I’m pretty sure I’m self taught in everything after 6th grade. That was pretty much the point where I either stopped listenning to teachers, or was just sleeping in class anyways.
Like most people in computer related fields, I’m self taught in most respects of my job. Networking, languages, typing… I’ve even learned how to get ticked off at hardware/software and throw a tantrum all on my own.
I’ve always been the type of person that needs to verify things for myself, so even if someone does teach me something I end up doing it over on my own, finding tricks, improvisations and improvements. I’m not usually motivated to get the ball rolling, but once it is, I always get it going faster, farther, and in a much more dangerous manner. Works for me.
Another self-taught database geek here, FileMaker rather than SQL.
I was a social worker and we had no coherent system for tracking what clients we had had referrals on previously (open or closed cases), nor of to whom they were currently assigned (if open); and at the end of every month, quarter, and year, the 4 different funding sources wanted stats (different stats for each source, on their own forms of course). And even on a case by case basis, many forms had to be filled out, nearly all of them needing name address date of birth social security intake date sex and other overlapping basic & demographic data.
So I fumbled around in FileMaker and soon had the whole agency’s client-related tasks managed in FileMaker, including the routes for Meals on Wheels and supervisory review of the cases by the soc work supervisor. Got all the bloody forms and stats in there so that no information ever needed to be typed more than once.
FileMaker is easy enough to learn that acquiring it by trial and error is not unusual, but I seem to just have a flair for it, and when the social work agency folded the next job I landed was as a full-time FileMaker solutions designer (they called me “programmer”, a bit pretentious, that, I don’t work in C++ or anything). I’m at my third consecutive job in the field with a rapidly upward-sloping salary line, and everyone with any familiarity says I’m the fastest they’ve ever known. Now and then I get hung for a little bit but mostly the solutions to how to do anything I can conceive of doing in a database are just self-evident and easy to implement.
Self-taught guitar, mandolin, and tin whistle player here. When I was in high school, I managed to become reasonably proficient in Manx Gaelic studying on my own, but I’ve forgotten much of what I knew, unfortunately.
I’m teaching myself woodworking right now. (Well, not this very moment…) I’m having trouble with joinery, so I’m thinking about just picking up some scraps from wherever I can scrounge them so I can practice, practice, practice. I may also need to purchase a router. This has all come from purchasing a new house and being outraged and flabbergasted at the prices of new and mostly poorly-constructed furniture. “You want how much for THAT? It’s pressboard covered with veneer! Hell, I could make that at home for half the price…” And then I stomp off and teach myself a new skill. Right now I’m working on a sewing table, which is practice for when I make an entertainment center out of an old armoire. Each new project gets more complex, which causes me to have to buy a new tool and learn to use that at the same time I’m learning how to design, plan and execute my plan for the project.
I also plan to learn how to build a retaining wall this summer as well as a pond or fountain or some sort of water feature.
This trait of mine actually came in handy in my last job interview. I was asked what motivates me. I said, “Do you want the carefully crafted corporate answer, or the truth?” She wanted the truth. “Frankly, what motivates me is anger. I get good and pissed off about something and will leave no stone unturned and spare no expense to find a creative, out-of-the-box solution. If I’m not really angry or frustrated, I’ll be complacent with a mediocre process indefinitely.” Re-reading that, I can’t believe she hired me!
All that said, count me among those who have self-taught the software and/or hardware needed to do our jobs. I’m in desktop publishing. When I was in college, it was all manual paste-up and typesetting by hand, etc. Through OJT, I’ve taught myself all the software applications needed to produce a magazine, a book, a brochure, etc. While that is complicated, I don’t count this as an answer to the OP, because I usually had some graphic artist helping me, “try Open Apple + Control + H.”
Using manuals in German (foreign language for me), and working under a tight schedule to complete my thesis, I had only a month to familiarise myself with the program. A month in which I also had to develop design sketches on paper for my thesis. By no means could I be called an expert, but I did manage to surprise quite a few of my colleagues with the speed at which I learnt.
I’ve been told V5 is easier to learn. Let me at it!
I taught myself bass, guitar, and piano, but it was fairly easy, I mean, I didn’t really need lessons.
I also taught myself batch code when I was 10 or 11. And to draw, but I don’t think that’s something you’re really taught.
But, really, it’s all about interest in the subject. If you really want to know something or learn something, if you’re passionate about it, that’s all the motivation you need. Trying to teach myself Organic Chemistry, however, when the professor’s a putz and the book is profoundly boring, is quite the pain in the neck.
I taught myself all of the Rhapsody in Blue piano solo. I had some private piano lessons, but during the past few years, none at all. Problem is, my technique doesn’t really work for much besides the Gershwin and I’m having to relearn a lot of hand position stuff now (again on my own) for a piano pedagogy class.
I took over a decade of piano lessons plus spent quite a few years tinkering around on my own and it all only amounted to mediocre skills.
There are a ton of things that I could not learn on my own nor could I learn through instruction (foreign language, programming, etc).
I feel like the stupidest person on the board right now. I get all wound up over a silly got milk commercial, can’t play piano for crud despite spending years working at it, and now this. :mad:
I taught myself to make some pretty damn good beer of virtually any type using info from various books.
My skiing is largely self taught. One of these days I’ll call myself an expert skiier. Not bad for a terminally uncoordinated dork who didn’t take up skiing until he was 22.
I taught myself to do microinjection of cells at my old job and optimized the many variables involved until the efficiency had improved several hundredfold (admittedly we were starting with a very inefficient process).
I fall into the self-taught computer camp. Pascal, C++, java, most internet programming languages (html, CSS, various scripts), some SQL, the Windows API, low-level TCP/IP control, etc etc etc. I HATED it when they forced me to take an “Intro to Java” programming course this past term. The prof would go on about some bizzare analogy to explain OOP…I just had to cringe.
(For me, OOP has always seemed the natural way to go. I don’t understand why so many people have trouble with it.)
I’ve done fairly complex repairs on various cameras (a 35mm SLR, a view camera shutter, and a twin-lens reflex) with nothing except an exploded diagram to guide me. The cardinal rule of that type of thing is “installation is the reverse of removal.” That, and never fire a shutter with the front plate off. Tiny little springs go everywhere… :eek:
For the past six or eight months I’ve been teaching myself how to edit video (using Premiere) and assemble a DVD with menus and all (using a weird variety of freeware and demo software) that plays in almost any DVD player!
I learned HTML, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash. by using them and out of books/online references.
In high school I taught myself enough English composition and foreign government structure to pass two AP tests in topics I hadn’t taken classes in - the AP English Language and Comparative Government tests. A lot of self-tutoring that saved me money later when I was able to graduate college a quarter early.
Other than that, not much. I have a difficult time reading diagrams and instructions, I really need to see other people doing stuff in order to learn it.
I taught myself how to play guitar and the drums back in middle school and the highschool.
Taught myself Java, c++ and Visual basic programming.
And I taught myself (mostly - after picking up the basics I needed the help of an experienced sparring partner to understand the more difficult concepts) historical fencing and medieval european martial arts.
I learned how to play violin in school and took private lessons, but taught myself to play viola (really just reading a new clef, but it’s more than most violinists can do). Then I taught myself upright bass, which even though it’s a string instrument, it’s a completely different animal. Then I learned how to play mallet instruments (marimba, xylephone, vibraphone, etc.) and a few miscellanious non-drum percussion.
How to change the oil and do a complete tune-up on my old Jeep Cherokee. Probably couldn’t do it on my current car though.
I thought about posting in this thread when it was quite new but decided the really complicated things I know were not fully self taught (Only about 80% self taught) I.E programming. including Object Oriented C++.
But just now I remembered that I have taught myself 3d modeling, I attempted to teach myself directx programming.
As with most people my general (jack of all trades) computer knowledge is almost completely self taught.
I taught myself BASIC, Photoshop, Pagemaker, Adobe GoLive and Adobe Illustrator. I can’t really count BASIC though, because although I was able to write short, usable programs in it, I realized I would never be very good at it. I’m very good at Photoshop et. al.
I taught myself HTML, which isn’t all that hard, but a useful skill because then you can go into the Source option on GoLive when you want to make a quick fix that’s clumsily implemented in GoLive.
Last year I taught myself silkscreen printing (trickier than you might think).
Probably taught myself a few other things over the year – I get interested in things, so I get books, read about them and do them.
I learned me some pianer real good! I learned to play the piano, violin, saxophone (alto’s my fav) and guitar on my own…(although I eventually had to take classes for the violin–they’re difficult to play with out instruction!–for 2 years.) When it comes to cars though, I AM A DUNCE!–and proud of it!
I taught myself quilting, needlepoint, Hardanger, bobbin lace, garment sewing - a lot of different fabric and fibert arts. I taught myself to knit with a little help at the outset. I’m of the opinion that if they write a book about it, you can teach yourself to do it.
Piano I learned from 15 years of lessons, though. Minored in it in college and haven’t touched it since.
