Home » Self-directed learning » How do I become a self-directed learner?

Becoming an excellent self-directed learner takes time, because it's not just about academic ability, it's also about emotional maturity and self-awareness.

If you're a recent school leaver, you're probably still working out your identity and learning how to manage your life. You may not be ready to become a fully-fledged self-directed learner yet, but you can certainly make a start.

If you're a mature age student, you probably have a clearer concept of your identity and lots of strategies for managing your life. You may already have strong self-directed learning skills, and just need a tune-up.

For all learners, to become self-directed you will need to be highly motivated and take an active and critical approach to your studies (rather than seeing yourself as an empty vessel that will be "filled" with knowledge by your lecturers and other experts).

Whatever stage of life you're at, try to think about self-directed learning as an ongoing journey of self-discovery that will help you succeed at study, work and life. Who knows what you can achieve once you unleash your full learning potential!

This section of the kit will shine some light on the different ways people learn, and help you realise your full learning potential. It will also introduce you to some of the teaching styles you may encounter at university.

The Study skills and Personal development sections of this kit also provide valuable resources for self-directed learners.