SELF EDUCATION VS FORMAL EDUCATION

Like myself, millennial’s of 21st century are faced with the dilemma of
differentiating and choosing between formal and self-education as means
to achieving success at an early age.

In my opinion, if we choose one over another we may completely miss the

point of becoming educated in the 1st place.

In actuality both self and formal education seek to enlighten a person but
with different purposes.

Formal education provides us with the basic fundamentals of entering the

workforce however, for us to sustain our presence and even excel within
the same workforce- one must rely on self-education.

Self-education in a nutshell is when a person relies on themselves rather

than a formal learning environment or involvement of teachers/professors
to study, gain knowledge, learn about new concepts and /or develop skills.

Importance of getting actively engaged in pursuing self-education cannot

be undermined for this has become a primarily differentiation between
a ‘good’ resource and ‘great’ one.

A general habit among people is they would only seek education and
learning on an as and when, need basis and mostly such behaviors are
driven by an expectation of rewards as a return for learning or developing
a skill(s).

However, the concept I am trying to stress on is inculcating a habit of

learning for the sake of expanding one’s horizons and developing a better
perspective which accelerates growth more than the learning undertaken
for earning more money.
“Self-education will enable a person to take charge of their own
learning and growth and to pursue in-depth knowledge on one’s
own interests.”

Hence, an individual will not only feel more accountable for their own self
but also will make an effort to push his/her life in a futuristic direction
rather than getting caught in a vicious circle of tying learning to
materialistic gains.

It’s important to take the ‘right’ decisions to make learning more

conducive for example when you pursue self-education rather than making
decisions based on a brand name of a college or prestige, you need to
focus on ‘who’ is teaching you rather than ‘where’ they are teaching you.

Its critical to identify and let subject matter experts impart their knowledge
to you.

You can either be focused on knowing a little about everything or direct

your attention towards mastering one area of expertise- it depends on your
priorities and mindset on how you wish to tailor your self-education path.

“Formal education helps bring a group of people on the same

footing which gives them eligibility to enter the workforce
however the ability to fuel growth and pursue excellence
depends on how aggressively does one undertake self-
education.”

Having said , if one does not have access to formal education it too in no
way means that one can’t be successful- what’s important is that one must
continue to educate him/herself regardless of affordability and start
viewing life and learning more holistically.

Be proactive about your learning, foster curiosity, make an effort to

enhance your knowledge levels and quit viewing education re-actively

THANK YOU