This is amazing. I've had a passion for learning most of my adult life. Just like you, it came to me once I gained the freedom and autonomy to decide what I wanted to learn. I'm so glad I stumbled upon your page.
Love this. I was raised by my grandparents to be autodidactic along with my studies. It was the natural thing to do with them, my uncles and cousins.
My grandfather was the best example of it. He barely finished high school and became an artist for a living. The condition my grandmother imposed in order to marry him was that he had to be an independent artist. So he worked from home making portraits. He also made illustrations for educational materials. But he was truly a renaissance man. He had a love for books, was also a photographer, an inventor and astronomer. He made his own telescopes from scratch and became an expert at optics, taking months to grind and polish his lenses. They named the optics lab after him. Grandfather adapted things for his work and photography. He learned It all in books and magazines. It was also a different age, and I was indoctrinated in their style of learning.
My grandmother was a teacher that became a stay at home housewife and had complete strict control of the house and what activities we did. We did a lot of cultural activities like concerts, museums, art, archeology, university lectures, theology, philosophy, etc. and of course reading. She would have me reading classics to her out loud while she was cooking or sat me down to translate Shakespeare to Spanish. Occasionally she would let me read whatever I wanted.
But many times, like them, I didn't start learning from basic broad topics to specific. Many times like my grandfather I would learn something specific because of curiosity, and maybe then fill in the blanks and learn a lot about the basics. It was more of an archeologist approach than a university approach. I still function a little that way. But I do deep dives down rabbit holes sometimes. I also include videos and podcasts. But like the archeologist, I keep digging for the original source.
I laud you for promoting autodidactic learning, and just wanted to mention the other approach.
Thank you for this! I absolutely love stories about autodidacts, so hearing about how your grandparents and yourself approached self-directed learning is such a treat.
I wish I could implement your strategy here. I don't know exactly why, but bouncing from subject to subject is how I stay excited about reading & learning. I think maybe it's finding connections & threads between subjects? Like I'll be reading something and then think "oh, that's like this other thing".
I hear ya / I like to bounce around as well. I’m naturally a novelty seeker. I probably should’ve mentioned that this process is likely best used on occasion, as a toolkit for deep diving, not as the primary mode of self study. Then, the rest of the time can be spent in the bliss of random reading.
Thanks for sharing this framework, some great tips to take away. I really like the emphasis on following your curiosity - a good way to stay motivated is to stay interested
Thanks so much for all the great ideas here. I am so excited to put my learning plans together. I have so many ideas and questions and curiosities. Your post has really helped narrow down some areas for me and given me more focus. I appreciate your well-thought out system and the fact that you have shared it with us. Looking forward to reading more and all the learning❣️
Loaded question! Still trying to narrow down a field of literature study. Mostly interested in Victorian, Classical Greek, Classical Roman, and Patristic, but also Elizabethan, Romantics, and British Modernists. Also interested in Dr. Samuel Johnson and the presidential study we spoke of earlier. I am also interested in improving my writing craft and hand-lettering skills. I continue to read along in 2 book clubs, one classics, while I make up my mind. I've started this quarter with my syllabus in hand-lettering while I'm developing my syllabus for literature. Thanks for having me actually write it down. I could really use some help in deciding where to start with the literature. I would like something that would help me with my writing, which would probably be the Greek & Roman for subject matter. Any suggestions on a manner of attack would be most appreciated. My next step is to scan some college programs and see the recommended sequence and then pick one. I'd like to start in May. More of a reply than you expected, I'm sure. I love to learn❣️
I loved this. You've helped me organize many of the ideas I have in mind for future projects similar to this. Thank you very much! I'm going to read everything you've got haha.
had a structured approach to being an autodidact before, it’s all been rather indiscriminate. However this seems targeted for clear thinking about a subject deeply. I think I’ll give it a go
That was me for the longest time, and I'm still a random reader in a lot of my reading, but it's nice having a little structure for some of my longer-term self-education projects. Let me know how it goes!
Topics that came to mind: Frank Sinatra, film stars of the 1930s, documentary filmmaking, Moorish influences in Europe, herbal remedies of the Middle Ages, Courts of Europe, the Medicis influence, Native American cultures & traditions, British Literature & British Music Contributions to Humanity, International Cooking: History, Migration & Flavors
Obviously the hardest part will be deciding, can you pick for me? 😅
Haha! Yes, deciding on your topic is a nightmarish process that I still haven't mastered.
What's worked for me is picking one to focus on, and spending 1/3 to 1/2 of my study time on that, and then spending the other reading time on reading whatever interests me that week. Feel that strikes a nice balance between range and depth, freedom and structure.
Please create a syllabus for me on Documentary filmmaking using Sam Rinko’s 7 step process 🤯 it gathered all materials and objectives week by week, including reading, writing and experiential learning.
Excellent article. I consider myself a waterbug with ADD. I never go in depth although there are definitely subjects I want to conquer (I love your Hemingway and Lost Generation idea). Thank you for the inspiration and compass.
Waterbug. Love that - I struggle from novelty-seeking as well. That's probably why I've had to devote so much thought to developing strategies that motivate me to go deep.
I like to think it's made me a better writer, thinker, and conversationalist. But the real effect could be simply that I'm less available to go out drinking with my pals than I used to be :)
Love it! Love to see people dedicated to learning. I have a bachelor's degree in English but have greatly enjoyed teaching myself about many subjects over the course of my life.
This is so so wonderful! It is basically exactly how you do a PhD. Broad stroke, narrow in your focus (like very narrow), writing to understand and learn (and mostly break down your ego so you get a sense of what you don’t know), listen to others who talk about what you’re reading (podcasts, YouTube breakdowns, literature reviews), deliver something (at least that’s the goal ha!) Thank you for sharing!
I really enjoyed reading your post. I loved how you proposed a structured model for approaching self-learning, I'll definitely put some of your advice into practice. Thanks for sharing.
This is amazing. I've had a passion for learning most of my adult life. Just like you, it came to me once I gained the freedom and autonomy to decide what I wanted to learn. I'm so glad I stumbled upon your page.
Amazing! Thanks for reading, Jessica.
What subjects are you most interested in?
Greek and Roman philosophy, 3D modeling, political science, etc.
Love this. I was raised by my grandparents to be autodidactic along with my studies. It was the natural thing to do with them, my uncles and cousins.
My grandfather was the best example of it. He barely finished high school and became an artist for a living. The condition my grandmother imposed in order to marry him was that he had to be an independent artist. So he worked from home making portraits. He also made illustrations for educational materials. But he was truly a renaissance man. He had a love for books, was also a photographer, an inventor and astronomer. He made his own telescopes from scratch and became an expert at optics, taking months to grind and polish his lenses. They named the optics lab after him. Grandfather adapted things for his work and photography. He learned It all in books and magazines. It was also a different age, and I was indoctrinated in their style of learning.
My grandmother was a teacher that became a stay at home housewife and had complete strict control of the house and what activities we did. We did a lot of cultural activities like concerts, museums, art, archeology, university lectures, theology, philosophy, etc. and of course reading. She would have me reading classics to her out loud while she was cooking or sat me down to translate Shakespeare to Spanish. Occasionally she would let me read whatever I wanted.
But many times, like them, I didn't start learning from basic broad topics to specific. Many times like my grandfather I would learn something specific because of curiosity, and maybe then fill in the blanks and learn a lot about the basics. It was more of an archeologist approach than a university approach. I still function a little that way. But I do deep dives down rabbit holes sometimes. I also include videos and podcasts. But like the archeologist, I keep digging for the original source.
I laud you for promoting autodidactic learning, and just wanted to mention the other approach.
Thank you for this! I absolutely love stories about autodidacts, so hearing about how your grandparents and yourself approached self-directed learning is such a treat.
I wish I could implement your strategy here. I don't know exactly why, but bouncing from subject to subject is how I stay excited about reading & learning. I think maybe it's finding connections & threads between subjects? Like I'll be reading something and then think "oh, that's like this other thing".
I hear ya / I like to bounce around as well. I’m naturally a novelty seeker. I probably should’ve mentioned that this process is likely best used on occasion, as a toolkit for deep diving, not as the primary mode of self study. Then, the rest of the time can be spent in the bliss of random reading.
I really like your approach. I've just started reading The Well-Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer so I can read classics with more depth and ideally get more out of them. https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-well-educated-mind-a-guide-to-the-classical-education-you-never-had-susan-wise-bauer/8744765?ean=9780393080964
Love that book! Has deeply informed my approach to self education.
Awesome! It seems like a huge commitment but a worthwhile one.
This is really cool Sam!
I made a similar framework when I had to learn a field & develop a prototype in 1 month for work.
Mine goes like this:
- Discovery: Just dive in & collect interesting pieces but keep a "Don't Know" Database for terms, concepts and people
- Connect the dots: Then go through the "don't know database" and answer each question
- Fill in the gaps: As you answer everything in the "don't know database" you'll find more gaps. Fill those in as well
- Teach: Set a deadline & create a pamphlet to teach someone else everything you learned.
That's a great framework Mohammad! Love the idea of teaching. I've found that really is the best way to make your learning stick.
Thanks for sharing this framework, some great tips to take away. I really like the emphasis on following your curiosity - a good way to stay motivated is to stay interested
Thanks so much for all the great ideas here. I am so excited to put my learning plans together. I have so many ideas and questions and curiosities. Your post has really helped narrow down some areas for me and given me more focus. I appreciate your well-thought out system and the fact that you have shared it with us. Looking forward to reading more and all the learning❣️
Thank you! I'm curious - what subjects are you most interested in studying?
Loaded question! Still trying to narrow down a field of literature study. Mostly interested in Victorian, Classical Greek, Classical Roman, and Patristic, but also Elizabethan, Romantics, and British Modernists. Also interested in Dr. Samuel Johnson and the presidential study we spoke of earlier. I am also interested in improving my writing craft and hand-lettering skills. I continue to read along in 2 book clubs, one classics, while I make up my mind. I've started this quarter with my syllabus in hand-lettering while I'm developing my syllabus for literature. Thanks for having me actually write it down. I could really use some help in deciding where to start with the literature. I would like something that would help me with my writing, which would probably be the Greek & Roman for subject matter. Any suggestions on a manner of attack would be most appreciated. My next step is to scan some college programs and see the recommended sequence and then pick one. I'd like to start in May. More of a reply than you expected, I'm sure. I love to learn❣️
I loved this. You've helped me organize many of the ideas I have in mind for future projects similar to this. Thank you very much! I'm going to read everything you've got haha.
Amazing! Glad I could help out.
Never
had a structured approach to being an autodidact before, it’s all been rather indiscriminate. However this seems targeted for clear thinking about a subject deeply. I think I’ll give it a go
That was me for the longest time, and I'm still a random reader in a lot of my reading, but it's nice having a little structure for some of my longer-term self-education projects. Let me know how it goes!
Absolutely loved reading this.
Thank you Jabeen!
Sam, I love this! Thank you so much.
Topics that came to mind: Frank Sinatra, film stars of the 1930s, documentary filmmaking, Moorish influences in Europe, herbal remedies of the Middle Ages, Courts of Europe, the Medicis influence, Native American cultures & traditions, British Literature & British Music Contributions to Humanity, International Cooking: History, Migration & Flavors
Obviously the hardest part will be deciding, can you pick for me? 😅
Haha! Yes, deciding on your topic is a nightmarish process that I still haven't mastered.
What's worked for me is picking one to focus on, and spending 1/3 to 1/2 of my study time on that, and then spending the other reading time on reading whatever interests me that week. Feel that strikes a nice balance between range and depth, freedom and structure.
I created a 3 year syllabus with the help of Chat GPT. The prompt:
Documentaries - 3 mo The Medicis - 3 mo Moorish Influences 3 mo Native Americans 3 mo
Now using this guide: https://open.substack.com/pub/samuelrinko/p/how-i-self-study-new-subjects-the?r=2nzjl3&utm_medium=ios
Please create a syllabus for me on Documentary filmmaking using Sam Rinko’s 7 step process 🤯 it gathered all materials and objectives week by week, including reading, writing and experiential learning.
Excellent article. I consider myself a waterbug with ADD. I never go in depth although there are definitely subjects I want to conquer (I love your Hemingway and Lost Generation idea). Thank you for the inspiration and compass.
Waterbug. Love that - I struggle from novelty-seeking as well. That's probably why I've had to devote so much thought to developing strategies that motivate me to go deep.
Hie does this process affect your and friends' lives? Appreciate what you do and offer.
I like to think it's made me a better writer, thinker, and conversationalist. But the real effect could be simply that I'm less available to go out drinking with my pals than I used to be :)
Love it! Love to see people dedicated to learning. I have a bachelor's degree in English but have greatly enjoyed teaching myself about many subjects over the course of my life.
Yep - It's such an adventure! Thanks for reading, Robert.
This is so so wonderful! It is basically exactly how you do a PhD. Broad stroke, narrow in your focus (like very narrow), writing to understand and learn (and mostly break down your ego so you get a sense of what you don’t know), listen to others who talk about what you’re reading (podcasts, YouTube breakdowns, literature reviews), deliver something (at least that’s the goal ha!) Thank you for sharing!
I really enjoyed reading your post. I loved how you proposed a structured model for approaching self-learning, I'll definitely put some of your advice into practice. Thanks for sharing.