Get the Most from your Self-Study Experiences

There is no particular method or correct way for self-study.   There are many different approaches.  Your time and focus could depend on several factors such as:

• Your strengths and weakness in relation to what you are studying;
• Whether or not you have developed intellectual independence or need guidance;
• How much time you need absorb new material or to practice new skills;
• If there is a fixed schedule for any collaborative aspects of your learning.

The key is to  figure out the study rhythm that works best for you and plan your time to fit with work and personal life.

To get the most from your experience, including satisfaction and quality education, your self-learning is hinged on 12 key factors:

1. Have realistic learning goals 

Having realistic learning goals that fit in with your commitments is crucial.  You will not set yourself up for success with a hectic schedule with no mental breaks and have difficulty balancing your work and personal life.  You have to have realistic expectations and allocate study time accordingly.  It is unwise, in the long run, to neglect self-care, abandon your commitments or compromise anything else that matters in your life.

2.  Ensure you have the Prerequisite Skills

Effective learning depends on the complexity of what you are learning and level of proficiency you have in prerequisite skills. Deficiency in a basic skill can hinder learning the tougher stuff that requires higher skill levels. For example, you cannot become a champion ice skater unless you know how to skate.  You cannot be a journalist without having basic investigative, communication, and writing skills.

Determine which prerequisite skills do you need to enhance first?  If you are prone to procrastinating, having difficulty setting priorities, need help recalling what you learn, or are weak in any one of a dozen other basic skills, you might want to tackle those prerequisite skills first.   You have to plan accordingly because any skill has a learning curve, requiring attention and time.

3.  Use your Study Time Wisely 

To make your study hours more effective and productive, be practical in how you plan and use your hours of study.  It can be a challenge to budget time for effective self-study when you are hustling to balance the demands of a 40 hours a week job and family responsibilities. However, plan wisely.  Instead of treating your study session like a marathon, it is best to study in short, frequent sessions, separated by short breaks.  Your brain can absorb the material more easily if it has a break to recharge.  

• Your body’s energy has its own path and you are naturally more energetic and motivated at specific times of the day. Work with it, because when your energy is at its peak is the ideal time to schedule uninterrupted blocks of time to study and learn new skills.
  
  
• Fit in eating, rest and relaxation breaks because they are equally important to effective and efficient learning.  Don't watch the clock.  Set a timer.  
  
  Studies show we work best in a 90 – 120 minute cycle of alertness before we need a mental break.   You may find 60 minutes is ideal for you. Checking email, making a work related phone call, or researching a question all count as work, not a break. You have to do something different and refreshing for at least one to five minutes to help your brain recharge.  A real break takes your mind away from what you’re doing completely.  When it is possible, a different environment like the outdoors or a different room looking at the outdoors does that. Pretend you are going to a meeting, but instead of people you are meeting with birds, trees, or playtime with your children. 

Learn more about one-minute rest breaks and five-minute relaxation breaks

4.  Make your Study Environment Work for you

When learning remotely it is important to create a study space for yourself.  Ideally, having a designated study environment allows you to be mentally prepared to learn when you enter that space.  Look around your study or workspace. Does it inspire you? Does it give you motivation? Is it noisy or quiet? Could it be that your subconscious looks at the space and is screaming, "I can’t work here.” 

• Aim for privacy
  
  
• Choose a well-lighted study area that will allow you to concentrate.
  
  
• Make the space welcoming and inspiring, a vibe that is consucise to study and concentration each time you sit down to study.
  
  
• Make sure it has all the study tools within handy reach.
  
  
• Free your space of distractions and interruptions. Clutter, external noises, people, technology, games and toys can tempt your brain into thinking there is something gratifying within reach. You may be surrounded by visual cues that shout, look what you could be doing!  You are constantly forced to discipline yourself and that deters you from focus.  The solution is simple.  Make those temptations less obvious or even invisible. If you cannot make them disappear at least make them inconvenient.

5. Do not Rush the Process or Expect Instant Success 

Some people approach learning with impatience, rushing through steps, missing some, not realizing they are actually making it much more difficult.  Speeding through a one-day certification class may work, but using that approach for most learning means that you do not gain the measureable skills needed to build a solid foundation of skill accomplishment that will sustain your work and ambition for the long term. Eventually you will hit a ceiling and find yourself floundering because you are out of your depth.

Understand each section of a lesson before advancing to the next step or section.  Should you encounter an obstacle take a relaxation break or repeat the difficult section at another session. If you still have difficulty, seek assistance.

When we learn something new, we are all novices in the beginning.  It takes additional learning, practice, and experiential insight to become competent or clever experts.

6.  Avoid Trying to Multitask 

Sometimes you can listen to a lesson while doing other things such as exercising or commuting. Otherwise, do not try to multitask. Computers multitask. The human brain in not capable of it. When you try to juggle tasks while studying you are volleying your cognitive energies back and forth like a tennis ball. Depending on the complexity of the subject matter or new skill, your brain may not be as responsive as the tennis ball and it uses up a lot of brain bandwidth which contributes to mental fatigue and can cost as much as 40% of your productive study time.

7.  Do not Give Up Because Something is Difficult

Many challenges may seem unusual or awkward in the beginning.  However, stretching outside your comfort zone is key to learning a new skill and reaching your performance zone.

• When you have difficulty staying motivated stay connected to the why. Get into the habit of asking yourself deliberate questions: What about this task or activity makes it important? Who does it affect? How will it makes things better?
  
  
• You may find stimulation by connect with other professionals in great online communities where there are lots of free webinars or seek out coworking spaces that offer networking opportunities, business events, and skill development classes.
  
  
• If you are fortunate to have the time for self-study and traditional classroom learning which do complement one another, you can form a study group that gets together bi-weekly or monthly to exchange ideas, discussion questions or generally offer each other support.

8. Reinforce What you Learn

When you learn something new it is important to review and reflect on what you learned immediately, that same day – make notes, ask yourself questions, talk about it, replay audio or video instruction, practicing your new skills or reading a chapter one more time. Your brain might actually absorb information better if you read out loud, too.  Research shows that repetition dramatically increases retention. The exercise of hearing, thinking and writing strengthens your learning and memory powers to retain knowledge.

Reviewing and reinforcing what you learn is one way to avoid cramming in the future.

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Excited, empowered, eager to learn? Remember to utilize the world around you. There are powerful learning opportunities out there. Technology has put knowledge and various areas of expertise at your fingertips.   Self-study is another tool to work with that requires discipline and common sense. Oh, but the rewards!  Share your passion, share the experience, and whenever possible share the learning materials with family, friends and co-workers. 

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