Education: a survival manual. Traditional education is like going to the store for groceries: you seem to have bought everything, but when you come home, there is no bread or milk. School and universities provide a base, but in life, more often than not, you have to improvise. A diploma is a subscription to the adult world, but no one says that you will immediately become a master of life. Imagine that you are on a desert island. Will your knowledge of physics help you build a raft? Perhaps. But if you only remember the acceleration formula, then the raft you will build will probably come from notebook sheets. The point is that education lays the foundation, but you still need to build a house on it. Preferably with a roof.
Self-education: turn on the jetpack. Self-education is when you don’t expect to be spoon-fed knowledge, but cook a full-fledged intellectual dinner yourself. Sometimes it’s burnt, sometimes it’s oversalted, but at least it’s your experience! Remember Elon Musk. He didn’t graduate from a rocket-building university, but somehow he managed to send them into space. Or Steve Jobs, who never got a diploma, but that didn’t stop him from creating a company whose logo now proudly shines on laptops half the world over.
How to start self-education without breaking your brain. Set a goal. Just “I want to become smarter” won’t work. Better “I want to learn how to program so I can create my own robot housewife.” Use online courses, books, podcasts. The Internet is like a knowledge buffet. The main thing is not to get carried away and not to eat everything in sight, otherwise instead of knowledge you may get informational indigestion.
Apply knowledge in practice. Theory without practice is like watching a fitness video while sitting on the couch with pizza.
Education is your ticket to life. But to get to the VIP seats, you will have to make an effort. Self-education is your upgrade that will help you not only survive, but also enjoy the process. Learn, develop and let success become your constant neighbor, who comes not for salt, but with cake! Maria.