In today’s article you’re going to learn everything you need to know about how to become a lifelong learner.
Learning is a lifelong experience that we explore every day. Graduating from school does not mean that learning has to stop.
People who have been truly successful have not achieved it by sitting still; they are constantly learning and competing to grow and learn every day. If you commit to learning something new every day, not only will you enjoy what you learn, but you will also be able to apply your knowledge and teach other people.
How To Become a Lifelong Learner:
1. Find out how you learn.
Choose one or more of your chosen learning methods. If you are a visual learner, pay attention to what learning methods are most effective for you and use them as often as possible. For example, if you are a visual learner, watch online lessons on sites like YouTube.
Most people learn in different ways, but prefer one or two. Make the most of your choice.
2. Determine your skills and interests.
Try different activities so that you are not limited to believing that you are only competent at a few things. You are probably excellent at many things, but you won’t know it unless you try.
Do you remember past memories that warn you to avoid certain situations? If you go to extremes, it can prevent you from trying many new things. As you mature, you gain more experience, agility, reaction speed, and confidence that no experience can teach you, but that you can use to re-learn old experiences.
All things change as you age, grow, and adapt to new situations. Make sure that past events do not prevent you from enjoying your current opportunities.
3. View learning as an adventure and an opportunity rather than a chore.
Don’t force yourself to learn anything just because it is necessary or required. Instead, learn both what you need to know and what you want to learn.
Be guided by both your instincts and your sense of duty. Do you remember how much you despised history in school, with all those names and dates that seemed to mean nothing?
The goal was to encourage you to pay attention to the details so you could later be able to put the information together. It was painful at the time, but it makes sense now.
Even if you are studying the things you need to know, such as the knowledge necessary for your job, try to go beyond that. Study history, case studies, different applications, and so on to broaden your learning experience.
4. Recognize the fundamentals.
It can be tedious at times, but if you understand certain math and science ideas, you’ll be able to recall, connect, and figure out all kinds of tricky stuff.
You can look up specific formulas and trivia later, but learning the principles by heart will benefit you the most and save you a lot of time on multiple checks. For in-depth lectures by prominent scientists and experts in their fields, try free programs like OpenCourseWare, TED Talks, or iTunes University.
Combine basic learning with more enjoyable activities, such as intellectual hobbies or games. Don’t make them so far apart that you forget what came before; half a chapter or an entire chapter every day or every two days can be a fair pace.
Read books about people who struggled with the basics of math, science, or other subjects but persevered to find solutions without giving up. Their learning styles can help you improve your own.
SEE ALSO: How To Improve Your Ability To Learn New Things: Top 14 Tips
5. Continue reading.
Make friends with your local library and bookstores, both new and old. Reading is a doorway to other worlds and other people’s thoughts.
If you read, you will never stop learning and being impressed by the vast ingenuity, intellect, and yes, even the dullness of the human race. It’s that simple: smart people read lots of books all the time.
Reading will also help you learn from the discoveries and failures of those who have gone before you. In fact, reading is a shortcut to learning things the hard way.
Read a variety of books. Just because you like mysteries doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reach for non-fiction. Don’t put any restrictions on yourself.
Recognize that everything you read has educational value. Nonfiction, of course, conveys knowledge about its subject.
Fiction, on the other hand, can teach you more about effective writing, narrative, language, and human nature in general.
Fiction, in fact, reveals much about the mores, morals, mindsets, and habits of the historical period in which it was written, and it is also argued that readers of fiction are more compassionate because it teaches us how to engage with the social environment.
Newspapers, magazines, instruction manuals, and comic books are excellent sources of information. Websites, blogs, reviews, and other online information sources are all examples.
6. Broaden your understanding of learning.
If you haven’t heard of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, you should. Consider how you might fit into it and how you might improve.
Experiment with new things both inside and outside your core skill set.
7. Do things that are not related to your profession.
Your experience as an adult can be your best asset. Whether you are gainfully employed or just volunteering your time, focusing on a project or playing with whatever catches your eye, try different things and pay attention to the results.
To increase the value of what you’ve learned, apply the results to other areas of your life. You never know when your observations and creative techniques may lead to an applicable discovery.
8. Do something.
Not all of your learning comes from outside sources. In fact, when you develop or invent something for yourself, some of the most intense learning occurs.
Artistic or scientific creation, physical or intellectual creation, social or solitary creation, there are many possibilities. Experiment with different things and approaches and refine the ones you like best.
9. Keep an eye on things.
Study both the ordinary and the unusual in your environment. Also look at the world from other perspectives.
React to what you see, and also pay attention to and examine your own reactions.
Be mindful: If you have trouble observing things for long periods of time, try meditating. This will help you learn to notice things in a more mindful way.
10. Study both formally and informally.
Some topics are best learned with the help of a teacher, no matter how smart you are.
A teacher can be found not only in the classroom, but also in your office, your neighbor’s garage, a store, a restaurant, or a cab. The instructor in your life can be a mentor or guide in the form of a life coach or counselor.
As part of the “OpenCourseWare” initiative, some of the world’s leading institutions are making videos and materials for their classes available online for free. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which makes hundreds of courses available, is a major contributor to this.
You can also use iTunes University, which can be accessed from your computer or mobile device.
SEE ALSO: How To Avoid Distractions While Studying For Exams: 14 Ways
11. Conduct inquiries.
Sometimes, asking the right questions is more important than knowing the answers. This also has the ability to turn almost anyone into a teacher. Make sure you are paying attention and understand the answer.
It is not uncommon to find an answer that is difficult to understand. To try to make sense of the answer, take notes, ask additional questions, and break it down into smaller pieces. Go back to your favorite learning style—if something is easier to understand through visualization, sketch it out.
Keep a journal or notebook to keep track of everything you’ve learned and any unanswered questions. Answers can educate just as much, if not more, than questions. You can also track your progress in a journal or notebook.
12. Evaluate and reflect on what you have learnt.
Does it make sense to you? Is it correct? Then who said it? What criteria were used to make the decision? Can it be verified? Is the viewpoint or advice reasonable, useful, and applicable?
13. Put what you’ve learned into practice.
This is the most effective way to test it; it will help you assimilate the knowledge more thoroughly and retain it for longer. It will also help you identify the flaws and strengths in your learning, which is how all human knowledge develops.
Who knows what you’ll find or connect?
14. Use the power of science to your advantage.
Experimenting, playing, and exploring can lead to a lot of learning. Allow yourself to experiment and try new things without feeling rushed.
15. Assist others in learning.
Teaching is a fantastic way to learn more about a topic and increase your own expertise. If you’re not a teacher or tutor, you can share your knowledge on social media, a forum, or simply answer a question someone asks.
You will discover that by teaching people how to learn, you will learn even more than your students. Not only will you need an in-depth understanding of the material, but you will also need to answer your students’ questions and expand your understanding beyond what you thought it was until you asked each question.
I want to thank you for taking the time to read my article about how to become a lifelong learner. I sincerely hope its contents have been a good help to you.
