What Strategies Can I Use If I'm an Intrapersonal Learner?

Intrapersonal learners who prefer to study independently and work autonomously can succeed in their education. If you have a solitary/intrapersonal learning style, you may be introverted in your classroom and studying situations by keeping to yourself and developing your self-awareness. Here are ways you can learn on your own while in your comfort zone of studying alone.

By identifying your objectives before your lessons, you clearly pave your intrapersonal learning paths. The Advanogy website recommends that solitary learners set goals and objectives that align with personal beliefs and values. School Psychologist Louise Sattler elaborates that intrapersonal learners’ own personal outcomes drive and guide them through their work. Linda Berens and associates point out in “Quick Guide to the 16 Personality Types in Organizations” that introverts must hold themselves accountable for their learning and rise to challenges. Through your self-mastery, you can build a vision of your learning experience and stick with it. For example, you can write or draw a diagram of the steps toward reaching your learning outcomes. Another way you can plan your learning is by listing the number of subtopics to help you remember how many you must master, such as the Seven Wonders of the World.

Rather than simply reading, you will recall your lesson by being involved in it. That may mean asking questions in class, taking notes, recording lectures and solving problems. For example, if you are taking a mathematics or a statistics course, you can perform better in your assignments and tests by going through practice equations that your teachers or textbooks provide. Richard Felder and Barbara Soloman in “Learning Styles and Strategies” suggest consulting references and outlining your lecture material in an order that makes sense to you.

You will be interested in your lesson if you feel a connection to it by sharpening your mind and deepening your understanding through tying new material to familiar topics. You establish a rewarding learning experience through common ground with stories and metaphors. You also can investigate people who are like you and masterminds who are like you and are behind the material that you are absorbing. That way, you have an idea of their motivations that in turn interest you. For example, you can model behaviors of an animal lover or a mechanic who you learn about if you share similar interests.

Keeping track of your thoughts and feelings as you approach your classes can serve as a tool as you progress through school. Try documenting trial-and-error of your study habits to make sure that they support your learning objectives. For example, if you feel relieved after outlining a chapter, then you can write, “Mission: Accomplished.”