are everything! They help engage your motor memory, deepen your understanding of the material being studied, and organize it. Make it a rule to clearly and structuredly write down everything you've learned, as well as everything you've seen or heard, even if indirectly related to the topic you're studying: questions requiring further study, color combinations, ingredients, perspectives, ideas, moods, as-yet-unsolved problems, half-formed images… Perhaps one day you'll have a revelation, and you'll find something truly important among these notes right now!
It is important to understand that the essence of self-education, unlike typical training, is that it is continuous, it is engaging, it comes from within, it does not end with classes and does not stop after receiving a diploma.
You become a “thief,” in a good sense: you don't just enjoy watching your favorite movie, but, for example, memorize and analyze the stylish image of the main character; if you're a writer, you memorize and analyze the most captivating dialogue; but if you're a psychologist, you're unlikely to enjoy watching it (unless the acting is truly good and you “believe” them, just like Stanislavsky!). Every genius has their own path.
As you can see, the method is both simple and complex. Its complexity lies in the passion and patience it requires. But if you're a future genius, you likely have no other choice!
So let yourself be inspired by figures like Salvador Dalí (who refused to be taught by academic teachers and developed his own style of painting), Leo Tolstoy, who wrote with mistakes (which did not prevent him from becoming one of the world's greatest novelists), and Jimi Hendrix (the world-famous virtuoso guitarist, singer, and composer who did not know how to read music). Good luck!
