What is the meaning of self-learning?

 Self-learning, however, is crucial to us in the 21st century if we want to achieve our goals and remain important in a constantly changing world. In this article, we define what self-learning is, the difference between it and traditional learning, and the advantages and disadvantages of self-learning. So stay focused and enjoy reading it.

Self-Learning definition

 Before we talk about self-learning, have you ever wondered what learning means? And when do we start learning? Or how do we learn? So let’s define learning first.

 Learning is a method of garnering information, learning, and holding on to the knowledge. We started learning about our environment when we were born, and we learned how to eat, crawl, walk, talk, and a lot of other things. I can't remember because I was a baby. 😅 We learn them by ourselves and with our parents' help. By the time we pass, we grow up and learn more from our brothers (siblings), friends, our school life, and the people we have met. So what does "self-learning" mean?

 Self-learning is the action people take after deciding to learn something on their own, without going to school or hiring a teacher. They just look for it on the internet or in YouTube videos. People use self-learning when they want to be number one in school, want to develop their careers, want to learn a new language, and want to develop new skills.

 So we can define self-study as a useful technique through which you can improve your knowledge and skills on your own. It is a modern way of learning that helps a person acquire skills and knowledge that will prove relevant to their day-to-day activities. It has not replaced the pedagogical learning process that was used traditionally but has become an extra key that will open the doors of knowledge to all who wish to acquire it.

 Thanks to the rise of the Internet, self-directed learning has proven to be effective, easy, and fast. These days, with a quick Google search, a YouTube video, and simply reading instruction manuals, you can learn how to do almost anything. The modern method of learning that gives people important skills for their daily lives is self-learning.

Difference between Traditional Learning and Self-Learning

 We all have some experience with institutionalized learning, and it is important that we have it. Some of us may have had good experiences in high school and college; some of us may have struggled. We all needed to go through traditional school because it laid the foundation for our adult lives, whether we were star students or rebels. That said, some elements of traditional education could be seen as barriers to real learning.

 In traditional education, fear is often used as a motivating factor. If you don't study hard and do well by the standards of your school or university, you won't have a future.

The use of fear as a motivator causes several problems is:

• Children might not understand motivation in many other ways, but there are indeed other ways.
• It limits or even destroys creativity.
• In school, you do as you’re told.
• You don’t have any leeway.
• Your course of study has been chosen for you.
• Your texts are assigned.
• Your materials
• Lab experiments
• Resources all come from prepared lists from which you can’t deviate.

 There is only one answer. Most of the time, there is only one method. They can't cover everything on a given subject because they are dependent on time. But with self-learning, you can create your own curriculum. You can go at your own pace, and there are no limits to what you can learn. You can delve much deeper into your subject than your college professor had time for. You can decide your own level of difficulty. With self-learning, you don't have to stop and can go as far and as fast as you want. You are only limited by your motivation and discipline. So you need to have a system in place that makes it easy for you to get motivated.

 Learn more fun and more deliberate at your own pace, taking as much time as you need to fully understand a topic. Both scenarios are fine.

 You can prepare for lifelong learning. Your college degree doesn't have to be the end point of your education, but that's exactly what many students see. Through self-study, you can develop habits, skills, and interests that will prepare you to learn for the rest of your life by deepening your expertise in a subject and keeping up to date with the latest developments. Traditional education is about reading and regurgitating. It's definitely not the best approach to keeping up with life, and there are other approaches that may be more beneficial. You can study topics from a different perspective.

 Scholars including Mark Twain and Albert Einstein, both legendary autodidacts, have expressed skepticism about the limits of traditional education. Although their criticisms are not always true in all areas, they are certainly valid in some cases and constitute legitimate arguments in favor of self-education.

  Engaging in self-learning gives you the upper hand because it allows you to learn with broad goals, different goals, or no goals at all. It's a stark contrast to learning "inside the box," which is geared towards a specific perspective. You can develop self-discipline. Charting your own educational journey involves planning, personal management, commitment, and execution.

Advantages of self-learning

 There is a lot of information all around us in today's digital age, easily accessible 24/7 from the convenience of our mobile devices. While traditional classroom learning that includes an on-site teacher is still valued in our modern learning environment, even the least prepared people learn as well as those who are already skilled in the subject. If you're not sure whether self-study is the best learning style, here are some proven benefits of self-study:

1. It helps one develop problem-solving skills.
2. It is a stress-free learning process.
3. You gain other skills in the process.
4. The learning experience becomes more meaningful.
5. Learning is now led by curiosity.
6. You get to choose your mode of learning.
7. It creates a sense of responsibility.
8. Easy language
9. It builds confidence.
10. Score better.
11. It grows your self-knowledge.
12. It inculcates discipline and boosts self-esteem.
13. It improves problem-solving.
14. It makes learning relevant.
15. It is a customizable experience.
16. It gives an individual room to have multiple skills.

 Self-learning allows you to better understand the subject and, during an exam, it helps you avoid missing out. Individuals are better centered, and they are well acquainted with the subject. All of these factors lead to better grades.

Disadvantages of Self-Learning

 However, there are some disadvantages to self-learning:

1. No self-discipline.
2. No face-to-face interaction
3. lack of input from trainers.
4. Slow evolution.
5. Good e-learning is difficult to do.
6. Lack of transformational power
7. No peripheral benefits

Conclusions

 By becoming self-taught, you will be able to develop these skills yourself, making them more meaningful than when someone else tries to impose them on you.
Building self-discipline is one of the most practical "by-products" of self-education because it can be replicated in every other area of your life. You can open up new and unique possibilities. You can also develop expertise in new subjects that could expand your career potential. Studies have shown that people, on average, have five to seven careers throughout their lifetime.

 Will you be limited by your lack of self-learning abilities, or will you be able to transition between careers seamlessly?

 In the next article, we will go deeper into the advantages and disadvantages of self-study to get a clearer idea of the concept. So if you are interested, click here.