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Teach yourself almost anything
"His God instructs him and teaches him the right way." -Isaiah 28:26What do Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Emily Dickinson, and Larry King have in common?
None of them went to college, all were largely self-taught, and all excelled in their callings.
Ben Franklin had no formal education beyond his tenth year. But he was an avid reader, and taught himself to write and swim by reading books and practice. He became an inventor, ambassador to France, influential writer and publisher of his famous Almanac, started the first lending library and a prototype of today's Toastmasters speaking clubs, among his many accomplishments.
Thomas Edison lasted three months in primary school before he was pulled out. His mom taught him reading, writing, and arithmetic at home. Tom's natural curiosity propelled him to become a prolific inventor.
The American poet Emily Dickinson attended school in her hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts, and attended one year of a women's seminary. On her own she studied her "lexicon" (dictionary), read widely, and developed an impressive mastery of the English language. She never took a poetry class. But she is now recognized as one of the most creative, imaginitive, spiritual, and prolific poets in American literary history. Her tender, passionate (and cerebral) poety has influenced generations of poets after her (including me!).
Talk show host Larry King is a high school graduate, but one of the most well-informed, widely read, (self) educated media stars. He got his start in Florida radio, worked his way up, stayed curious, and became well-known for his interviewing style -- blunt, sometimes abrasive to callers, but usually interesting. King made a career out of asking intelligent questions and carefully listening, always learning.
What can we learn from these successful, self-motivated, independent individuals?
You don't have to go to college for a good education.
Self-education is sometimes the best path. You learn what you're curious about at your own pace, and the "tuition" is free. Just buy a book or borrow it from a library. You only need desire and self-discipline.
I taught myself to become a better writer by reading "A Classic Guide to Better Writing" (Rudolf Flesch) and doing the writing exercises at the end of each chapter. I read the book twice. Soon after finishing the book, my fishing article was published in an outdoors magazine. The book costs less than $10 used via Amazon.com. You would pay about $186 at Portland Community College for a comparable 3 credit writing class; $474 at Portland State University for a similar class; and $915 at Marylhurst University (2005-06 tuition). I'd argue that you'd learn more by reading the book and doing the exercises yourself -- and save a lot of money!
I learned HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and designed three websites (including this one) -- after taking a free internet course, "Writing HTML" from Maricopa Community College in Arizona. I completed the 23 lessons twice. One of my sites was runner-up in an Earthlink contest.
I learned Photoshop, PageMaker, Microsoft Word, Acrobat, and Corel Draw at home and on the job by reading manuals and tutorials ("Classroom in a Book"). I never took a formal class. Though I value classroom learning, I tend to learn faster on my own.
I taught myself to swim, draw, do caricatures, cast a fly rod right and left-handed, tie flies, and shoot a basketball with good technique -- all from studying books and practice; no classes, no classroom teacher. When I compare what I learned in college to what I learned on my own, I learned more thoroughly and faster through independent study and practice.
I can't take credit for teaching myself. The credit goes to the excellent authors who wrote the books and internet lessons I studied. They were my skillful teachers. The very best teachers often distill their practical wisdom in textbooks, edited to be concise, logically organized, and effective. I usually prefer to go directly to the best textbook I can find rather than an intermediary (classroom teacher), so I can learn at my own speed, where and when I want to learn.
(I like to use Amazon.com free book reviews by fellow readers when selecting a book. The five star rating system and thoughtful comments will give you helpful feedback before choosing any book.)
Besides the benefits of self-teaching that I've mentioned, another benefit is the sense of satisfaction and confidence you feel when you do it yourself!
P.S. It's important to not only educate ourselves but also make a positive impact on the world with what we learn. Benjamin Franklin was so amazingly prolific and public-spirited because of the attitude reflected in his wise, heart-felt prayer:
O Powerful Goodness! bountiful Father! merciful Guide! Increase in me that Wisdom which discovers my truest Interest; Strengthen my Resolution to perform what that Wisdom dictates. Accept my kind Offices to thy other Children, as the only Return in my Power for thy continual Favors to me." (From Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography)
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