Learning by asking a "local"
resources are overrated.
I just got my score back from a standardized test I had been studying for. It was decent, but not where I wanted yet. I probably had to retake it, but reflecting on the experience gave me some insights that were worth sharing—especially how I got in the flow on how to prepare for it.
We have access to nearly everything we want to learn. Books, videos, and courses are available on the internet for you to learn what you want. It’s already right there and ready to use.
Therefore, I started with a bunch of resources. E-book downloaded from Z-lib, posts saved on Facebook, and websites bookmarked on Chrome. They were ready for me. Yet, I found it hard to actually start learning. How do I study? Where should I start?
That’s when the mentality kicked in. I felt nervous about whether what I did was correct or not. Efforts were put in but not efficient. Eventually, commitment dropped, and I gave up.
Everybody needs a “local” in their learning journey.
A “local” is a person who’s experienced with a certain topic. It is inspired from the local people in a new country that you travel to: they are well-attached to the space that you are unfamiliar about, and most of the time sticking with them will get you real good experience.
Similar to learning, having a “local” will help you navigate better on what you are learning. They may take part as different roles, but they mostly serve the same purpose: to improve your learning efficiency and experience through their own insights and consultation.
Below, you can find my experience with the locals in learning, and why you should spend more time looking for a local rather than resources.
Why bother finding a local?
Only a local can respond personally to your situations and provide you paths that actually worth taking.
The worst thing about Youtube videos on “how to learn XYZ…” are that you cannot speak to them, and it is not even worth trying to start one. Most of the time, they give advices and experiences that turn out to be repetitive and general. Some of them even advise something that they don’t do just to make things sound more insightful and smart.
I always find these videos to be an ick. I don’t watch them, and I further believe nobody will need to as they find out how having a local can do things in such better way. Their advices are more tailored based on you and your situation.
I used to have troubles with building my team. I couldn’t foster a culture among them and didn’t understand what was wrong. To solve it, I decided to send a text message to a local I know and hop on meeting with them.
In the meeting, they give me things that work for them and will work for me. First, they listen to my situations and understand it. Then, they provide the foundations of the topic, pick suitable learning points to give, and end up with referring me to resources and people that relate to my current status. They consult me to understand what I need and take me to where I want.
Just like a local show around the place you are unfamiliar about. They will take you through the must-gos and then ask you what do you want to experience, what do you want to see to tailor the tour to your preferences.
Locals, moreover, give you faith and inspirations. You can seek sympathy from them, be more vulnerable. Their stories are more real and relatable, giving you the trust that you can be like them, or even more. They provide you space for reflections and give you actionables that will get you to stand up and start doing. Locals can hear you, give you confirmations and build up the mentality to take steps.
These are the things that I find truly beneficial in one’s learning journey, yet many fail to access them through the common channels—Youtube videos and Reddit posts. By having a meeting with a local, I save much more time figuring out what to do and be more confident on my learning journey.
Now we know how great having a local can be, the other matter is how to have one.
How to find a local?
Your local can be a friend that you talk to on a daily basis, a person that is only willing to see you for 30 minutes, or a tutor that you will have to pay money to be with—no matter who they are, it is hard overall to find and access a local.
My local when I was studying for my test was a teacher. I paid to listen to him and get his references. He taught me how to approach the test as well as how to learn. It was a big class, so we didn’t have close interactions. Yet, having a local helped me get a sense of what the test was like and how to study for it. Now, as I start restudying, I can do on my own.
Some other locals are free to find, but here’s come another issue: Where are they and How can we reach them?
I find my locals through the current connections that I have. I share my current learning journey with my friends, workmates, teachers. If they can help me with it directly, great!—If they can’t, they will refer me to their connections.
It works most of the time. You can always find a local you want just from your current connections.
Social media is also a great platform. Make yourself looks like an actual user up there then start reaching out. You can find people that are learning the same topic with you through Facebook groups, and that’s usually where the local are. If you are too lazy to browse, start with the group moderators—most of them are locals (they would be harder to reach though).
Reaching out to a local, however, seems to be a bigger deal to many people. I find the process enjoyable. Most of the local I reach out to are always happy to help me, and the worst they can do is leave your messages on read. Here is a what you will want to include in a message when reaching out to people:
Introduce yourself
How do you know them
Your story & problem
Next steps (Do you want a 30-minute meeting or something else?)
The tip is to keep everything short and concise. If the message is longer than what can be appeared on the phone’s preview to get to the point, then it’s not efficient.
When they accept to be your local, it’s time to get ready for a meeting. I have already written a comprehensive post about this.
If you can find and talk to a local in the early stages of your learning, things will get a lot easier and faster. Later on, they can also help you with further challenges you encounter along the way.
With the vast availability of resources to learn, you no longer need to spend much time finding the right sources to start. Rather, you will need somebody to pick the right things for you and help you get through the challenges.
Thank you for defining what "local" means in learning. Self-learning can feel super confusing sometimes. I’ve also struggled with figuring out how to reach out to someone who’s an expert in what I want to learn — like, what should I say? What do I even need to prepare? The sharing tips are really practical and easy to apply. Keep up the good work!