Five tips for people trying to upskill or self-learn.

There is no better time than now to learn a skill; there is so much information at your fingertips for free. There are apps for online learning such as Udemy, Coursera, LinkedIn, and YouTube that offer hundreds of thousands of free and paid courses. However, anyone who has attempted to learn something independently knows how difficult it can be.

Starting and finishing an online course requires a great deal of patience, time management, and self-discipline. In fact, there should be an online course on how to complete an online course successfully. It is even more challenging, especially when you have a full-time job and a hectic life. Even when you have a lot of free time, it might be challenging to find the motivation. If you are trying to upskill or learn something online on your own, these five tips below will help you as they have helped me.

Don’t take up too much at a time.

This is an easy trap to fall into and one that I fell into when I first started learning data analysis. There is so much to know that you may feel pressed for time, but remember that Rome was not built in a day. These things require patience. Do not overburden yourself. If you want to be a web developer, start with HTML and then move on to CSS. Don’t learn too much at once, especially if you’re a beginner with no prior experience. If you try to do too much at once, you will become confused and give up. Time and patience are required for all skills.

Get comfortable with a little confusion.

You should get used to being slightly confused. These courses are new to you, and it’s natural to be confused. Don’t give up when this happens. You can pause the tutorial or close the book to take a break. A new perspective and fresh mind might be just what you need. For example, suppose you were learning Python and were confused about how to create a dictionary or a list. Before returning to your tutorial, pause and look up videos that would more thoroughly explain how to create dictionaries and lists. Resting is essential to success; you won’t be able to function at high capacity if you are exhausted. It’s better to take small steps and be consistent than giant leaps and fall.

Follow people in that field.

Following people who have been where you are now is a great way to improve yourself. Many people on social media offer free advice; network with people in your community, and follow people on the same career path as you. They would occasionally share internships, scholarships, or even job opportunities. Never forget that no man is an island.

Share your progress as you go on, and be open to criticism.

Don’t be afraid to share your progress as you go; you never know who is watching. Also, be open to criticism and don’t take anything negative about your work personally. Instead, always strive to improve.

Get hands-on experience

Starting or finishing a course is insufficient. It is critical to gain practical experience and put your skills to the test. That is the only way to know if you have gained any knowledge and have become an independent user of what you have learned.

I hope you find these tips helpful; they have helped me as I try to improve my skills. Happy Studying!