It’s a new era kids!  In this era, we know that hard work isn’t enough. In fact, hard work is basically futile, and often very expensive, if not executed in a strategic way. The same applies to studies. 

study smart

Study Smart Options

One day, my uncle noticed I picked up something I had dropped, with my toes. I remembered he laughed, and pointed out all the tricks and shortcuts I would take to get whatever I needed. At first, I thought he was reprimanding me, as most adults would do whenever ( they noticed) I took a shortcut. However, the sentence that followed his chuckle was all but a criticism.

He said: “You’ll be successful because you always find the easiest way to get things done. Nevertheless you do them. You’re lazy, in the right way”.

Of course, that mentality, can’t apply to all fields of life, but it made me think: is the traditional, or mainstream way of doing things always right, or necessary? Is there an alternative route?

study smart

Bill Gates also said it, which made me think even deeper: what if I could achieve the job of my dreams, without going to university? Then, I realized that I could, so I did it.

These are the main questions and reflections I had to take in consideration before committing to any smart study options:

  1. What industry did I want to get into? There’s not always a need to study exactly what you want to do as a profession.  However, a good guide is to determine whether you are a more creative or mathematically-oriented person. Is going university the smartest way for me to get to where I want to be? And if so, do I have what it takes to get in? If not, what can I do?
  2. Ask industry-specific questions: for example, if you want to get into marketing you might want to ask yourself questions like: am I a creative thinker? Can I look at traditional situations in a new way and help reframe something bland in a way that makes it fascinating? Do I have top-notch verbal communication skills? Am I a strong writer who can clearly and concisely communicate my thoughts? Can I organize and interpret complicated data? Can I spot problems and figure out a way to solve them? Do I have strong research skills that can help you understand a situation from multiple angles? If you answered “yes” to a few or all of these questions, then a career in marketing is perfect for you.
  3. Am I sure that I will not go to university? Nothing is set in stone. Regardless of whether you go to university or not, knowledge is the one thing no-one can ever have enough of. You can self-study, but who knows, one day, you might want to go back to school.  Are you orchestrating your life in a way that will allow you to change your mind?

If you can’t afford the fees, you can’t afford the time to go to university- or you simply see it as a waste, don’t worry, there are few smart study tricks and tips to get where you want to be. You are still full of potential – you just need to think hard, at working smart. 

study smart

 

South Africa is a relatively new nation and the education plight is real, and problematic, to say the least. It is riddled with issues of a developing country, with a massive socio-economic divide, gigantic problems around health and safety, corruption and racism. The good thing about it? Besides the incredible diversity and natural resources, South Africa, like other developing countries, and unlike many developed countries, leaves space for the single most important thing for a developing economy: the possibility of growth, in a variety of industries and work sectors.

Before scrolling down to see what these trick and tips are, do me a favor and DON’T BE REALISTIC – believe that you have all the power to shape your reality. Depending on your situation, you may or may not have doors open for you. Depending on your situation, some doors may be completely shut – so you’ll just have to break them down. 

study smart

Here are some scenarios:

  1. You don’t have the grades to get into university – take a gap year. During the first months of the gap year, you can clear your mind, and experience what life outside of school is like. If you are sure that you want to commit to a course for the next three to five years of your life, but you aren’t naturally talented at it, take up tutoring. Chances are that if you are passionate about something but it seems like you just don’t get it, the problem probably doesn’t lie with you – it lies with the way you are thought. To get around that, contact tutoring agencies like Preeva. Preeva offers low-cost and personalized tutoring. This is extremely beneficial not only to pass a test but to understand the way you think. Once you are confident, talk to the University and try to pass a few exams to showcase your new-found skill set (coupled your recent work experience) – you may surprise yourself.  Otherwise, if you’re in a rush, see if you can join a foundation year.  Did you know that if you wait till 25 and you rack up enough relatable work experience, you can apply for a Masters at most universities around the world?

  2. You don’t have the money to get into university but have the grades – this is usually the most frustrating of situations. Banks offer student loans at relatively low-interest rates, but to study without working isn’t very sustainable. To study full-time and work, can be extremely taxing and counterproductive. If you are looking at very specialized degrees, the best thing is to build credits by studying online courses, volunteering, engage on subject-related projects (and showcase them). Otherwise, you can try to apply for a scholarship or a bursary – here is a list of South African Bursaries.

  3. If you don’t have the money or the grades, but you have the ambition. For this approach, you’ll need to work from the bottom up.

  • This means that you’ll have to make best friends with the internet and soak up all the information you can get it from it. You can learn virtually almost-anything on the internet. You can read, write, do math problems, mechatronics equations, learn to sing, do makeup… you name it. Follow people you admire, subscribe to different platforms. Get to know people, create a network.  Most of the time, it’s about who you know, not how much you know. In light of this, never neglect your people skills.

  • Once you have a good understanding, take the next step.  Get certified or recognized for your skills. This means that you can get references, or sign up to platforms like EDX. Edx is a platform made up by the best universities in the world. On this platform, you can choose to audit (learn without paying) or pay a relatively small price for A class education and get recognized for doing so. Edx offers professional and university level short courses, long-term courses and programs across all sectors.

  • You can apply for internships and apprenticeships. The concept of apprenticeships is still fairly rare, as much as it is old. Many countries, such as the United Kingdom, have realized that University is too expensive and are now pumping capital and pushing for companies to offer apprenticeships across a wide spectrum of professions. Apprenticeships can at times, in fact, be even better than traditional studying. Why? In a few words – they equip you with practical, real-life work experience. From the start, you learn how things work, as opposed to ‘ how they are supposed to work’. 

  • You can become an entrepreneur – this means constant work on self, get exposed as much as you can, observe what is around you. Get a mentor, a figure you respect and trust to guide you, or can inspire you. Be innovative and stay updated. Have an idea, analyze it and if you believe in it – expose it, talk about it with people you trust. Then research the steps you need to take in order for it to become a reality.

  • Think

    outside

    the box.

    study

Creative Imagineering takes on an intern annually.  We can give you work experience and exposure to the full ambit of integrated marketing.  Contact us if you want to stand out from the crowd.


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