According to Malcolm X and I quote, “EDUCATION IS THE PASSPORT FOR THE FUTURE, FOR TOMORROW BELONGS TO THOSE WHO PREPARE FOR IT TODAY.”
This is true because the schools or universities out there will never teach you for example the knowledge about financial education. The formal schools or universities will teach you to study hard, earn a degree and work hard to be promoted to the job. Never that they will teach you to do business or become an entrepreneur. This is the reason why so many people retires poor and dependent to their children once they reach old age. But there are around ten (10) ways to educate yourself without going to school. Here they are:
Online Education
“You can’t teach people everything they need to know. The best you can do is position them where they can find what they need to know when they need to know it.” Seymour Papert.
Online learning is the future of education such as elearning, mobile learning and distant education are available now. Technology has been far more grateful to us now than ever before. It has opened a whole lot of avenues that we can explore to educate ourselves. Search for online courses and lectures and you will get numerous options depending on your country and area. Attending online lectures and online courses will give you the same type of education that you may have received if you continued school. A lot of prestigious universities are investing in online education. So you will not find yourself limited when it comes to online courses and lectures.
Get the Services of a Mentor
“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction. “- John C. Crosby
In order for a person to learn a certain course, procedures, business, skilled jobs and many specialized knowledge about things, then, the best way to gain knowledge and to learn that special things that you want to study is to get a mentor. A mentor is one who is an expert on the said specialized course, procedure, business or job because he has gain a lot of experienced. The trial and error method that he has done in the past made him an expert on the said line of work or job. This made him knowledgeable in almost all aspect of the work thereby eliminating the trial and error method that he has done in the past. The mentor will guide you step by step on the process or system to accomplish such work or job. This give you an almost perfect system to accomplish things which might be costly if you will do it yourself alone.
Podcasts
iTunes has a huge library of podcasts which share insight about almost every topic on earth. There are a lot of recordings that you can explore and the good part is that they can be downloaded. You do even have to take time out specially to listen to these recordings. Listen to them on your way to work or while you have free time and it will help you get knowledge about the topics of your choice. Some of the most popular podcasts that help you learn things are – Stuff you should know from Howstuffworks.com, Learn Spanish from Spanish Pod 101 and Zencast.
Slideshare and YouTube
If you are on a DIY mission then videos can be very helpful, and there is no better place for videos than YouTube. There are a huge number of informational videos on YouTube that covers a lot of topics.
Slideshare is another place where a lot of information is shared by LinkedIn users. The users can upload the files in different formats. Keeping in mind that LinkedIn is a professional networking website, you will find some very helpful insight from professionals regarding the topic you are trying to educate yourself on.
Attending On-site seminars and Trainings
This is another great alternative for those who are avoiding the school because of the amount you need to spend on books. On-site seminars and trainings give you the chance to meet others who share your love for a particular subject in person. You can understand things more clearly and also find the way others perceive the subject.
These seminars and trainings can encourage and challenge you to learn more and find out more about the subject. A lot of queries about the subject can also be answered by those who are learning about it with you.
Webinars and Online seminars
If you do not have the time to make it to on-site trainings, then webinars and online seminars can be a good option. You simply login to the webinar and delve in the rich exchange of ideas on a topic or a subject. You will get a chance to talk to professionals who have an insight about the subjects and who can help you understand things easily. If you already have immense knowledge in that field, then you will be able to help others too and you can also take the opportunity to enhance your knowledge when others put forward questions that you had never thought about.
Online & Google University
There are a lot of online schools and universities out in this world. We are all aware of Google’s overwhelming presence in our lives when it comes to looking for information. So how about taking it a step ahead with Google’s endeavour to make your search results more refined by showing up searches from universities and learning education? To use this method of searching you need to type in “site:.edu” followed by the topic you wish to search. It makes searching for content extremely easy when you want to look for educational information.
Surround yourself with a lot of good people.
Give yourself the gift of good company because the people you sit with are the ones who influence the way you think and the amount of knowledge you possess. Do not limit yourself by choosing company that may not further your urge to augment your knowledge. Allow your mind to be stimulated in the presence of people who may challenge you so that you can learn more and become more knowledgeable.
Media such as CDs and DVDs & MPs
The world of media is rich with knowledge, and if you are trying to explore a certain topic then a good idea will be to buy some CDs and DVDs regarding the topic and watch the videos. It is easier to understand a thing when you get the chance to see it rather than just read about it. Explore the different CDs and DVDs you have on a topic and pick the ones that have good reviews to help your learning curve be easier and smoother.
One of the best source of knowledge is Travel
This is one of the most exciting ways to educate yourself and one of the best things about travelling is that you usually do not forget the experience. You come across a variety of cultures, languages, people, food and places that teach you things naturally or by tapping into the information houses of the place you are traveling to. You can have history, geography and sociology blended into one travel plan. While these are not the only subjects that you will learn while traveling, exploring your travel plans will give you a chance to see for yourself what you wish to learn while traveling.