Self-learning

Self-learning, perhaps we are already quite familiar with this phrase. It is so widespread that even children who have just learned to read or write, and street vendors on the sidewalks, have likely heard and used it at least once. While each of us may have our own definition of self-learning, in terms of the concept, it can broadly be understood as “Self - Learning.”

So, what does “Self” mean? For me, “Self” encompasses several meanings: self-awareness, self-assessment, self-action, and self-pride. Self-awareness allows us to have a consciousness of studying, working on time, following schedules without procrastination or prolonged periods. Self-assessment helps us understand where we are, what position we are in, and how to continue striving scientifically and efficiently. Self-action means that we must take action for ourselves, seek what is necessary and beneficial, and start implementing it. Lastly, self-pride. Once we have gone through self-awareness, self-assessment, self-action, and achieved what we expected, we have the right to take pride in our accomplishments, in what we have, and what we have achieved. Perhaps these results are not perfect in the literal sense, but at least they reflect the process of our hard work, effort, and sweat.

Following “Self,” we have “Learning.” Why is it “Learning” instead of “Study,” or any compound nouns with the word “Learn-” at the forefront? From my perspective, “Learning” encompasses both “Study” and “Practice.” During the “learning process,” we can easily encounter various learning methods: learning by doing (Studying), learning and then practicing applying what was taught (Learning by practice), observing others and learning from them (Learning by observation), … But my friend, I am sure that, sooner or later, your learning process will encounter obstacles. And at that moment, I am confident that if you genuinely desire to study seriously from the beginning, you will start fervently seeking solutions to that problem immediately, right? At this point, the knowledge you have accumulated seems to be trapped in a box full of chaos, and what you need most at this time… ask yourself… is it “help” from someone to connect the chaos in your head? To be straightforward, do these questions and uncertainties become the final barrier preventing you from fully grasping knowledge? … For that reason, from my point of view, “Learning” carries a more serious meaning to help us progress further, to have a deeper understanding of the knowledge we have learned.

Integrating both concepts, “Self” and “Learning,” we get a fresher concept, “Self-learning.” Based on the evidence presented above, we can easily see that “Self-learning” does not mean just focusing on devouring a textbook, doing a bunch of exercises, or forcing yourself to master all the essence of a subject. For me, “Self-learning” must be a process of seeking your own learning path. More clearly, “Self-learning” will include three steps. First, set for yourself a passion, a specific schedule of achievable goals corresponding to time frames (and of course, this is just an initial estimate). The second step is to follow the established principles. This step is the most difficult, easy to give up, and most easily distorted. However, if you can adhere to the principles set for a long enough time, it will become a habit that helps us have a persistent will and a stronger spirit. In this step, routine tasks will include: finding relevant materials and figuring out how to digest them, testing yourself with exercises, related practical tasks, trying every way to solve problems in your own way. And the final step is when we encounter a problem that we cannot find a solution to, or the solution we come up with does not satisfy us, this is the most appropriate time to seek help from: teachers, parents, friends, experts, blogs, forums, … And then… go back to the second step. With this three-step process, we can easily see that external help is part of the “Self-learning” process and does not violate the initial concepts of this process. Quite simply, to get help, we have to “Self” seek the right person who can guide us to solve the problem, and “Learning” learn from their solutions, their way of thinking. In that process, we have to know how to present our issues and know what help we need from them. In summary, self-learning and learning from external help, though two but one, and we cannot deny the individual benefits of each process. If you don’t self-learn and rely entirely on external help, soon enough, you will become dependent and conform to what is passed down. On the contrary, if you only self-learn without external help, we may fall into arrogance, self-satisfaction, and may lead to distortions in the knowledge acquired. Only when we harmoniously combine these two processes, creating a unified process, can we progress further, have the opportunity to interact, learn from various sources, and enrich our knowledge on our own.

Finally, the purpose of this article is just a momentary whimsy, and this is entirely my perspective. I do not hope to change people’s thinking, but on the contrary, I hope to provide a new and profound view of the two words “Self-learning” in practice from the perspective of my personal experience. I am open to feedback from everyone.

Warm regards.