Learning FEA outside of school: four inexpensive ways to continue your FEA education

Colleges and universities are great institutions for people who want to learn a subject they are interested in. The networking opportunities and the organized track that studying in an institution provides are still unmatched.

However, times have changed with the advancement of technology over the past few years, and the future of education includes learning outside of the classroom.

Learning outside the classroom lets you learn in context, learn through practical engagement, and learn through personal discovery. I personally followed this path when I learned finite element analysis after university.

I realized that it is possible to learn a lot outside of an institution, and that we can keep advancing our knowledge after college and university.

In this article, I want to talk about four inexpensive and efficient ways to continue your FEA education outside of school.

1. Approach the source and find a mentor

A great way to continue your FEA education outside of school is to approach individuals in the industries and subjects you are interested in learning more about. Such individuals can act as your mentor, offering tips, advice, or even explanations of the problems they solved using FEA on the projects they worked on.

With LinkedIn, you can find such a mentor among your contacts. Some people offer resources and help to beginners who want to learn more about FEA. If you are looking for structured guidance, FEA Academy also offers one-to-one coaching in FEA.

2. Read on

Reading is a great way to continue your FEA education outside of school. If you are like a lot of students, you may find that learning from a textbook, along with a bit of supplemental Q&A time with someone knowledgeable on the subject, can be more beneficial than sitting through an hour-long class. Many people find that books are a good guide to learning FEA. You can start with the FEA books by Dominique Madier and the free Book Bytes.

3. Attend webinars

Webinars offer attendees a way to acquire useful information without spending a lot of money. One advantage of webinars is that they place you in a digital room with professionals willing to share their insights and knowledge. Where else can you learn from professionals while sitting at home and sipping your coffee?

Just like a seminar, a good webinar requires a qualified tutor who can explain its content based on their own experience. A good FEA specialist with experience in the field and a deep understanding of FEA can give you a general overview, but can also introduce you to advanced FEA concepts.

Unlike regular seminars, webinars are less costly in terms of participation fees. Their organizers do not have to spend money on renting premises, which keeps the price down, if they are not free.

4. Apply your skills

Whatever skills you already have, it is always a good idea to find ways to apply them through internships or entry-level employment in the field of FEA.

This is considered one of the best ways to continue learning outside of school, because many employers will pay for your continued learning.

Use internship and job websites to find opportunities, and pay close attention to what each one offers in terms of learning and professional development.

To plan what to learn and in which order, read How to learn FEA: the three stages, the skills to master and ten guidelines.

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