There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of software billionaires all around the world. Many of the names appearing on tech billionaires’ lists boast Ivy League credentials and other top-tier universities as their alma mater. However, most folks never forget the names of college dropouts, such as Bill Gates, or some who never even attended college, such as Sir Richard Branson. So, what could be this Holy grail that allows some people to barely make it past college and still be successful and decorated?
Self-Learning Is a Must for Survival in 2021 and Beyond
The current pandemic has taught most people about the need to be flexible and have various skillsets. However great you are at it, the vulnerability of having a single skill or career is a risk many people have been exposed to. Redundancies, job losses, and lost business income are just some of the negatives that a good chunk of people have had to deal with. But nobody would want their situation to get to this point before seeing the benefit of having an added skill or passion that would earn them extra income. These are just the negatives of lacking an extra skill in one’s bag.
It is always a wonder how Elon musk became the CTO of a space exploration company, a solar power maker, and a car manufacturer. His physics background and Stanford education notwithstanding, Musk attests that most of what he knows is self-taught. By reading many books, talking to (and surrounding himself with) lots of smart people, and condensing scientific problems to their basics, he can solve challenges that 99% percent of humans, both living and dead, wouldn’t. Musk is also worth at least $150 billion, so all that self-learning has paid off.
Why Is Self-Learning So Important?
You can teach yourself medicine and human anatomy, but that won’t qualify you as a doctor. Likewise, you can learn much about robotics and fluid dynamics, but that certainly won’t get you an aerospace engineer’s job. That’s just the niche part of learning, especially where lives are exposed and grave mistakes are a possibility in one’s line of work. The majority of jobs and careers which could earn anyone a decent income don’t need a degree.
In the digital 4.0 world, we live in, having skills that can be proven in practice is nearly enough to garner one merit in their work. Graphic designers, painters, software developers, builders, musicians, language experts, and entrepreneurs, among many others, are just some of the groups that can do well without a college degree. As a student, you could learn an extra skill on the side by having expert writers such as those at essay writer org tackle your assignment.
Self-learning has more positive benefits than can be elaborated upon in a single article. These are just some of our top picks:
- You Build Knowledge Retention Better Than If Someone Else Is Teaching
Self-learning requires one to dig deep to find answers and build skills. Teaching oneself tough concepts such as musical notes might have been difficult decades ago or next to impossible. With online resources, one can explore fundamentals, basics, and complex subjects without the need for an instructor, thus improving knowledge retention.
- Learning at Your Pace and Comfort Makes the Experience Enjoyable
You can play videos on repeat or at your own speed, unlike a physical teacher with no ‘rewind’ button or who maybe didn’t cover all the bases properly.
- You’ll Become Versatile at the Skill Learned
There is more than one way to learn something, which might not be possible if you follow a set curriculum. With self-learning, you can teach yourself a single skill in more ways than one and explore different routes to a single solution.
- You’ll Innovate More
With self-learning, you can pick projects that you enjoy, and in the process of doing so, you might end up going even further and creating something new. Innovation is the hallmark of all creative ‘geniuses’ who have taught themselves a skill.
- You Might Just End up with a Passion
As you put your heart into something and shed blood, sweat, and tears for it, you’ll stop seeing it as a chore, routine, or just a job. It may even transform into a passion. But, unfortunately, self-learned skills are almost always never viewed as a job, and most creators would rather spend their days doing it than anything else.
Patience, Patience, and More Patience!
The availability of digital learning materials on various websites and material sources such as YouTube and the Khan Academy has provided people everywhere with a platform to explore and learn new things without needing a class or a paid tuition. But not all self-taught experts are equal. It all boils down to hard work, patience, determination, and how much one is willing to push themselves.
About
Ava Grant is a premium writer at topessaybrands.com, where she tackles topics in healthcare, insurance, and Law. While not helping students achieve their maximum potential, she finds time to run her art startup.
