Learning: A Discovery.
One of the disciplines I’m profoundly passionate about is sociology. I studied it at school in eleventh grade and I remember being particularly indulged in learning all about it. I used to write papers and papers discussing sociological phenomena, analysing concepts and assessing their validity. Taking that course at school opened up so many doors of ideas and it did enlighten me to understand society on a deeper level, and with it, humanity.
Two weeks ago, I decided I should continue my studies in sociology by self-learning it, alongside an Innovation Management course I highly recommend on Coursera. So, I looked up the A Level syllabus and reviewed the key points I was supposed to search more about. I don’t have the textbook and it’s only available as a preview on the Internet, so I’m relying entirely on encyclopedias and YouTube videos to grasp the content.
Self-learning is perhaps one of the best things I enjoy about life. I don’t like the restraints of examinations and the way they limit us to focus on certain aspects and neglect others that might make sense to us. So these days, I’m spending a few hours everyday researching and understanding, and to reinforce this knowledge, I’m attempting to include my own assessment in my notes.
In order to effectively self-learn, it would be helpful to be aware of metacognition— thinking about thinking/learning. To ensure that the information doesn’t go wasted and forgotten, one needs to be aware of how to cluster the different concepts and link them together through integration of neural pathways between both the left and right side of the brain, connecting the abstract ideas to a series of analytical and systematic ways to approach concepts. Also, a theory I’ve found extremely crucial to be aware of is Bloom’s taxonomy of learning, where it’s evident that remembering information by itself is not adequate and one needs to comprehend, analyse and eventually create and evaluate information to allow knowledge to change the brain and affect one’s identity.
It’s not only the process of learning things, but actually changing your mindset and allowing you to view things differently. Learning about sociology those days gave me an insight on how much society is capable of structuring human behaviours by the development of cultures and stereotypes. The process of socialisation in itself is very revealing to how we are all ascribed roles and identities.
I’m sure that this experience is only the beginning, and I’ll repeat it every time I have a chance. Learning how to learn and think is a pivotal skill which could change one’s life. We aren’t always going to be in the same careers for various circumstances and random life happenings; this skill allows us to be more resilient and gives us the ability to adapt accordingly, when we’re urged to learn something entirely new to make a living.
One needs to be confident, empowered and disciplined in order to make this process a success. It’s easy to give yourself excuses and give up, claiming that you don’t understand by yourself. Quite ironically, this is only a virtue and because there is no time limit, you can take so much time trying harder to grasp what is difficult to understand. In the end, it’s all about being passionate and intrinsically motivated.
There is nothing more empowering than being able to discern what makes sense and what doesn’t. Nothing more empowering than being free-willed and choosing your very own beliefs.
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