Self-University Week: Learn how to educate yourself

Many people would love to consider themselves lifelong learners, but the reality is that most are not willing to put time and effort into learning once they have ended their formal education.

However, with the wealth of information, tools, and free courses available to us in the age of the internet, it is a perfect time to pursue knowledge in any interesting topic.  A firm believer in this pursuit, The Autodidactic Press takes the opportunity each year during the first seven days of September to celebrate “Self-University Week” and encourages everyone to take steps towards their own goals.

A good place to start in learning how to educate oneself is to determine which subject is interesting and engaging.  While it might seem easy just to choose a traditional subject like philosophy, Trent Hamm at The Simple Dollar likes to drill himself with the “five whys” when considering a course.  He asks why he wants to study it and then proceeds to ask the same question to every response he gives.  This ensures that he goes deeper than the general subject and arrives at the questions he really wants to answer within the field.

From this point, there are a variety of options for self-education depending on how formal you want the process to be and how much money you are willing to spend.  While a simple trip to the library could provide a wealth of information, online resources can be a much more targeted approach.  According to Inc.com, a solid choice is a company like Coursera that allows students to take courses from universities such as Duke, Yale, and Stanford without the insane tuition costs.  There won’t be a diploma at the end of the course, but that doesn’t mean the knowledge is worth any less on a personal level!