Three Ways to Keep Learning Outside of the Classroom.
Being smarter has never been more accessible — or free.
Thanks to the behemoth that is the World Wide Web, education is sitting on a silver platter. It has never more accessible than this very moment. With the vast sea of information at our fingertips, it’s hard to know what’s trustworthy, and what’s complete bullsh*t.
Throughout my Kinesiology degree, I quickly became skilled at weeding out the professionals from the posers, all without spending a cent. Here are three tips for filling your brain with reliable sources without emptying your wallet. After all, education is the catalyst we need to open doors, find joy, and spark change.
“Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching” — Unknown
Three Tips for Life-Long (Free) Learning.
1) Seek free content from those with credentials.
There is a vast amount of peer-reviewed, reliable information that is not sitting behind a paywall. Some of my favorite resources include Ted Talks, articles from PubMed, online podcasts, Khan Academy, and even YouTube (just be careful). The key to ensuring your source is efficacious is to:
- Check the release date (see that it’s relatively current).
- Suss out any suspicious motives (are they selling you something?).
- Double-check the credentials (are they really from Harvard?).
Bonus: Seek out other reliable sources that can back it up.
If your subject matter passes the examination with flying colors, go enjoy the professional, well-informed content that you worked so hard to find!
2) Network with people who know more than you.
If you invest in relationships with ‘smart people’, you will have many opportunities to learn from them. As I went through college, I was intentional about seeking out professors and building networks with those that had expertise in relevant fields. Now that I’m graduated, I have a strong base of people to connect with for knowledge and life experience.
Networking can be done in any environment. Whether you’re a nurse, waiter, or elementary school teacher, seek out others who hold credentials and unique life experience. It should be noted, however, that trust must always be present with the individual first. If you approach every interaction with caution and practice diligence in your research, you’ll be on your way to gleaning from the best of the best.
Not only will this open doors for you, but it will foster trustworthy human connections that may last a lifetime — that’s more valuable than any lecture. I’ve never known anyone who would turn me away because I asked for advice or mentorship, and guess what… it’s always free!
3) Read, read, read.
Now you could argue, wait — don’t books cost money? The answer is yes… and no. Due to the sprawling nature of the internet, it’s never been easier to find free access to literature online. Open Library is one of my favorite resources for this very purpose. Additionally, many reading services such as Amazon Kindle have free subscription trials. I’m currently enjoying a free four-month period with Kindle Unlimited, and have already read six books without dropping a dime.
Public libraries are still a thing too (believe it or not). You can find anything in a bookstore in a library, it may just take a little more patience to get your hands on it.
Oh, and keep doing what you’re doing right now! Reading on Medium is hands down one of the best ways to become smarter. The presence of strong, educated, influential writers is at an all-time high on this platform. It’s a great day to be a learner.
In closing,
Never stop being curious about the world. There’s so much joy and discovery in learning that is waiting to be uncovered. If you take advantage of the plethora of information sitting in front of your nose, you’ll never run out of things to absorb. We’re living in a day and age when you can become educated in any field without spending a dollar. Take a moment and be grateful for what we have, but not for too long… there are things to learn!
-DavidLiira.Kin