The Value of Self Teaching

I just wanted to talk about my insights into being self taught.

I have not long ago completed a masters degree in Financial Mathematics. One of the courses was taught by a brilliant fellow who was nevertheless a terrible teacher. The first time he gave a test at the end of the semester over 90% of the class failed, we were all given the option to retake the exam once or twice more. After getting an abysmal grade on the first exam I went on to pass the second exam with a grade of 96. This was a huge leap, and what I realized was that when the information is not taught correctly in a classroom setting, it is still possible to teach oneself the material alone.

With the help of the resources we now have online (many of them completely free of charge) it is possible to learn almost anything under the sun with minimal cost and (many times) minimal effort. As long as you have access to the internet the sky is the limit for what you can accomplish. So don't be shy, if you feel there is an area in which you are weak or would like to gain expertise, just look it up online. The resources are there and they are not hard to find, from YouTube clips to educational websites to resources from your local library. Anything can be learnt if you just put your mind to it.

In an effort to help out young professionals like myself, who are just starting out on their path to a career, I hope to post from time to time about different resources I have found.