self-study

Workshop for improving your self-study skills.

tips

starting
- motivation: Find your own motivations for learning something.
- time: Set aside some time for learning and reflection. Be patient and relaxed throughout the learning process.
- learning style: find your optimal learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Read-write, Kinesthetic (physical and emotional experiences). (VARK)

research
- breadth-then-depth: First research a topic broadly to get a clearer mental map, after that go deeper into specific areas of the topic.
- notes: Make short notes of important facts and insights. This helps you build a mental map of complex structures.
- reflection: Take time to absorb and reflect on the information.
- association: Find interesting associations with your own expertise in other topics.
- question: Ask critical, rhetorical questions (that come up while researching a topic) and try to find find good answers to those questions. If no good answers are found, make a note of that.
- restructure: Correct any mental structures that are insufficient or flawed.

produce: Be creative in your own way with the new insights.
- discuss: Talk to other people about your understanding and insights regarding the topic. Be open for other viewpoints.
- explain: Can you explain the nuances of the topic quickly and fluently to someone else now?
- teach: If you know a lot about a certain topic, can you teach it clearly to someone? What is the most interesting part of the topic for others?
- apply: Apply what you know in new creative ways.

Japanese aesthetics
human body language
charismatic people
emotional intelligence
world population growth
tree biology
cell biology
video series: “the human brain” (neuroscience intro)
city structures and atmospheres around the world (geo-visual study using online 2D/3D/photosphere information)
… choose your own topic!

wikischool tools:
- search: "self-study" (optimized search interface)
- wikischool apps (special apps for certain information domains)