SELF-EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING

Abstract

One of the most important elements of personality development lies outside the formal studies. The training period in the educational process is short, compared to the time spent outside it, during the life of an adult. For most adults, school is left behind, with the focus on work. In turn, jobs require continuous adaptation, but of different intensity and variability. Depending on the job selected, an adult who ends period of compulsory education, but also those who complete undergraduate studies, even post-graduate, face a matter of ability to learn to adapt to different environments which last a lifetime. The problem is even bigger, as studying in specialized environments involves excessively high expenses, which the vast majority of the population cannot afford. In this context, the solution could be guided self-education. Self-education is the process by which information, skills and new abilities are obtained, through one's own efforts, outside the institutionalized education system. The purpose of this study is to describe a number of elements necessary for self-education, to be conceptualized, organized, implemented and supported, not only during a short period of time and limited to a minimum number of purposes, but to be implemented as a long-term process. The principles described would be useful in the context of avoiding or resolving any cases, but also to maximize the results of the self-education process.