How I Self-Study New Subjects: The Modern Autodidact System
Learn the 7-step process for gaining foundational knowledge in new fields of study, outside of school
Is there a subject you wish you could study at university, but can’t?
Same here!
If a stranger saw how much time I devote to studying literature, history, philosophy, and other academic disciplines, they might mistake me for a college professor in the midst of a career-ending identity crisis.
In reality, I’m just a curious guy who gets tremendous value and pleasure from the practice of self-directed study. An explorer on the vast sea of knowledge.
Today, I’m sharing my 7-step process for teaching myself new academic disciplines outside of school.
It’s the approach I’ve developed and used (in variations) over the last five years to build a strong foundation in new subjects like US history, political philosophy, and literature.
My hope is that it’ll help you learn new subjects more systematically, expand your horizons, and realize that intellectual growth isn’t tied to college credentials.
Read on to learn:
How I got into self-study
The basic principles of The Modern Autodidact system
The benefits of self-learning academic subjects outside of school
My 7-Step process for self-studying new subjects
How I got into self-directed study
Over the last five years, self-education projects have been a staple in my annual plans and daily routines.
Funny thing is — I wasn’t always this way.
During college I was apathetic towards school. It felt like a chore.
But ever since I graduated 6 years ago (oof, it’s been that long?), my intellectual curiosity has been a raging bonfire, lashing out in every direction.
It’s as if the moment I gained the freedom to direct my own education, pick my own books, and build my own curriculums, learning became fun again, even vital — so much so that, at 25, I made self-education a priority in my life, right up there with earning a living, managing relationships, and learning to write.
Besides, reading is how most of my favorite writers, thinkers, and autodidact role models came to be so impressive.
Since that declaration, my devotion to the life of the mind has only grown, and my belief that through self-education we discover and become who we are meant to be even verges on religious fanaticism, for better or worse.
Below is the system I like to use to gain firm footing in new disciplines.
The Modern Autodidact System for self-studying new subjects
The Modern Autodidact System is a systematic approach to self-directed study meant for gaining foundational knowledge in a new academic discipline in 3-12 months of consistent daily effort (1-2 hours per day), using primarily books, but also online learning materials like YouTube videos and lecture recordings.
You can think of it as a template curriculum that can be applied to theoretically any subject, though I’ve only used it for the humanities and social sciences.
It’s fundamental principles are:
Broad to narrow study - much like a university track is designed. As you learn the fundamentals and start to identify areas of interest, you narrow your focus.
The centrality of curiosity - because that’s the beauty of self-study, isn’t it? And curiosity sustains motivation.
Emphasis on reading books - this serves my long-term self-education goal of getting a classical liberal arts education and becoming well-read in literature, history, and philosophy - the 3 biggies. I also just like reading entire books more than I like textbooks, excerpts, articles, or lectures.
I’ve used variations of this system to self-study US history, political philosophy, psychology, English literature, and other subjects I wish I would’ve had the opportunity to study in college.
Am I a world-renowned expert in all these extremely broad subjects?
Hell no.
Do I feel I have an outline of these subjects and their core concepts, major thinkers, and biggest ideas?
Yes I do.
Can I hold my own in conversation about these subjects?
Yep.
Was it worth studying these subjects without getting credentialed?
You freaking bet!
The benefits of self-studying academic subjects
Here are some other benefits I’ve gotten from self-studying subjects of interest:
Become smarter by reading and learning. You can think of a self-study habit as an exercise routine for your brain. (for skeptics, here’s a breakdown of a 40-year study suggesting reading makes people more intelligent)
Create more original content by exposing yourself to new ideas across different fields (open up cross-pollination).
Become more interesting in conversation because you’ll be able to discuss and inquire about more topics.
Learn your authentic interests so you can identify niche topics to focus on and become an expert in.
Feel more confident to engage in intellectual, literary, and political conversations that used to make you nervous.
Become someone who isn’t afraid to say their opinion, because you have a foundation of knowledge to draw from.
Enjoy the blissful act of learning, without stifling, generic curriculums that keep you from following your specific interests.
Garner respect from peers - people respect those who know things, as long as you aren’t a jackass about it. Is this a superficial reason to quest after knowledge? Maybe, but at least it’s an honest one. Maybe the real benefit is you start to respect yourself as your knowledge grows, and when you respect yourself others start to respect you.
Become a better writer and thinker by reading more books and exposing yourself to some of the best writing, arguments, ideas, and styles out there.
The best benefit though?
The many hours you’ll spend in blissful solitude having intimate conversations with great thinkers and writers of all time.
So, without further ado, here’s the 7-step system for giving yourself a foundation in a new subject, basically for free, without forking over $100,000.
Note on the 7-step process: Feel free to replace, swap, or skip any of these steps. They’re helpful for me, and I think I do a good job of arguing for their spot, but we all learn differently. The beauty of self-education is it’s self-directed. So, it’s up to you. I only want to help give you ideas for learning to make your own, as others have done for me.
How to Self-Study New Academic Subjects in 7 Steps
Below are the 7 steps that’ll take you from total newbie to someone who gets asked if they majored in this subject in college.
(I’m not saying this process is better than going to college, but it’s certainly a viable alternative if you don’t plan on becoming an academic).
1. Pick a subject to study
Easier said than done…
There are so many subjects to explore. And if you’re a multi-interested person like myself, it can be hard to select one.
Which is why I don’t.
Well, sort of…
Usually, I’ll have one subject I’m focusing on learning from the ground up, and others on the back-burner.
So, for example, when I was using this framework to get into political philosophy, I was also reading American history and classic novels (which I believe enhanced the experience, as knowledge of one humanities subject improves understanding of the others).
This back-burner approach allows me to gain depth while satisfying my need for variety. Give it a try.
How to pick the right subject
I’d start by creating a long-term vision for your self-study, using something like my 4-pronged approach to goal-setting for self-education.
It’s basically a lifelong learning compass that’ll help you make short and long-term decisions about self-study.
But, aside from that, I’d focus on what’s grabbing a hold of your interest right now.
Have you been following American politics and therefore want to learn more about political science?
Maybe you started hiking or gardening and want to learn more about botany?
Perhaps you’ve had an itch to study philosophy for some time, and you just can’t wait any longer.
The interest that’s been with you longest is likely the interest that you’re most likely to stick with for the entire process.
On the narrowness of the subject
To start, it’s good to focus on an entire discipline, like history or literature, thinking of this self-education roadmap as an undergrad degree.
However, as you dive deeper into the subject, you’ll develop foundational knowledge allowing you to effectively go off in any direction. You’ll also start to notice what topics most interest you. Follow that impulse. (sometimes I neglect my curiosity and it bites me in the ass).
As you move along, you can narrow your focus accordingly, going from history to maybe the history of the Middle East, and then before you know it you’re 65 years old and writing a social history on The Ottoman Empire from 1600-1650.
Think about how academia structures their curriculums for students. They start broad and get increasingly narrow as students work towards their PhD. Try to replicate this and do the same.
On developing strong personal reasons for doing self-study
Self-study, especially in the humanities and social sciences, isn’t going to make you rich. It’s not going to put food on the table. It’s not going to make you fit. It’s not going to fix your relationships. (it may help with these in time, but not right away).
Worse, there’s no teacher holding you accountable to read. There are no tests, expect the ones you design for yourself, to enforce your retention and reflection.
Summoning the motivation is up to you.
If you’re going to remain consistent in your studies, you need something driving you.
For me, when I started being more serious about my reading and education, that was two big things:
Feelings of intellectual inadequacy: I was sick of getting into conversations that were over my head, failing to articulate myself, and, lacking in historical and political understanding, struggling to pass defensible judgements on current events. I wanted to be more well-read, smarter, and better equipped for the intellectual arenas of life.
Writing career and role models: When I started to seriously consider a writing career, it became evident from my readings of lives of great authors and thinkers, that they were almost all frequent readers. My favorites, like Jack London, read widely across the canon, and so I wanted to as well. I wanted to be like them. I still do.
Why do you want to spend an hour every night learning the basis of a new subject?
Is it simply curiosity? That’s a start, but what’s going to keep you going when you’re tired and curiosity is out in the backyard drinking beers in a blow up kiddie pool?
Dig, dig, dig. Think about what drives you. What upsets you about the world. Who do you wish to become? Who are your role models?
Only you can know.
2. Read 2-3 recent, beginner-level books on the subject
Before investing so much time into the study of the subject, make sure it’s a good fit.
Does it truly match your interests? Or are you self-studying it because it sounds smart and cool? Is it your heart or ego telling you what to read?
I’ve fallen into the ego trap many times.
I thought I’d read the great works of philosophy, and so started tackling works of epistemology and metaphysics, only to find that I could not get myself to care about these branches of the subject. My reading slowed down. I felt guilty about it. Why was I trying to force it?
Now that I’m older I don’t force so much. I try to let my curiosity guide me, and if a subject makes me feel like sticking my face out of a moving car and letting it drag against the sidewalk, I say “maybe this isn’t right for me right now” and move on.
A curiosity temperature check
The best way to check your curiosity without investing too much effort, while also gaining some intro knowledge, is to read some recent books on the subject, preferably ones written for the layperson, not the academic.
For example, in my self-education roadmap for political philosophy I recommend Woolf’s Introduction to Political Philosophy, an intro for students with no background in the subject.
If I was going to self-study biology, I might read two pop science books on the subject.
Economics? Can’t go wrong with Freakonomics and Naked Economics.
By reading 2-3 intro books, you should know if your interest is sufficient to push you through the more difficult steps of your self-study roadmap.
Pro Tip: I’d also recommend finding some Substackers, YouTubers, or podcasters who create content about this topic and can initiate you into the nuances of studying the subject. I know when I first got into classic literature Ben Mcevoy at Hardcore Literature, and his encouraging voice and videos on literature were immensely helpful. Read more about the benefit of brainwashing for learning.
3. Take an introductory online course
Now that you know this subject is for you, it’s time to get a map of the discipline.
Who are the major thinkers?
The major works?
The biggest and most groundbreaking ideas and theories, today and in the past?
How do scholars conceptualize and talk about this subject?
Why is it important?
What do these scholars do differently from those in other disciplines?
These are all questions a good intro course will answer.
There are plenty of online courses these days, even ones taught by professors at top schools like Yale.
My favorite online course providers are Open Yale Courses, edX, and Coursera.
Open Yale Courses is probably my top because it’s recordings of real lectures so you actually feel like you’re in a classroom. Plus, they assign reading, and a lot of it, so it has the rigor I’m after — it’s not edutainment.
I also enjoy Crash Course. It’s funny and engaging, but still intellectually heavy. It makes a good primer to a college-level course.
Textbooks are also useful here; I just don’t really enjoy reading them. You might though! They can be especially useful for scientific and technical subjects.
Note-taking for lectures
I usually don’t take notes on these lectures.
I just listen to them on walks. But taking notes is a good idea for retaining the information, and I should likely do more of it.
A teacher once said that the best time to take lecture notes is after the lecture. This aligns with the principles of retrieval practice, a learning technique where you try to recall and summarize information from memory, thus making it more likely to stick. (see Make it Stick for more learning techniques).
On note-taking for self-study
Consider creating a notebook for each new course you take.
Or, maybe start with one notebook for the new subject. Then, if you realize you love this subject and are going to read a bunch of books on it, you can start getting more specific with your notebook titles.
Right now, I have separate notebooks for autodidactism/philosophy of education, US history, Politics, and Literature.
I bet if I keep up my studies in literature, I’ll start to have titles like “20th century American literature” or “Autobiographies”.
Taking notes helps you retain what you learn, especially if you’re summarizing important points in your own words. Plus, writing notes is a forcing mechanism for reflection, which drives the knowledge deeper into your being.
Further reading: If you want a simple and easy to start note-taking process that’s enjoyable and effective for retention and creativity, check out my article on why and how I take notes by hand.
4. Take (or create) 3-4 introductory courses in the subdisciplines
So, let’s say you took an intro to philosophy course.
Now would be a good time to take intro to metaphysics, intro to political philosophy, intro to epistemology, etc.,
You’re getting more specific here.
If your discipline lacks a clear subdiscipline structure in academia, just take or create beginner/intermediate courses on topics you find interesting.
For instance, if self-studying literature you could take courses on a specific author, time period, literary movement, or theme.
Unsure of what courses to prioritize to gain a foundation?
Look at the requirements at colleges for undergraduates to receive a major. Colleges often post these on their websites.
You might find something like “research methods in philosophy” or “Intro to Literary Theory” . You might not be able to find a course online for this, but you can definitely make one. There are textbooks, for example, on research methods in philosophy — like the philosopher’s toolkit.
Perfection is not the goal here. Just focus on exploring the parts of the subject you find most captivating. This will keep you inspired and motivated, and help you in time develop some focus areas.
As W.B. Yeats said, “"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
On creating book-based DIY courses
Sometimes you won’t be able to find a fully functional online course that suits your subject or learning style.
When this happens, create your own. That’s what autodidacts have been doing for centuries, in various ways.
Now, we have the internet to help us out. We don’t have to ask our rich uncle to send a letter to Thomas Jefferson asking him for some recommended reading on a specific topic.
To get inspiration for materials, check out MIT Opencourseware, where you can find syllabi for hundreds of courses across almost every subject taught at MIT.
You could also simply create a reading list of 3-5 books on the subject.
So, if you wanted to take a DIY course called “The American Civil War” you might pick:
A sweeping history like Battle Cry of Freedom
Biographies of Lincoln and Grant
A historical fiction novel that takes place in the civil war
2 history books on more specific aspects of the civil war that interest you.
If you wanted to be real hardcore about it, you could create an organizing question to build the course around.
When I create book-based DIY courses, I also like to find some lectures or podcasts or YouTube videos online to use as supplementary material.
Chat-GPT for course building
Chat-GPT is pretty good for building hyper targeted self-study courses.
For example, I wanted to create one on Hemingway and the Lost Generation for a DIY literature course that will be part of my broader DIY liberal arts degree (I think I’ll begin it next year).
I was pretty shocked at how good the syllabus looked.
I made some edits, did my own research, and added some other books, of course. But the AI gave me a good foundation on which to build.
Here’s part of the syllabus:
All I did was prompt it with: “Design a course with materials to help me learn about Ernest Hemingway and the post-ww1 writers”
I kind of dislike AI. I write about it for a living and the news stories and technologies I cover often depress me. But the tech does have its use-cases, even for the life of the mind, and this seems to be one of them.
5. Study 4+ canonical works in the field
By now, you’ve probably come across some thinkers and book titles commonly referenced in your field of study.
The classics are on your radar.
It’s time to get acquainted with some of these pillars of your discipline.
Doing this isn't just to give you a better understanding of your field’s intellectual history.
Since canonical works are typically dense, timeless sources of wisdom and examples of ideal thinking in your field, you’ll also receive quite the education by grappling with them — these books will be grindstones on which you can sharpen your intellect.
One of my favorite tools for finding the most canonical works in different fields is Academic Influence, a website that compiles the most influential books in a field based on the book’s number of references in academic literature and popular media.
Then:
Pick 3-5 works from the list.
Study them deeply.
Take your time with them (months even).
Record the most important passages into a subject notebook (or commonplace book)
On secondary sources
Books like War and Peace or A Theory of Justice are known for their depth and intellectual difficulty, so feel free to use secondary sources to better understand these works.
There are many YouTube and Substack creators/teachers out there who can help.
There are also essays you can find online or in books that give commentary on these works.
This isn’t cheating.
It’s what scholars do. Don’t listen to those who make you feel bad for using these resources to broaden and deepen your understanding of a classic work.
To learn how secondary sources fit into my reading of the classics, read this article.
On books that teach you to read your subject
When I was self-studying literature, I read a book called How to Read Literature like a Professor.
When I started self-studying philosophy, I read How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler.
When I started self-studying history, I read this helpful article How to Read a History Book by Zachary Schrag, a history professor.
Different disciplines require different reading techniques. Even different branches of a discipline might require different approaches, like poetry, novels, and autobiography in literature.
So try to learn some of those techniques from someone skilled in reading your chosen field.
Don’t overthink this, or you’ll fall prey to reading perfectionism. You’ll end up like I did, only reading when I was at full energy and alertness.
Just try your best to use a few of the techniques you learn. And if you don’t have the energy to be a “serious reader” for a sitting, that’s okay! I bet you’ll still learn a lot during the session.
6. Start writing or creating content on the subject
An intellectual project is one of the best ways to internalize your reading.
Plus, it helps you identify gaps in understanding and synthesize what you’ve learned into something useful for other people.
By intellectual project I mean:
A Youtube series about your chosen subject
A blog where you review the books you read
A Substack where you write about the subject
A weekly habit of talking about the books you read with your spouse or a reading buddy.
Someone doing this well is Jared Henderson, a Philosopher and Substacker who writes about philosophy and the philosophy books he’s reading.
But, your project doesn’t even have to be public-facing. It can be an activity you do simply to generate insights and bolster understanding.
For instance, I often write reviews of the classic novels I read.
This clarifies how well I understood the novel. It also reveals my thoughts about the book, which, until forcing myself to write about it, were hidden or half-baked impressions like “good dialogue.”
I don’t normally publish these. They’re for my own education. Plus, I’m not sure anyone would want to read them.
Writing to learn
Through writing, we’re forced to confront our ignorance.
William Zinsser, Author of Writing to Learn, believes writing is one of the best learning techniques we have:
“Writing enables us to find out what we know—and what we don't know—about whatever we're trying to learn. An idea can have value in itself, but its usefulness diminishes to the extent that you can't articulate it to someone else.”
In addition to making us aware of our gaps in knowledge, writing also invites us to marvel at the things we know.
Wow, I wrote that? I guess I have learned a lot.
Seeing your knowledge on the page is motivating.
A project also makes whatever you’re learning feel important, so you’ll have more motivation to hit the books. (I want to write this essay!) The content you’re consuming is not just knowledge, it’s material, research, or empowerment.
For instance, I read a lot of books about the subject of self-education and its tangential topics like liberal arts education, successful autodidacts, learning tactics, and the reading lives of great thinkers. The project associated with this course of study is this newsletter. It holds me accountable and allows me to use the knowledge I gain.
So consider starting a project, big or small.
The project doesn’t have to be anything grand
Your project could even be as simple as filling up a commonplace book of your favorite quotes and your reflections on them.
This little project turns studying into a liberal arts education, where the primary goal is to inspire self-reflection. As Roosevelt Montas, Author of Rescuing Socrates, writes, “A liberal education is there to help you find your way.”
Keep in mind, a commonplace book, though private and simple in practice, is a serious intellectual project.
The act of considering what you think about another’s writing, and having a conversation with these great minds, is no small feat.
In sum, try to both absorb information and create — in other words, transform the knowledge your acquire into something else through the process of reflection, writing, videography, conversation, or connecting the knowledge to aspects of your life and other subjects you study. Through this process you make the knowledge your own. You remember more of it, and change from it.
Better yet, you’ll have something to show for it.
7. Follow your curiosity and narrow your focus (keep going)
Okay, so you’ve read a few commercially popular books about your topic.
You’ve taken a few introductory courses containing both lectures and hopefully some good books.
You’ve perused several classics of the field.
Hopefully, you’ve gained a foundation in the subject, and, more importantly, you know where you want to go next.
You’ve explored.
Now it’s time to exploit.
Aware of your interests, here are some next potential steps to take:
Create a topical reading plan: Build a plan of 3-4 books on the most interesting topics or questions in your chosen field. This way, you’ll read topically across the field, which gives you variety while you become well-read in the field one topic at a time. I’m doing this with literature, currently on the topic of “Modern Classic Coming of Age Novels”.
Use this system to explore your favorite subdiscipline: Self-studied economics and now you want to go deep into behavioral economics? Use this same system on that subdiscipline.
Move onto another subject: Consider choosing a subject that complements this one. For example, studying political philosophy and history wouldn’t be such a bad idea, as you can start to see how different political philosophies played out. With this knowledge. you’ll be a force when it comes to discussing political issues.
Take a break: Have too much going on? Aren’t sure what to study next? Give your brain a break. You earned it. Do some light reading for fun. Or just start randomly reading again without a systematic plan.
Most of all, pay attention to how you’re interacting with the world, how your writing and thinking has improved. These positive outcomes will motivate you to make self-education a priority.
Pre-made self-education roadmaps: If you want, on my blog I created some Modern Autodidact style, DIY curriculums for various subjects, ranging from English Literature and Poli Sci to European History and Botany. Reviewing these should give you some ideas for crafting your own roadmap.
The art of self-directed study
Self-studying is magical.
It’s a way for us to embrace the seemingly impractical and enter into a slow, contemplative state that heals us from the frenetic environment of modern life, with its notifications, emails, and decisions to make.
The habit gives us time to ponder, to think. It inspires us with new ideas that shape our lives and our creative work. It helps us develop a philosophy of life that sets our lives and creative work apart from others.
Fortunately, self-study is easier than ever before.
Though technology distracts us to no end, it has also democratized many aspects of formal education.
Today, you can replicate many parts of an undergraduate degree, in your home, on your own time, using the learning techniques that best suit your personality, interests, and learning style.
I have no doubt that with effort and a systematic approach like the one above, you could hold your own in a conversation with someone who majored in the subject at school.
You may very likely be more knowledgeable, since you learned it on your own terms and cared deeply about the privilege to learn, while the majority of students in college are there because it is where they think they’re supposed to be and just running through the motions. (that’s certainly what I did)
Anyway, whether you’re studying in a school or on your own, it comes down to your effort. No one but you can make the knowledge a part of your being.
I hope the Modern Autodidact system is a useful tool in your autodidact toolkit. I hope it helps you get the education you so desire.
Thank you for reading.
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Happy studying, fellow autodidact.