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How to Become a Scholar
Last Updated: May 24, 2024 Approved
This article was co-authored by Arash Fayz . Arash Fayz is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of LA Tutors 123, an academic consulting and private tutoring company based in Los Angeles, California. Arash has over 10 years of educational consulting experience, managing the tutoring of students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to score higher on standardized tests and gain admission to their target schools. He has a BA in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 327,085 times.
Whether you want to be the next Bill Nye (with tenure!) or you just want to learn as much as you can, being a scholar is easier than it sounds. With some work and determination, you too can bring learning into your life. Read the article below to find out how!
Read a lot.
- There are also loads of books in the public domain, which you can get free digital copies of to keep. Project Gutenberg is the most famous, but you can also get many through Amazon's Kindle program.
- Reader Poll: We asked 608 wikiHow readers and 55% of them said that their preferred way to expand their scholarly knowledge is by reading books and articles on new subjects . [Take Poll]
Teach yourself.
- This can often take a lot of determination but you can do it! Don't give up!
Try online schools.
- Try using College Board or Khan Academy to help you learn common subjects or to prepare for the SAT or ACT.
- You can also learn languages online for free. Good sites include LiveMocha, Duolingo, and the Foreign Service Institute's online resources.
Learn more than one language.
- Skills in 1 or 2 foreign languages may be helpful as well, in order to read older scientific papers that haven't been translated into English. The most helpful languages to learn include French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin and Russian.
- You may need to learn Arabic, Persian and Turkish. Many scientists and scholars have passed in Arabian Peninsula, Southeast Asia, Ottoman Empire and Persia (Present day Iran).
Question everything.
Fully form opinions.
Change your mind.
Avoid bias.
Take classes.
- You can also talk directly to the professor and try to work something out between the two of you.
Learn from other people.
- This works better for skills than academic subjects, but you might still be able to find someone sympathetic enough to recommend some good books or other ways to learn.
Spread the knowledge you have.
- When you work in academia, you will usually be required to continue researching in your field, writing papers and books at regular intervals.
- Sometimes you will be allowed to take a sabbatical, or a paid, year-long break in order to work on your research.
Do more than the minimum level of schoolwork.
Get good grades.
- Get extra help from your teachers and communicate with them often if you want to help boost your grade.
Get good test scores.
- Don't feel like getting a bad or average score will keep you from doing the things you want. You can always start at one college and transfer to a better one.
- Set up a quiet study area without any electronics or distractions so you're able to focus.
Have specific goals in school.
- It's okay to change your mind of course, this can just really help.
Spend time studying.
- Get help when you need it. You can ask your classmates, make use of the tutoring center, or you can get help from your professor or the TA.
Befriend your professors.
- You can also get to know your professors by being engaged in class. Sit near the front, answer and ask questions, and be good about participating in general.
- You can also just talk to them and ask for advice. They want to see you succeed and should be more than happy to give you some pro tips about working and getting ahead in the field.
Get all of your necessary degrees.
- Doctoral programs take about 6 years to complete after obtaining a bachelor's degree. This may includes time used for earning a master's degree and completing a dissertation.
- Don't get scared about this though. Graduate school is very different than normal school and, in some ways, it's easier. If you can get in, you can probably handle it.
Stay on top of the latest research in your field.
- Networking with the experts in your field will also bolster your own research endeavors.
Attend conferences.
- Believe us, conferences are more fun than what they sounds like. Realistically, most are just a bunch of scholars getting drunk together.
Study psychology and philosophy.
Do postdoctoral research.
Teach classes.
Do other scholarly activities.
Be curious.
Love learning.
Keep learning.
- Try getting other degrees. Sometimes scholars will go back to school and get degrees. This is often so that they can get further in their career, or if their research area overlaps with another field.
Community Q&A
- Libraries will often have someone who specializes in a particular topic. This person can help you learn more and send you to the best books for what you want to learn. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
- Take elective courses (while earning the Bachelor's degree) in collateral areas. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
- Go to conferences offered by the national organization for the discipline that interests you to continually expand your knowledge. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
- Being a scholar or typically requires lots of patience. There are equal chances of failure as that of success, hence you should be ready to accept the results as they come. Thanks Helpful 28 Not Helpful 4
- It may be difficult to balance cultivating a strong family life while conducting extensive research. Moving to places to meet job opportunities can also take a toll on your family. Thanks Helpful 19 Not Helpful 3
- Don't base your decision on where to teach solely by prestige of university. Some smaller universities can be top-notch niches in certain fields, and others can have excellent faculty and resources to work with. Thanks Helpful 15 Not Helpful 2
- Be wary of online schools that require money. Make sure that they are accredited and that their reputation is good. Thanks Helpful 17 Not Helpful 4
- Due to the larger number of PhD candidates for professorship and commercial positions, prospective scientists and scholars may find themselves having to take a series of postdoctoral positions before landing a permanent position. Thanks Helpful 16 Not Helpful 4
- The pay is not always great, and the work can be isolating. When you seek the tenure track, the first 6 years on the job are intense. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
You Might Also Like
- ↑ https://lonerwolf.com/autodidact/
- ↑ https://www.developgoodhabits.com/autodidact/
- ↑ https://www.careeraddict.com/become-a-self-made-scholar
About This Article
To become a scholar, try to question everything you hear or read instead of taking it at face value. If information seems wrong or questionable, do your own research to find the facts. Also, try to cultivate your curiosity since scholars are always on a quest to learn new things. Since a scholar is someone who is learning all the time, try to read as much as you can, and attend classes or take online courses to broaden your horizons. To learn how to get good grades in school and get into college, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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