There is nothing like a bad time for learning, true! In fact, the only bad learning is not learning at all. At the same time, there is no better time than now for learning if you can realize how much of unfettered time you have in your hands right now. Agreed, due to the pandemic, people’s lives have been forced into a whole new level of uncertainty. Not to mention, uncertainty and plenty of free time are what most people across the globe have in common now. But hopefully, soon the world gets into normalcy, everything restarts and the race begins as well. The only thing you need to answer yourself is if you are ready to run or chase your goals like you used to do before COVID-19 has shaken the world?
If your heart whispers no, then you have come closer to the tip of your career. Especially, if you are someone from the technology field. It is because technology is constantly evolving. No matter if you are related to IT, networking, machine learning, AI, IoT, robotics, mechanical or medical. The one who is not in synchronization with the growing technology doesn’t survive for long, it’s a painful fact though. Moreover, if you are not practicing your coding for a long time or not revising the basic concepts chances are high that they become strangers to you again.
So, in order to survive in this ambitious world, you need to brush up your skills. No matter if you are a school-going, a graduate, an employee or an entrepreneur, you should keep learning and hone your skills. Moreover, this is an unpredicted time that locked you at homes. But still, why not utilize this plenty of time and make it productive as you can’t go out and control the external things? Wondering how?
Well, how about refining the tech-concepts you have already known? Or learning brand-new things you didn’t know existed? Who knows you might end up inventing a cool new product and surprise people. You never know where the piece of research you did might take you. Don’t you agree? One thing that is certain is you are going to stand out with your polished skills after the world is resumed and boost your CV score. So, are you ready to refine your knowledge on technology and face the challenges waiting there for you?
Brushing up your skills does not necessarily mean you need to pick up boring theory books you have abandoned long back or code for hours hurting your fingers. Thanks to technology and the internet, there are other fun and exciting ways to stay on track with technology. Let’s explore them without any ado.
Online classes
Thankfully, there are alternatives to learn new things other than reading academic books. Technology has paved the way for e-learning along with many other things. You can study various things right from the elementary school syllabus to research guides anytime and anywhere from the comfort of your couch. Plenty of video tutorials, PDFs, online live sessions, podcasts are available right at your fingertips. The visuals and easy explanation in the online videos break down the concepts making them much easier to learn and never bore you. All you need is to choose your topic and browse the tutorials to start your relearning.
In case you are not sure what to learn, take time, rethink what you are good at or at least find what excites you. Before you start diving into the online classes, set your goals, meaning set the expectations of what you are going to learn.
This not only helps you refine your existing knowledge and learn new concepts but also boosts the value of your resume for your next job. When you feel like the coder or the tech in you is back take up some coding challenges, quick quizzes available online and test yourself.
The only preparation you need to do is set up the right mindset to learn regularly, acquire clarity of what to learn and decide what your ultimate goal is. Follow the active leaders for the concepts you want to learn on social channels and keep yourself on track.
Reading sci-fi and non-fiction books
Give yourself a break from online classes and explore books that are full of imagination and wonders to infuse in the concept. That being said, no matter, if you are an employee or an entrepreneur, reading books is what awakens your imagination and creativity and keeps you alive in the world of technology. So, make time to read great non-fiction and sci-fi books that reflect the present and future technologies predicted and imagined decades ago. Books like Revelation Space, Contact, Red Mars etc. leave you in awe about the 80’s authors’ imagination and their take on technology. These are just 3 among 22 best science fiction books of all time as per CoolThingsChicago.
Explore these books to walk past and understand how technology is evolving with time. Having said that this is the right time to brush up skills, you might end up inventing a new product and boost your being-entrepreneurial journey.
Watching tech-heavy movies
The other fun way of staying in sync with technology is to watch movies that are tech-heavy. This not only entertains you for 2-3 hours but also rejuvenates your creativity. Movies like The Matrix, Blade Runner, Minority Report, etc. show you how those legendary authors and writers had foreseen the technology evolution. So, make your lockdown time more exciting and thrilled by indulging yourself in sci-fi and non-fiction movies.
Bottom Line
Learning something new every day not only polishes your skills and wisdom but also keeps you more active and motivated. In order to sustain the competition of your peers and stand out among them, you need to keep brushing up on the concepts. And there is no better time than now. So, what are you waiting for? Watch the latest tech concepts on Youtube, listen to podcasts, read sci-fi books and stand chances to survive in the competition and accomplish better opportunities in your career.