The concept of self-study and independent learning has become so much more common now, especially with the pandemic. Coronavirus has caused many countries to go into a lockdown and students’ education is limited to indoors whereby their progress is dependent on their own self-discipline and integrity.
Source: https://www.cchatty.com/7-tips-on-self-study-Chinese-g-100449
This is indeed a challenging task and it’s probably one of the key driving factors that has caused one-to-one tutoring to become prominent as many struggles to study alone. Some amount of guidance from a home tutor would go a long way in influencing the grades on the report card.
So, what do we mean by self-study?
Self-studying is all about setting up your own schedule, making your own timetable or to-do list to complete tasks at your own time in your own unique way. It sounds simple but it’s not all that easy to carry out.
Some students may complain that they do not have the luxury of time to sit down and make an elaborate schedule and above all, it’s difficult to stick to the plan because situations and certain circumstances would require one to pause some tasks on the to-do list for that day.
Source: https://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/schedule
This is a common issue among students but it’s important to understand that it’s never possible to stick to a timetable and follow it religiously. You must anticipate the arrival of unexpected circumstances and be ready to make appropriate adjustments to roll with the punches.
What are the pros and cons of self-study?
THE ADVANTAGES
#1: FREEDOM
It is undeniable that you can feel the liberty when left alone to study as time is being left in your hands for you to decide how you want to make use of it. There would be a plethora of options and you can choose to do whichever subject you desire in whatever order that makes learning comfortable.
Source: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/improving-study-techniques
A fixed timetable given in school requires students to adjust and adapt their minds to that respective subject and tune their mind to the frequency of the tutor’s teaching style. With self-study, you decide the subject and you would decide the mode of learning which does not require the extra amount of effort or friction in trying to adapt to something you hadn’t planned on doing.
#2: LEARNING AT ONE’S OWN PACE
With a herd of 40 other students in a classroom trying to solve a mathematical problem in a race against time, there is more room for stress than there is for effective learning.
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Every student has his or her own strengths and weaknesses and it’s a true challenge for students to navigate themselves in schools. Students are too focused on getting the work done that they fail to recognise what they have to work on to better themselves. The opportunities for self-analysis and proper internalisation of concepts and information are indeed limited.
In self-study sessions, it gives the liberty for students to soak in the content in their own comfortable pace; there isn’t a timer ticking away in front of them.
THE DISADVANTAGES
#1: SELF-DISCIPLINE
It’s a well-known fact that self-study requires a whole lot of self-discipline. The entire process of gluing yourself to the chair, making a schedule, crafting a list of things to do and getting them done one after another is not all the rosy as it sounds.
With tons of distractions all around (everything ranging from siblings to social media and friends), students need to have the mental strength to say “no” to those distractions and prioritise their work.
Source: https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/business/self-discipline
Self-discipline requires lots of practice to make it a habit as it does not happen overnight. Seeking the guidance of a home tutor will be helpful as they will be able to advice you as to how you can achieve your goal one step at a time without losing focus.
#2: SELF-DOUBT
Many students struggle with this to a great extent and in fact they suffer silently as it’s not something that one can easily open up and share. When left alone to study, students may be unsure if what they are doing is right to begin with.
Source: https://www.foundrymag.com/issues-and-ideas/article/21932032/four-strategies-for-managing-selfdoubt
Self-doubt is especially common among students who already struggle to keep up with the rigorous syllabus in school and fall along the “average” category in class tests. It will be all the more helpful for students to seek advice and guidance and some amount of motivation from their parents and tutors to keep themselves going and to prevent burnout!
BOTTOM LINE
Students need to get used to self-studying as the landscape of education is changing to a great extent especially with the changes that the pandemic has caused. It may be challenging in ways unimaginable but remaining persistent through hurdles is of utmost importance. Seeking help from tuition teachers and parents when needed would go a long way in saving lots of trouble!