Greetings, my good friends, am happy to see you all today.
Wow! What do we have here today, Self-Learning?

I have seen and read so many definitions of self-learning, but today I will make it very clear to my readers.

Today, I will give you a short story about myself in my educational journey.

Back then in school, I was this kind of person that likes watching movies and I enjoyed it a lot, I can watch a movie in 2 hours of my time, It almost affected my education in times of studying on my own, also I have this little challenges in school, my lecturers don’t teach me the way I understand things but I see it as my major problem in school still I met this young man in school called #Enyinnaya Justman, he was one of my brilliant friends in school, I even called him a brain photocopy because he understands everything they teach in class. I choose him as my friend because he contributes a lot to my educational learning and skill, he stopped me from watching a movie and educated me more in self-learning. He taught me how to read and study for more than 3 hours.

I know it sounds funny, right?

But let's look into what we have today, “Self-Learning”.

First, what is Self-Learning?

According to Malcom Knowles, self-learning is defined as:
“a process by which individuals take the initiative, with or without the assistance of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, and evaluating learning outcomes”.
Our future relies on our ability to apply critical thinking and problem solve.

To achieve successful Self-Learning steps to take are:

1. Set Goals to Create New Opportunities

Goal setting is extremely important because it helps you increase productivity and also improves your focus. Having clear objectives means you are more likely to create a specific plan and take action to achieve your goals. When you’re learning new skills, one potential goal you can think about is how to apply these skills to your working life or how these skills can open new career opportunities for you.
Build a Network of “Learning Collaborators” Around You
We are collaborative learners by nature. Take advantage of online communities that will support you through your learning journey.
In the self-learning process, each learner is also a teacher, so it’s super helpful to become a part of a learning community and share your knowledge with others.

According to The Lean Pyramid Model, developed in the 1960s by the NTL Institute in Bethel, Maine, people retain 90% of what they learn by teaching someone else or putting it into action immediately. This is further supported by The Protege Effect, an ancient old practice recently observed in the phenomenon of why older siblings are usually smarter; because they’ve had to teach their younger siblings.

2. Gather knowledge
One of the most common mistakes is that people concentrate either on the practical or on the theoretical aspects of something. This only leads to stereotypes like the stupid sportsman or the nonathletic nerd. However, it is also very ineffective, because you probably don't use your whole brain, but only the left side or the motoric part. Having an open mind also helps to see connections to things you already like, thus increasing comprehension and motivation.

3. Apply what you learn by building your own digital portfolio.
If you want to learn a new skill, you need to apply what you learn by building something with it. We live in an age where a resume or degree doesn’t matter nearly as much as a digital portfolio that shows exactly what you have done. Ideally, your digital portfolio should have detailed case studies to show off the value you offer and the business results you have achieved for others.

This means you need to build a personal brand to differentiate yourself and your own professional-looking website with a digital portfolio section that shows off what you can do.

4. Get more experienced people to judge you

Besides they can correct your mistakes, they - may be even more important - can tell you when you are already doing something well, which can be very motivating.