The gift of knowledge is one of the greatest gifts you could give yourself, or your loved ones. It might sound like a bit of a cliché at first, but if you think about it, what better way is there to live a life of independence, happiness, and fulfilment than expanding your horizons and enriching your memory palace with truly valuable information?
The truth is that in the modern world, you needn’t spend thousands of dollars on college education if you don’t want to. As modern technology is quickly erasing geographical borders and putting all of the information you might need on the digital plane, there is little stopping you from realizing your educational dreams the affordable way. With that in mind, here are some simple and frugal solutions to take your education to the next level.
Make your own notes and learn from them
Before you move on to the high-tech gadgets or the free online courses (which you should definitely check out), focus on taking your own learning habits to the next level. This means making it a habit to take notes, and revise them frequently in order to memorize crucial information long-term.
Now, this doesn’t just mean taking notes in classes, or forcing your child to take notes as the teacher is speaking, but it does mean taking notes of important information you come across throughout your day. Whether it’s work-related or if you’re watching a documentary on the TV, making notes of interesting facts on your phone is a nifty way to memorize them quickly, and use as great conversation starters.
Use the internet to your advantage
The internet holds within its grasp the entire collected knowledge of the human race. Without any exaggeration, you can literally learn and educate yourself on any topic that spikes your interest via the web, you just need to search for it. While the internet and its numerous social media platforms can be quite a distraction at times, there is nothing you won’t be able to achieve with a bit of self-restraint.
If you’re finding it too difficult to concentrate with all the distractions of mass media, you can simply install a productivity app in your browser or on your phone that will restrict entry to time-wasting websites. Now, do your best to research the most reputable knowledge-sharing portals in your field of interest, bookmark them, and strive to read their publications every day.
Lending a helping hand from early on
When it comes to instilling the love for lifelong learning in your children, things tend to get a bit more complicated. Kids aren’t perfect, and you can’t expect them to magically express an unquenchable thirst for knowledge without proper guidance – and usually, the things they learn at school will do nothing to deepen their desire for further education.
Inadequacies of the modern education system aside, there is a need to bring in a skilled and experienced professional to lend a helping hand. You can easily find reputable tutors for your children through platforms such as TeacherFindr that have local prominent teachers in your area, who can come to your door and help your child overcome any obstacle in their education process. Usually, this will be developing the love for learning itself, but it can also be a more nuanced problem such as English or math.
Subscribe to quality magazines
Print media has kind of fallen silent in recent years in the wake of digitalization and the popularization of mass online media portals. However, that doesn’t mean that the old blood is not keeping up with the times. With thousands of print publications rapidly making their content available on the web as well, there is nothing stopping you from tapping into a wealthy pool of knowledge.
Online magazine subscriptions are usually inexpensive and believe it or not, reputable magazines such as National Geographic and Scientific American, for instance, only charge enough to keep the proverbial ship afloat. This is an inexpensive way to have the latest news in science, technology, sociology, politics, economics, and all other fields delivered directly to your doorstep, or better yet, your inbox.
Experience knowledge on the go
Last but not least, you’re always taking your phone wherever you go, so why not make good use of it and turn it into your very own knowledge headquarters? From thousands upon thousands of YouTube videos filled to the bring with useful information, all the way to free apps that offer courses and curriculums you can consume on the go, your smartphone can be a nifty little learning tool. Can’t split your concentration between driving and reading? No problem, just turn on a podcast or an audiobook and let your brain soak up the information like a sponge!
In the modern world, education should be free for everyone. While we as humans haven’t reached that milestone yet, we are slowly moving in the right direction by offering free information and knowledge pools through the power of technology. With these effective solutions at your side, you will have no problem broadening your knowledge as well as the knowledge of your loved ones at no extra cost.