How to Self Study and Why it Matters

Middle school and high school students are used to having learning outcomes determined by a teacher, who structures and leads the transmittal of knowledge. But for curious students, the learning doesn’t stop when the night’s homework is done. Avid learners read books, listen to podcasts, and watch YouTube videos, taking the reins of their studies and delving deeper into both school subjects and other budding interests.

At Top Tier Admissions, we empower students to take an active role in setting and achieving their goals, enabling them not only to succeed in school, but also to discover and nurture their unique passions. Self-studying is an important part of that conversation.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SELF STUDY?

Self-studying is any form of learning that takes place without direct supervision. Whereas in school, students follow a set curriculum under the guidance of a teacher, with self-studying a student (usually) determines their own program of study, self-paces their progress, and self-assesses to determine whether they’ve mastered the material.

Self-studying requires diligence and maturity: you set the curriculum, you keep yourself on track, and you create opportunities for demonstrating mastery through research papers, essays, and so forth. But there are many benefits: you are in control of what you learn, how you learn it, when you learn it, and how much money you pay to learn it (you may be surprised by both the volume and prestige of free resources available to you).

You’re in the driver’s seat with a wide expanse ahead of you. Let’s go over some rules and guidelines before you hit the open road.

HOW TO ORGANIZE A SELF STUDY PROGRAM

Determine your Learning Needs

Spending hours flipping through books in your local bookshop or clicking through videos on YouTube is a great way to satisfy your curiosity. But be careful lest you become a Jack/Jill of all trades and master of none. As you consider your self-studying options, think long and hard about your interests and long-term career goals, and identify any gaps in your studies so far.

Consider, for example, a student who loves languages. Let’s say you’ve studied Spanish for six years and have developed a real facility for reading, writing, listening, and speaking the language. Ask yourself: what would I like to do with this skill? Are you passionate about immigrants’ rights? Is law school on the horizon? Figure out what you can learn now that can help you become an effective advocate for Spanish-speaking immigrants further down the line. Study voting-specific vocabulary so you can volunteer as a translator at your local polling place? Study policy issues that affect a specific immigrant population? 

Set Targeted Goals

Once you’ve determined what it is you want to learn, translate that into a goal. In the above example, this goal might be to spend a summer studying immigration law, including treatises, statutes, and case law, or to devote a semester to learning legal terminology in Spanish.

Goals may also be tailored to school subjects: for example, you might accelerate your learning in a specific subject, such as math or science, through advanced online courses, or study a niche subtopic related to something you’re learning in school via podcasts or specialized textbooks. You might also choose to spend time self-studying for AP exams (especially if you’re not taking the course at school), preparing for honors-level courses, or even exploring budding interests that you plan to develop into larger independent study programs down the line.

Identify Online Courses and Other Resources

Now comes the exciting part: finding the best resource(s) for your goal(s). There are a lot of resources to choose from, but even though you’re planning a “self” study program, that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. A heutagogical approach (AKA one in which a self-led learner works with a “guide” who provides ongoing check-ins and support) is a great way to stay on track and focused. At Top Tier Admissions, we can help you cut through the noise to identify and guide you through the best self-studying resource(s) for you. Here are a few resources we often share with our students:

MOOCs and Other Online Courses on a Variety of Subjects

Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs for short, are free, flexible online courses, often created by major universities such as Harvard, Yale, and MIT. Coursera and edX are both great resources for such courses. There are also paid courses, many of which confer degrees and other certificates, available on such platforms. For each of these courses, you’ll want to consider what the time commitment is, how much homework they assign (if any), how assignments are graded, and whether the syllabus covers most or all of the material you’re hoping to learn.

The Great Courses is another interesting and useful go-to for self-studying, with many niche topics taught by experts and professors around the world.

Online Courses for School Subject Enrichment

Johns Hopkins’ Center for Talented Youth and Northwestern’s Center for Talent Development offer flexible online courses that enable students high-school-aged and younger to study school subjects and to dive deeper into academic enrichment opportunities. There are also AP courses available to students self-studying for the exams. Khan Academy is also a fantastic resource for school subject enrichment.

Podcasts and Videos

If a formal course feels like too much of a commitment to take on, consider podcasts or videos on your chosen topic instead. TED Talks and these fantastic podcasts from Stanford offer excellent, mostly free content. Online Education Database, also a superb resource for online courses, compiles a plethora of podcast resources too.

Books and Textbooks

And while much of learning takes place in a digital format nowadays, there’s still good, old fashioned book learning, as well. A great way to find books and textbooks to study is to read through the required reading sections of the syllabi from university courses in your chosen subject area.

BEST PRACTICES FOR SELF-STUDYING

Armed with the tools for success, there are a few best practices to keep in mind.

Make Self-Studying a Routine

Without the threat of bad grades, it’s easy to get lazy. We’re tired or we have plans with friends, and suddenly we haven’t self-studied in two weeks! Establishing a non-negotiable schedule with daily goals is critical. If you’re having trouble building the routine, tack this new habit onto an already established one (preferably one you enjoy): watch lectures while you’re having your afternoon snack; sit in a favorite coffee shop while you listen to a podcast episode, or pair up with a buddy who’s also self-studying for something and incentivize your respective study habits with the reward of hanging out after the work is done.

Do your Homework

Homework is a valuable part of self-studying. Not only will it help you remember the material from day to day and week to week, but it will also reveal areas of weakness or misunderstanding. If the program you’ve chosen to study with doesn’t assign homework, create your own mini assignments between 20 minutes to 40 minutes long. And if your course does assign homework, do it and don’t rush through it.

Build in Additional Metrics for Success with a “Final”

Having a way of measuring whether you’ve met your study goal(s) — by preparing a culminating talk for peers, family, or professional contacts on the subject, for example — is a great way to hold yourself accountable in the same way that a teacher might track your goals in the classroom.

ENJOY THE OPEN ROAD

Wherever you are on your self-studying journey, if you’re reading this, that means you’re on the right track. Enjoy the open road, and let us know what you find along the way!