definition of "self-study"

[toffeetree]

In the personal statement prompt, UWO asks about "self-study". By self-study, do they actually mean individually studying (like independent research, learning things you love by yourself), or do they mean small-group studying (the group being the self...)? I guess, I am trying to ask whether we should address our love for independently learning, or learning as a group, or both. Thanks!

[cluelesswonder]

i think you could incorporate either. i would interprety self-study as covering material that you know you have to learn but that isn't served up on a platter in lecture. if you learn by working with other people or by figuring things out on your own, you're still taking responsibility for the material without guidance on how to do it. i wouldn't include small-group learning with a TA though.

[kangs]

I used the interpretation of self-study as self-directed learning that isn't set out by the curriculum for my successful application to Western. I had good examples and that's is very important because it brings an individual perspective.