The Most Important Thing in Self-Study: Moving from 'Being Taught' to 'Learning for Yourself'

The "Textbook of Learning That School Won't Teach You" series has finally entered its third installment.

In the first series, with the theme of "the essence of learning," I shared the idea that studying is not about memorization, but about "understanding."

In the following second series, I introduced "how to learn for understanding," incorporating my own experiences, such as how to take notes, how to utilize memos, how to use a dictionary, the timing of reviews, and the effectiveness of teaching others.

And the theme of this third series, which begins now, is "self-study."

When you are a student, teachers teach you when you go to school.
However, once you become a working adult, there is no one to teach you.
Whether you are challenging yourself with a certification exam, learning a new job, or acquiring hobbies and culture, the one thing you can rely on in the end is your "ability to learn for yourself."

I was not good at studying since I was a child.

I was an active child who loved playing outside, and if left alone, I would go out to play immediately.
Because of that, my mother would sit right next to me and watch over my studies.

After becoming a university student, I attended a bookkeeping school, and I also went to YMCA and NOVA because I wanted to be able to speak English.
However, most of what I have learned since then has been through self-study.

Among my many experiences, the one that left the biggest impression on me was my challenge to pass the Customs Specialist exam, which is said to have a pass rate of about 10%.
I set a goal to "pass in 3 months," and first, I grasped the overall picture of the exam using a small handbook.
Then, I divided my daily study time into small segments—before work in the morning, during my commute, during lunch breaks, after returning home, and before going to bed—and continued to learn every day.
Furthermore, I summarized what I learned on cards and repeated the process of outputting it in my own words.
As a result, I was able to pass on my first attempt.

Of course, I wasn't able to study like this from the beginning.
I experienced many failures and detours. Through that accumulation, I realized that "there is a common way of thinking in self-study that produces results."

In this third series, I will share what is truly important in self-study, including not only my successes but also my failures.

For those who think "studying is a talent" or those who feel "I can't keep it up alone," it is okay.
Self-study is not an innate talent.
It is a skill that anyone can improve if they acquire the right way of thinking and learning.

I would be overjoyed if this series becomes a catalyst for you to cultivate your "lifelong ability to keep learning."

<Chapter 1: I wasn't good at self-study from the beginning either>

When you hear "I passed a certification exam through self-study," you might imagine someone who was originally good at studying.
However, I was definitely not that kind of child.

When I was little, I was an active boy who just loved playing outside.
Running around with friends and playing with all my heart was more fun than anything else, and even when I was at home, I thought more about playing than studying.
Therefore, if left alone, I would immediately jump outside.
Seeing me like that, my mother would always sit by my side and watch over my studies.

She didn't just say "Go study."
She would stay close so I wouldn't leave my seat, and while encouraging me, she would face the desk with me.

Thinking about it now, I believe it was my mother who built the foundation for my study habits.
That said, I wasn't particularly excellent in my grades during my student days.
I didn't hate studying, but I wasn't a "child who would voluntarily sit at a desk" either.

When I started studying bookkeeping after entering university, I didn't do it through self-study; I attended a bookkeeping school.
Also, when I wanted to be able to speak English, I learned English conversation at YMCA and NOVA.

In other words, for me at that time, "studying by being taught" was the norm.

However, the situation changes significantly when you become a working adult.
To acquire new knowledge while working, you have no choice but to learn for yourself.
You don't have time to go to school every day, and a teacher isn't always by your side.

Here, for the first time, I realized that "studying by being taught" and "studying by learning for yourself" are completely different things.

Self-study is not about studying alone.
It is about deciding what to learn, thinking about how to learn, and growing yourself while devising ways to continue.

I truly understood that much later.
While experiencing failures and detours, I gradually acquired the "tricks of self-study."

That is why I can say it loudly.
The difference between people who can do self-study and those who cannot is not an innate talent.
It is whether or not you know the right way to learn; that is the difference.

<Chapter 2: Once you graduate from school, the teachers are gone>

When I was a student, studying was an everyday occurrence.

If you go to school, there are classes, and teachers teach you.
Homework is assigned, and exam dates are set.
If there is something you don't understand, you can ask a teacher, and you can also study with friends.

In other words, at school, a "learning environment" is prepared from the beginning.
However, once you become a working adult, that environment changes completely.

You are chased by work every day, and you have to create time to study yourself.
If you think, "I'm tired today, so I'll stop," that's where it ends.
There is no one to give you homework, and no teacher to tell you to study.

Even so, new knowledge becomes necessary.
From professional knowledge required for work, certification exam study, and the acquisition of new technologies like PCs and AI, to hobbies and culture, situations where you need to keep learning come one after another.

In other words, what is truly necessary after becoming a working adult is not the "ability to be taught," but the "ability to learn for yourself."

I personally felt that strongly.
When I was a university student, I attended a bookkeeping school and also went to YMCA and NOVA to learn English conversation. There, teachers would advance the lessons and create the pace for learning.
However, as a working adult, I couldn't keep going to school forever.

To learn while working, I had no choice but to set goals myself, make plans myself, and act myself.

At first, I was confused.
"What should I study from?"
"How many hours should I study today?"
"Is this method really correct?"
No one would give me the answers.

That is precisely why I gradually found a study method that suited me while repeating trial and error.
Looking back, self-study is not "studying alone."
It is about thinking for yourself, devising ways for yourself, and growing while repeating improvements yourself.

This ability is not only useful for certification exams.
It becomes an asset that you can use for the rest of your life, whether in work, hobbies, or life itself.
That is why I don't think "people who can do self-study" are special people.
What is necessary is not talent, but creating a mechanism to learn for yourself.

<Chapter 3: The most important thing in self-study is not 'continuing'>

"What is the most important thing in self-study?"

When asked that, many people might answer like this:
"It is to continue every day."
"It is to make an effort."
"It is guts."

Of course, continuing is important.
However, I think there is something more important.

That is, "thinking for yourself about what to learn and in what order."

Many people who don't get results in self-study don't lack effort.
They start studying without knowing where to begin, start with difficult content, or move forward even though they haven't understood it.

With this, no matter how much time you spend, efficiency will not increase.

Conversely, people who get results in self-study try to grasp the "overall picture" first.
Where am I learning now?
What do I want to acquire in the end?
For that, in what order should I understand it?

Because this path is visible, they can continue learning without getting lost.

I previously talked about "understanding-based learning" in the first series.
Understanding is a state where knowledge connects to knowledge, and you can be convinced, "I see, that's what it means."
In self-study, this way of thinking is exactly the same.

By learning while understanding "why it happens" instead of just memorizing, knowledge remains in memory for a long time and turns into an ability that can be applied.

And there is one more important thing.
That is to incorporate studying into your own life.

If you think, "I'll study when I have time," that time rarely comes.
There are many things to do in daily life, such as work, housework, and hobbies.
That is precisely why it is important not to study in spare time, but to decide in advance, "I will study at this time."

When I later challenged the Customs Specialist exam, I thoroughly implemented this way of thinking.
First, I grasped the overall picture of the exam, decided on my daily study time in detail, and summarized what I learned on cards and output it many times.
Through this method, I was able to learn efficiently even with limited time.

In other words, self-study is not something you overcome with spirit or guts.
Decide on a goal, grasp the overall picture, think about the order of learning, incorporate studying into your life, and repeat understanding and output.
Creating this "mechanism" is the most important thing in self-study.

I wasn't able to do this method from the beginning either.
It was only because I repeated failures many times, such as challenging the Bookkeeping Level 1 and failing, and took detours, that I arrived at this way of thinking.

<Chapter 4: People who can do self-study are not people with talent>

Up until now, I have experienced various types of learning, such as bookkeeping, English, and the Customs Specialist exam.
In that process, I became convinced of something.

That is,people who can do self-study are not people with special talentthat.

In the world, there are not a few people who think, "That person was able to pass because they are smart," or "It's impossible for me because I have no talent."
However, I don't think so.

Of course, there are people who understand quickly or have excellent memory.
However, when looking at people who are getting results in certification exams or work, the real difference was not there.

People who get results have their own way of learning.
First, grasp the overall picture and think about what should be prioritized for learning.
Incorporate study time into daily life without strain, organize what you have understood in your own words, and output it many times.
Even though it looks like they are doing something special, the accumulation is actually just very basic things.

Conversely, people who are not doing well tend to think, "If I study for a long time, it will work out somehow," or rely on memorization, thinking, "I'll just memorize it anyway."
It's not that they aren't making an effort.
It's just that the direction of that effort is a little different.

It took a long time for me to realize that myself.
When I was a child, my mother watched over my studies, and at university, I attended a bookkeeping school and an English conversation school.
And after becoming a working adult, while learning many things through self-study, I experienced both failure and success.
That is why I can say it clearly now.

Self-study is not "trying hard alone."
It is finding a way of learning that suits you and continuing while improving it little by little.

That ability becomes a lifelong asset that is useful not only for certification exams but also for work, hobbies, and life itself.

<Chapter 5: Let's acquire 'self-study ability' that can be used for a lifetime>

I have experienced various studies in my life so far.
Through that experience, there is an answer I have arrived at.

That is,self-study is not "studying alone," but cultivating the "ability to grow yourself"that.

At school, teachers decide the order of learning.
However, when you go out into society, it is you yourself who decides what to learn, when to learn, and how to learn.

That is precisely why "self-study ability" is not a technique only for certification exams.
Whether you are acquiring new knowledge for work, starting a hobby, or continuing to learn to make your life richer, this ability will definitely be useful.

When I challenged the Customs Specialist exam, the reason I was able to pass was not because I had special talent.
It was the result of first understanding the entire exam, making maximum use of limited time, and continuing to devise my own study method.
This experience has become a great asset not only for the certification exam but also for my subsequent work and life.

If there is anyone who feels, "Self-study seems difficult" or "It doesn't suit me," please rest assured.
I wasn't good at self-study from the beginning either.
That is why I believe that anyone can grow through their own power if they acquire the way of learning.

In the third series that started this time, based on my own experience, I will convey the way of thinking and practical methods to get results in self-study, step by step.
Next time is "The reason I failed at Bookkeeping Level 1".
Actually, it was because of this setback that I came to review the study method itself.
And that learning leads to the result of "passing the Customs Specialist exam in 3 months" later.

Failure is not the end.
If you face it correctly, it becomes a starting point for the next success.
Please join me next time as we think about the "true power of self-study" together.

Thank you for reading until the end.
Please join me next time as well.

I look forward to your continued support.
I would be happy if you could give me a like, follow, or tip.

#StudyRecord