General knowledge is valuable knowledge about a society, culture, civilization, environment, or country, which is collected from various media sources. General knowledge does not include specific information on one particular topic, but includes knowledge related to every area of human life, such as current issues, fashion, family, health, and arts and sciences. Gaining general knowledge does take time and effort, but this time and effort will be well worth it because most of the human traits and skills that are considered important, such as intelligence, problem solving ability, self-confidence, and open-mindedness, are often judged by the amount of general knowledge possessed. somebody. In addition, general knowledge can also help your development as an individual as well as the building of a knowledgeable and strong society.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Reading
Step 1. Read the book
Reading books is the foundation for gaining general knowledge of any kind. There is no specific book, or specific topic, that you need to read because general knowledge covers many different topics. Most importantly: reading should be a regular part of your daily life.
- Find a library near you, and get a membership for that library. Library memberships are usually free or inexpensive; You also get access to thousands of books with easy return dates.
- Look for cheap booksellers. Buy cheap books on a wide variety of topics; especially topics that you may not previously have been interested in.
- Buy an electronic book reading device to download various books and articles that are not too expensive from various sources on the internet. You will get knowledge instantly.
Step 2. Subscribe to the newspaper
Newspapers are the ideal source of local, regional, national and world news. There are newspapers that are better than others, but they generally provide you with fairly up-to-date information on politics, sports, fashion, food, and many other topics.
- Try to get into the habit of reading the newspaper in the morning. Newspapers can be delivered to your door even before you wake up. You have no excuse not to read the newspaper and use it as a valuable resource in your quest for knowledge.
- Now there are many newspaper publishers who provide online subscription services (via the internet), with lower subscription fees. If you prefer to receive information digitally, a subscription to a digital newspaper may be your choice.
- If you work for an office, the office usually subscribes to a certain newspaper, such as Kompas or Republika. You can use the free newspaper to pursue knowledge.
Step 3. Read the magazine
In bookstores you will be able to find several rows of stacks of magazines that you can read. Magazines are everywhere and the topics discussed are varied. Even if you don't want to subscribe to magazines, you can still read magazines in a variety of places.
- Read magazines at the nearest supermarket when your family is out shopping. No one had ever been kicked out of a store for reading a magazine for half an hour.
- Waiting for your appointment with the doctor, dentist or repair shop? Read the magazines available in their waiting room. Usually, in the doctor's waiting room or workshop, there are free magazines that you can read while you wait.
Step 4. Read the journal
A journal is a collection of academic research articles that is longer than a magazine article and includes a complete bibliography. A journal contains very specific information on a very specific topic. Compared to books, newspapers, and magazines, journals are indeed more difficult to access and more expensive, but the information they provide is more detailed and clearly proven.
- If you prefer the academic nature of journals, join your local history, biology, or sociology research community. Such research communities generally provide research funds that their members can use to conduct research.
- In the university library, you can access hundreds of different journals on a variety of topics.
Method 2 of 4: Listening
Step 1. Discuss with friends, colleagues, and professionals around you
The more people you talk to, the better chance you have of a knowledgeable and informative discussion. Since humans do like informative but relaxed conversations on certain interesting topics, the information you get through this channel will be easier to remember.
- Develop friendships with people who are smart, educated, and experienced. These friendships will open your mind to new topics, ideas, ideas and perspectives.
- Have these people meet weekly to talk about new things they're learning, or to talk about current topics.
Step 2. Purchase an audiobook
Audiobooks are no substitute for paper books, but with audiobooks, you can still get the knowledge you need while doing other things like driving to work or exercising. Audiobooks will also help you develop your vocabulary, process information in new ways, and increase your ability to reach higher levels of understanding.
- Audiobooks often come with commentary from the author. Based on these comments, you can see how the ideas behind a book were formed or the reasons for certain scenes in the book. This information is not only useful to broaden your horizons about the contents of the book, but also about the writing process and the thoughts that the author went through.
- You can buy, rent, or borrow audiobooks from various sources on the internet. Instead of listening to songs while waiting for the train or bus, listen to your audiobook.
Step 3. Take a seminar or conference
By listening to an expert's presentation of a field at a conference or seminar, you will gain general knowledge on a topic. This is important because the person is speaking professionally about the various methods, approaches and experience they have gained after building an analysis over many years.
- In addition to listening to the person, you also need to take notes. By listening, you will get good information; by taking notes, you will remember the information.
- Find out the main idea of the presentation you are listening to. All the details presented are interesting, but it is more important for you to understand the concepts and ideas presented in outline.
Step 4. Join a book club or social group
Expand your experience and friendship with like-minded people. Discuss books, current topics, history, or politics with other people. This will force you to rely on the general knowledge you already have while developing new knowledge networks.
- You can find these groups and organizations through various means, such as the internet and newspapers. You can also ask friends and family members whose technical fields are related.
- You will also get a lot of new acquaintances and new opportunities to learn from people who are different from you.
- People tend to read and write things they enjoy. If you join a book club, you'll read things you wouldn't normally touch; books that fall outside your line of interest.
Method 3 of 4: Using Technology
Step 1. Watch television
Today, television is one of the most frequently used sources of knowledge. Although on television there is indeed a variety of content that is questionable, in fact there is still a lot of useful and interesting information that is valuable as a source of information.
- Try watching different programs. Watch news programs, game shows, educational programs with documentaries, fact-based films, and instructional programs (such as cooking programs), to broaden your knowledge.
- Watching television is a passive activity that does not require high thinking skills. Limit the number of hours you watch television each day.
Step 2. Use a search engine on the internet
With search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing, you can find answers to many questions within seconds. Use these various internet sites to find the latest news, emerging trends, and interesting topics.
Most of these search engines are information centers. Not only can you search for breaking news with very up-to-date information, but also various entertainment, fashion, news and what's "trending" on the internet
Step 3. Request news notifications
Certain news sources that frequently post updates on a topic have a special notification system that you can subscribe to. Whenever a news story about a topic that interests you comes up, you are instantly notified via an electronic device such as a cell phone. That way, you will keep up to date with the latest information.
Some popular sites that provide notification systems like this are Google, Fox News, BBC, and AP News
Step 4. Play an online game or program that challenges the limits of your knowledge
Choose a game or program that requires you to learn new information, rules, or strategies. There are many sites online where you can play crosswords, quizzes, and other games that will challenge the limits of your general knowledge.
There are several sites that provide quizzes on general knowledge, current news, and history. Take these quizzes every day to broaden your general knowledge
Step 5. Take classes on the internet
Now, with free-flowing information, you can take university classes over the internet, for free or for a small fee. Several well-known universities, such as MIT, Harvard, and Stanford University, offer distance classes via the internet on a variety of topics, from philosophy to politics. These distance classes on the internet are termed as Massive Open Online Course [MOOC].
- Today, there are more than ten million people taking such classes. By joining in, you will be able to talk to people from all over the world.
- With Big Class Over the Internet, you will get the latest information on a wide range of topics.
- Classes like this also provide opportunities for you to learn from experts and professionals in various fields from around the world.
Method 4 of 4: Study in University
Step 1. Take a general education course
Many universities and colleges provide general education courses or classes outside of a particular field. The studies that such programs undertake cover a wide range of fields, topics and approaches. The material studied in such a study program focuses on interdisciplinary information in education. You can add to your general knowledge and use it for real-life situations.
- If you decide to study at university, take classes on a variety of research topics to broaden your general knowledge.
- While on campus, taking a variety of classes has proven to have a huge impact on your performance at job interviews, your collaboration with colleagues, and your contribution to society.
Step 2. Join clubs and organizations
On campus, there are usually many clubs and organizations that you can join, depending on your interests. Surround yourself with people with different backgrounds, ethnicities, and interests. Thus, you will increase the general knowledge you have.
- Extracurricular activities can facilitate and refresh your body and soul. If your body is fresh, it will be easier for you to absorb new knowledge.
- Look for other ways to expand your general knowledge, for example by joining a particular project/event or writing a newsletter. These activities will help you stay up-to-date.
Step 3. Interact with faculty and staff
Your faculty dean knows how people learn, or at least they know better than anyone else. Not infrequently you will find students who are in the faculty office, during office hours, to discuss lectures, assignments, or other things. Be a student who likes to visit the faculty office during office hours. You will learn more than you can imagine.
- Check your syllabus. In the syllabus, usually a lecturer's schedule of office hours is listed. You can also look up the schedule posted on the professor's door or in the departmental assistant's office.
- If you can't visit during the professor's office hours, call or email asking for an appointment at another time.
