the university of planet earth
One more thing to share for today, just so I don't forget.
I'm reviewing old zine snippets I saved from the library over this summer, and found one particularly interesting one that I think you all might enjoy. Although I didn't get the title or author, I do have their writings. This zine is someone's advice about the process of quitting university and embarking on their own adventure of self-education. While I won't quit university, it was a fantastic read at the time (and now), and a great guide for how you should go about your own education.
Here are some of my favourite quotes.
Here's my curriculum: Live in a different city every year. Attend a different place of worship every week. Seek out hundreds of mentors to help me find answers to my thousands of questions. Spend the rest of the time in the library and on the Internet. Create lists, make charts, and undertake the most ambitious projects I can think of. Create my own personal bible, almanac, and telephone book. Live in the poorest neighborhoods in order to learn how to get along in the world and to save money, so I can travel to a different continent each year.
Team up with others. Self-education doesn't mean learning by yourself. The most important thing is to find teachers who will push you to learn what you need. A book group might be a great place to start, but if it gets too comfortably chatty, then challenge the group to broaden its horizons.
Save all your ideas. Don't assume that you will always remember all the best ones. I carry a notebook with me and jot down every idea I get, putting a star next to the ones I really want to pursue.
Feed and water your mentors. Most people--even famous people--feel underappreciated. If you admire someone for a specific reason, tell him or her. You'll be surprised to learn how few people do. Tell your mentors specifically what you want to learn from them, at their convenience.
Be prepared to be scared. Learning sounds so nice and wholesome, doesn't it? Tell that to Adam and Eve. Learning is scary and often risky because the more you learn, the more you'll feel compelled to rearrange your basic assumptions about everything. And that brings chaos as well as excitement into your life.
Don't be afraid to ask for help.