Category: Education

Do you sometimes feel stuck in a rut when it comes to your education? Are you not learning in the traditional school system as you expect to? If so, consider autodidacticism as an option. Autodidacticism is a self-directed approach to learning, and it is an effective way to get more out of your education.

In this guide, we’ll outline some tips for becoming a successful self-learner. So if you’re ready to take your study into your own hands, keep reading!

What Is an Autodidact?

An autodidact is someone who self-teaches a particular subject or skill instead of acquiring knowledge through formal instruction. Actually, many well-known historical figures were self-taught, including Leonardo da Vinci and Abraham Lincoln.

Nowadays, with the vast amount of online information and new emerging avenues in education, it has become more accessible for people to educate themselves on any topic they prefer. While formal education is still valuable, there is no longer a need to rely solely on institutions to learn. Anyone can be an autodidact.

Is this something you’re looking forward to?

If so, you’re at the right place! Let’s discover eight proven practical tips to help you get started.

1. Find Your Field of Interest

We all know how challenging choosing a field of study can be, especially with many available options. To narrow your choices, you must find what you are passionate about. What topics do you think about even when you’re not in class? What are the subjects that inspire you?

For example, consider studying environmental science if interested in ecological and sustainability issues. On the other hand, if you enjoy learning about social justice, consider studying sociology or criminology.

Choosing the field study that excites and inspires you will set you up for a lifetime of learning and discovery.

2. Develop Self-Discipline

 Autodidactic learners are not born with extraordinary abilities but share one important trait: self-discipline. This quality allows them to teach themselves new skills and knowledge on time. With self-discipline, it is possible to maintain the focus and stimulation required to learn independently. So how can you develop this skill?

The first step is to set realistic goals. Learning an entire subject overnight is doomed to failure. Instead, break down your goals into manageable pieces and set a timeline for each goal.

As you work towards them, track your progress and document any challenges you encounter. You can also use tools to help you count your studying hours, such as time trackers, virtual notes, and task management apps.

Most importantly, remember to reward yourself for your accomplishments. A little positive reinforcement will keep you motivated and on track.

3. Focus On One Thing at a Time

In today’s fast-paced world, learning new things quickly and efficiently it’s more important than ever.

One of the key characteristics of an autodidact is fitting into the requirements of real-life challenges. In our era, people of all ages constantly seek to learn new things. According to a recent study, the average person will change their working careers 5-7 times during their life.

That’s where “just in time” learning comes in. This educational aspect is all about acquiring the skills you need when you need them. There’s no need to waste time learning something you may never use. Instead, focus on the things that will affect your life or career the most.

This form of learning can take many forms. For example, it might mean watching a tutorial on YouTube when you need to learn how to solve a problem—or reading an article when you want to learn more about a particular topic.

4. Match the Proper Learning Methods

There is more than just a one-size-fits-all approach to learning, especially in subjects like language learning. For example, some people understand best by listening to audio recordings, and others by speaking with a native speaker. The key is to find the right mix of methods that work for you.

If you’re a visual learner, you can start by watching a few episodes of your favorite TV show in the target language. Then, you can build up your viewing with related reading material, such as books.

Another effective way to practice what you’ve learned is conversing with friendly native speakers. This will help you quickly match your learning experience to your needs and goals.

5. Attend Seminars, Workshops, or Courses

One exciting and effective way to learn more about what you are passionate about is to attend beneficial activities related to it. This allows you to hear from experts in the field and learn about recent developments in the topic area. While there are courses like Coursera Plus, a paid subscription model, most of Coursera courses are entirely free to audit!   Courses also include interactive exercises and real-world projects.

Attending events also helps you network with others who share your interests on a range of subjects, including business, computer science, and history. This can lead to new opportunities and collaborations and inspire fresh ideas for pursuing your passions.

6. Think Outside of the Box

As an autodidact, you have the advantage of tailoring your education to suit your own interests. However, only pursuing information reinforcing your beliefs can get you stuck in a rut. To truly be creative, you must seek diverse perspectives and open yourself up to new ideas.

Fortunately, there are many free resources to do that. For example, online forums and chat rooms offer a great way to connect with people worldwide and share international experiences.

7. Take Notes and Create Action Plans

As an autodidact, you can choose your own learning materials and pace of study. However, it’s easy to get overwhelmed or lost in all the information out there. That’s why taking valuable notes and creating action plans as you go is essential.

You’ll manage your time effectively and learn more adequately by tracking your progress and organizing ideas. Connecting with other autodidacts or in person is also helpful. There’s nothing like sharing ideas and motivating each other to keep learning!

8. Use Study Affirmations

As a self-learning student, a study affirmation is the easiest way to keep your motivation high. This includes a positive statement you repeat to yourself regularly. For example, you can say, “I will complete this today,” or “I am a successful student.”

Repeating these statements will make you believe them, keeping your productivity and commitment on track. The most important thing is to stay consistent in your use of affirmations. Say it to yourself daily, even write them down, and eventually, it will become part of your routine.

Tools for Autodidacts

There are many free tools available for self-taught learners. First and foremost, a good dictionary is always essential. Not only does it provides definitions for unfamiliar words, but it also helps with pronunciation and usage.

Another great resource includes self-education books. But, again, countless options exist on every imaginable topic, many of which can be found for free.

In addition, many universities offer free online courses that provide a structured introduction to various subjects.

Here are some of the free resources to help you on the self-education journey:

Wikibooks

Wikibooks is a Wikimedia Foundation project which serves as an online library of free online textbooks. This project started in 2003 and has grown to involve over 33,000 books. Wikibooks is one of the largest and most popular projects, with over 1.5 million monthly visitors.

While most books are in English, the project is also home to many works in other languages, including Spanish, French, and Chinese. As the world’s largest provider of free educational content, Wikibooks is a critical resource for students.

Bookboon

If you love reading, there’s a new website that you’ll want to check out. Bookboon is a free online library that offers thousands of ebooks for readers of all ages.

Many textbooks help students learn for free and can be easily downloaded as PDFs. Best of all, Bookboon is free to use – so why not start browsing today?

Khan Academy

You’ve probably heard of Khan Academy already. This non-profit organization offers students free online classes and resources. The Academy was founded in 2008 to provide “a free, world-class education for anyone worldwide” and now has over 20 million students using it.

You can find courses in various subjects, from science to history and art. Besides its online classes, Khan Academy provides practice exercises, video lessons, and articles.

YouTube

Recently, YouTube has become an increasingly popular resource for educational videos, along with the safe alternative KidzTube, which features screen educational YouTube videos.. So whether you’re looking for a tutorial on how to solve a math equation or want to learn a new language, you’ll find what you’re looking for on YouTube. Also, you can often access this information for free.

Bottom Line

Understanding how self-education works is one of the most significant experiences you can cultivate as an individual. It’s a skill that will always serve you well, regardless of your working industry. And luckily, it’s something anyone can develop with enough commitment and effort.

If you’re interested in becoming an autodidact, the above guide should give you a good starting point. So what are you waiting for? Start browsing and learn something new today!

Additional Resources:

• Explore how a lack of education, knowledge, and experience can mislead people because of the Dunning-Krugger Effect.
• Discover how to learn a new language faster.

The rapid boom in online classes and courses made it essential for every student to own a laptop or a PC. As per stats, around 95 percent of undergraduate students in the United States own a laptop.  Even after having powerful machines in their hands, most students are unaware of how to make the most of their laptops.

In this article, we have shared the top 8 ways to improve your productivity as a student using your laptop.

1.  Say Hi! to Productivity Tools

Productivity tools aren’t meant just for professionals, you can also use them to improve your productivity as a student. These tools include reminders, calendars, and other applications that can help you keep track of your schedule.

Install these applications and tools on your laptop, and you will have everything in one place. We also recommend installing ad-blockers as they will help you maintain focus while browsing, and those unwanted ads won’t disturb you during the class.

2.  Avoid Installing Distracting Apps

Modern laptops have plenty of storage space, and that’s why most students install numerous apps on their computers. However, in order to make the most out of your computer, you need to keep it free from distracting apps.

Uninstall all applications that you do not use and are not helpful to you for anything. A clean laptop runs much more efficiently, so there will be fewer lags, and you will get better performance.

Do not forget the extra space you get by deleting unwanted apps! You can utilize this space to store the recorded classes and other essential files.

3.  Learn How to Take Notes Effectively

Much of the criticism of laptops for students pertain to note-taking. While most students believe that writing notes by hand is the best way, typing them on your laptop is better, as per experts.

When you take notes using your laptops, you don’t have to be selective since you can write fast. Install applications such as MS Word and Grammarly to ensure you can take notes quickly without making any mistakes.

Also, sharing these notes is easy, and you can have them on any device you own, such as your smartphone.

4.  Have Shortcuts to Important Apps for Ease Access

Nowadays, students have to attend multiple online classes in a day, which calls for the need for applications like Zoom. Searching for the app on your laptop may not be that convenient, so having its shortcut will simplify things for you.

Similarly, organize all shortcuts in one place so that you can launch the app you want. You can even create shortcuts based on the lectures to save your precious time.

5.  Clean Up and Organize Your Laptop

As kids, we all had a computer with a messy desktop, and finding an app to launch was a task back then. However, this should not persist now, and if you are doing this, it’s time to put a full stop.

Cleaning a laptop is one of the most important tasks every student should do to ensure proper usage. By cleaning, we mean removing the files that you do not use anymore. Also, you should organize the PC to ensure that you don’t have to find the programs you want to launch.

Everything from the recorded classes to the applications should be readily accessible.

6.  Install All Apps Required in the Class

While opting for most courses, you’ll come to know about the laptop configurations required to enroll in them. Similarly, you can find information on the apps and tools required for a class.

For example, in a drawing class, you will need MS Paint and other apps that help you paint. Having these apps already installed on your laptop saves precious time, and you can keep up with what the tutor is teaching.

A Pro Tip

Make sure to update these apps to the latest version to avoid technical glitches and bugs.

7.  Always Keep the Battery Charged Fully

Most students pay attention to the installed apps and the aesthetics of the laptop. However, the battery is its soul, and you should never ignore it. If you are studying from a classroom, you should keep the battery charged to 100% before you leave your house.

Imagine your laptop running out of charge when the teacher is explaining an important concept. Not every desk in the classroom has a charging port, so keeping your laptop’s battery full every time is important.

8.  Always Create a Backup of the Essential Files

Another hack for students to make the most out of their laptops is creating backups of the essential files. Always create a backup of those recorded class videos and notes to ensure that you do not lose important data if your laptop gets damaged or in the event of any other unforeseen event.

Save the backups somewhere else, for example, in an external drive or on cloud storage, to have access to it at all times.

Closing Thoughts

We hope these eight ways will help you be more productive and get the most out of your laptop as a student. Always choose a laptop that meets your needs and has the right configuration depending on your course or class’s needs.

Here’s some detailed information on which is the best laptop configuration for students in case you need some help in choosing a machine.

Lastly, don’t forget to install a reliable antivirus since students usually connect to external wireless networks, so safety is a must for improved productivity.

A new avenue for teaching and learning resources is getting opened up by virtual reality (VR) in education. The foundation of virtual reality is the product of a 360-degree digital world, which offers a stimulating and immersive user experience that seems genuine.

Here, we will explore some advantages of adopting VR in school and how it may enhance education. Thus, Tech Review Advisor helps you in finding the best virtual reality for your education purpose.

What Is Virtual Reality(VR) technology?

A simulated world may be produced by computers using virtual reality (VR). Users may explore and engage with the artificially created, computer-generated world that gets created. While traditional user interfaces do not immerse the user in the experience, virtual reality does. Users may engage with the captivating 3D environment instead of merely observing it, on a screen, in front of them. Tech Review Advisor helps you in gaining more knowledge on Virtual Reality in education. The computer becomes a gatekeeper to this synthetic world by replicating as many sensations as, including vision, hearing, touch, and even smell.

Why is VR technology chosen in school education?

In education, virtual reality gets utilised to increase students’ interest in their studies. The real world we live in gets created by virtual reality. It can change how education gets delivered in the modern world. It may also employ in the military, medical field, security industry, anti-terrorism field, forecasting weather, etc.

What makes VR effective in education?

The usage of virtual reality can improve learning and engagement among students. The idea behind virtual reality (VR) education gets to create a virtual environment, whether real or made up, and let users view and engage with it. It can completely change the way that educational information gets given.

Visual learning helps you be more driven to comprehend what you are studying when you are engaged in it. Processing the information will be less mentally taxing.

Here are a few characteristics that make virtual reality in teaching so effective.

Enhances understanding

Students might have trouble understanding complex ideas that benefit from VR in the classroom.

For instance, biology students may observe brain structures and neurons from various angles using VR headsets and instructional apps. A form may get rotated to get seen from several perspectives, even from the inside.

Virtual reality (VR) may liven up the classroom and provide pupils with real-world experiences that aid in developing new understandings.

Students can better understand complex ideas when they can picture them.

VR makes it easier to demonstrate practical abilities

Although it is common knowledge that individuals learn best by doing, current schooling shows how little learning occurs by doing. Students are more concerned with reading instructions than really putting them into practice.

VR in education gives the lessons an experiential anchor. Learning with VR inspires students to make their discoveries.

Instead of just passively reading, students may learn by doing.

Virtual field trips

Through the creation of a completely immersive sense of time and location, virtual reality (VR) may be utilised to interest pupils in historical and geographical issues.

Consider taking a student to the Great Wall of China. Virtual reality in education can make it possible even when no school funding could physically support these excursions.

More educational than simply reading about history or geography is providing an immersive sense of place and time. Virtual reality panoramas get used on every excursion, which ranges from visits to historical sites to Mars. Additionally, locations that are inaccessible in person can get visited by people from all over the world.

Naturally, virtual reality will never be able to take the place of actual travel and excursion experiences. But VR makes experiences conceivable that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

Scalable VR training

Institutions require consistent investment in training tools for their students, such as science lab equipment, medical equipment, etc.

Budgets are tight, and all this equipment needs to be maintained and upgraded.

By merely investing in the software and a reasonably priced VR box or VR headset, teachers may grow their operations at a far cheaper cost.

Students who use virtual reality can also learn valuable skills. The ability to learn from real-world situations is one of the massive advantages of this style of instruction.

Because they happen in a secure and regulated virtual world, the effects of mistakes made by pupils during VR instruction are low.

Additionally, VR enables students to experiment with topics they wouldn’t have access to in a classroom.

Conclusion:

Without a doubt, virtual reality in education will result in a beneficial change in the efficiency of information transfer.

Additionally, VR may get used in more modern technology in the classroom and assist students in creating a better future for themselves and those around them.

With the advent of VR technology, schools will get equipped with cutting-edge equipment that will improve student engagement and learning.

Over the next several years, it is anticipated that virtual reality in education will become more prevalent.

Read About More Cutting Edge Tech Being Used in Schools

Why schools should invest in 3d scanners for their students.

Halloween, a contraction of All Hallows’ Eve, is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31 every year. This popular festival dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. But now it’s observed all over the world. Halloween activities include parties, carving jack-o-lanterns, donning costumes and spooky treats.

Children wearing costumes go house to house after dark, calling out at each door “trick or treat”! Then people give them ‘treats’ like candy or gifts.  Among the fun facts, you may be wondering about the history of Halloween and how it pops into the culture through the ages.

Let’s reveal the facts of origin of Halloween.

Religious origin

Halloween is believed to be tracked by the dogma and practices of Christianity. The root word of Halloween derives from All Hallows’ Eve which is the commingled Scottish word of “All Hallows” meaning “to make holy” and “Even,” or “E’en,” meaning evening.

Thus Halloween (31^st October) means the evening before All Saints Day on November 1, and the two days earlier All Souls Day on November 2. These three days are called Allhallowtide together.

At this triple-day festival, Western Christians like the Roman Catholic and a large number of Protestant denominations of Christianity commemorate the saints as well as pray for the recently departed souls and martyrs.

Halloween is basically preparing themselves for All Saints Day on the evening of October 31 on Halloween with prayer vigils with other honorary events. After harvest, when there is plentiful food, the Halloween festival becomes more celebratory too.

On the other hand, Historians say that Halloween or Hallowe’en originated from Celt culture as early as AD 270. But my opinion is today’s Halloween has both Celt and Christian influences. To understand the fact read out the history.

Celtic Tradition

The Celts lived almost 2000 years ago in different locations of the world that now lie in the United Kingdom, northern France, and Ireland mostly. Ancient Celts of Ireland arranged the annual feast of ‘Samhain’ a special costume party on 31^st October.

They believed that between summer and winter, there is a boundary night when the limit between the living people and the dead is blurred. They also thought that the deceased ghosts came back to the earth on October 31, which was the last day of the year as Celts observed November 1 as their new year.

A fallacy is that evil spirits are released on 31^st October in the world to attract the festival and ‘eve’ returns to ward off the demons. Thus, people wore costumes on Halloween to disguise themselves so evil spirits can’t harm them.

According to Christian history of Halloween, a group of missionaries came to the Celt in England and Ireland. After hearing Gospel, most people of Celt accepted Christianity. After that Celt added Gospel with the All Hallows Eve festival.

According to a study by National Geographic Channel, Catholic churches were influenced by Celts Samhain. Thus, the Vatican sanctioned November 1 as a holiday and designated the day as All Saints Day to honor martyrs (saints) and departed souls.

And afterward, October 31 and November 2 were announced as All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) and All Souls Day respectively. Generations passed by and Halloween transformed into today’s rituals.

How the rituals of Halloween are changing over the years?

Celtic celebrated the festival of Samhain on October 31 where they lit bonfires and dressed in costumes. They did it so that ghosts can’t recognize and harm them. But how did it come into America?

The rituals of Halloween were brought to the United States by some Irish immigrants in the 1840s for fleeing a potato famine. Thus, it got popularity first among the farm communities. They gathered together at the season’s end and used different natural elements as costumes.

Let’s talk about some Halloween rituals that are changing rapidly.

Pranks leading the way

In the last centuries, there were lots of pranks integrated with Halloween. Stealing garden gates and throwing cabbages are the two most popular among them. But now the style of Halloween pranks is changed. Hanging toilet paper in tree branches or egging houses are now popular.

Halloween parties are gaining popularity

Between the 1930s to 1950s, most Halloween parties were held at homes rather than parties in downtown centers. But now Halloween parties are very common even in school classrooms.   Celebrations have especially increased due to the involvement of mass people.

Store-bought treats are replaced by homemade food

What children expect now in trick-or-treating, is candy, right? But before the 1970s, children get nuts, fruits, popcorn, ball, or money. In the past, parents and senior citizens were very much concerned about children’s health.

Halloween Costumes

Halloween costumes are changing every year. According to the National Retail Foundation report of 2019, superheroes were the most popular children’s costumes for Halloween over princesses.

But this changed in 2021, Foundation was the most desired children’s costume to be superman, whereas princess and witch positioned runners up and third place respectively. Fake blood is now also a trending costume option.

Rise of Halloween TV specials and Halloween-themed parks

To spread Halloween popularity, most TV broadcasts Halloween-themed special programs. “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” launched in 1966 and that was a beginning of a trend. Afterward, as a continuation of the “Halloweentown”, “The Simpsons”, and “Hocus Pocus” were developed.

On the other hand, seasonal theme parks decorate the parks with Halloween themes and arrange special attractions and facilities during this time to attract people.

Halloween Games:  Play the Google Doodle Halloween game.

Where is Halloween celebrated?

Nowadays, Halloween is celebrated around the world but it’s most popular in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom. In some countries, it’s gaining popularity such as Australia, Belgium, Greece, France, New Zealand, Italy, Singapore, Japan, South Kore, Malaysia, and many more.

And Halloween is observed alongside traditional holidays in many other countries like Brazil, Germany, Ireland (alongside Samhain), Philippines, Columbia, China, Netherlands, and so on.

Summary

Halloween originated from the Celt Samhain festival. Celts celebrated the event in the memorial of their dead relatives and to thanksgiving between the end of summer and the long dark winter. Influenced by Celts, Halloween is observed on 31 October every year around the world either as a religious or non-religious event.