id: sdl title: Self Directed Learning previous: foundation next: mfn date: 2021-01-29 ---

## Self directed learning

More and more these days we have access to all the information that we could possibly need to accomplish almost anything. Learning is no longer the solo scholarly pursuit that it used to be. Everything is connected. Immersing yourself in the various communities will guide you to the specific resources that you need for the later steps of sitting down and reading, practicing and experimenting yourself.

The world is moving faster all the time and we need to be adaptable to keep up. Being committed to learning constantly is so valuable. Being able to learn effectively on your own is one of the most important skills and only becomes more so over time.

When access is an issue, libraries usually provide free computer access. Another option is fantastic cheap little computers called Raspberry pi’s. They have most of the functionality of a full desktop and work wonderfully for reading documents or internet browsing. They are also a tinkerer’s dream (but that is not the purpose of this post). You can get a full setup for somewhere in the range of 150$ with monitor, keyboard and mouse. They come with a lot of educational tools built in that can help you learn how to program as well. All the information on them can be found at https://www.raspberrypi.org/ .The buy now section will direct you to sellers nearby.

No longer is the problem a lack of information but an overabundance of it. The meat of the problem is finding the right information. Every field has subfields and even those have specialities. With all that out there. it is hard to parse. Is the information you find accurate? Is it relevant to what you want to do? There are rabbit holes to dive down everywhere. They can just as easily distract you as provide useful information.

If you are learning purely for interest's sake then, by all means, follow your curiosity wherever it might take you and have fun. You can spend your whole life learning and not even scratch the surface of what humanity knows.

I am going to assume however that the learning you want to do has a purpose. Having a project in mind is a fantastic filter for looking at things. What is relevant to the project? We don’t always know when we start but we don’t have to. If you start working you can learn what you need to as you go. Part of learning on your own is that you get to apply what you learn as you learn it. That allows you to quickly see where you are running into roadblocks and need more research. It also helps with focussing your attention when you are looking for information. A goal makes you much more sensitive to relevant information as you contact it. Working through a problem in the background will snap your attention to anything you see that can help.

There are online communities for almost everything out there somewhere and most are happy to share with people who are genuinely interested. Find a group that is already doing what you want to do and ask. Ask publicly at first rather than with private messages. Asking will often spark a discussion allowing the debate on the topic to inform and guide you to the things you need to know. Reddit is a great space when you find the right subreddits (and avoid the unpleasant ones). Social media is also very helpful, and a good old Google search will turn up tons of places people congregate to talk about their projects. It is often better to search for a community than just looking up the topic itself. The community will have already filtered out the bad information for you.

Another resource I have found invaluable is podcasts. The world of podcasting has exploded in the last couple years and it now covers every topic imaginable. I find that a good way to get started is to try more general podcasts until you find one you like. If you know exactly what you want to find, looking for a subject specific podcast is great. but they tend to be a little less widely known and harder to find. This is especially true if you are just starting into an area and don’t know the various experts in the field. Something like the Joe Rogan Experience or the Tim Ferriss Show (general but with a focus on performance) have a wide variety of guests who are experts in a field. Many of the experts have their own shows, books, or recommendations for new people getting into the field. You can specialise more as you get more familiar with the podcasting space and start to get to know the names and work of the people working in your area of interest..

Whether you are using a library computer, a Raspberry Pi, or a smartphone to access information online you can learn all your life. The variety that Reddit, podcasts and Google contain give you unprecedented access to anything that interests you. So go ahead and jump in, enjoy the ride.

Thank you for reading.