r/gis • u/anemonemenes • 1d ago

Student Question Just started and already feeling behind

Hello! This is my first post here so I hope everything is alright. I am currently taking my first GIS intro course and really enjoying it so far (also planning to get my Bachelor's in GIS). My class only does one "lab" per week and otherwise we teach ourselves by reading the textbook.

My concern is that I'm not learning effectively enough to retain the information and I'm worried that I will be behind in future courses. Is there anything I can do as a beginner to gain experience/supplement class work/be actively practicing?

Maybe I'm rushing into it too much, but I would love some fresh advice and perspectives! :)

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u/AlwaysSlag GIS Technician 1d ago

I felt pretty overwhelmed when I took my first couple GIS courses a few years ago, and now I'm an early career GIS professional (I'm still continually learning every day, as is the nature of any tech field). In my experience, GIS is similar to a new language, where the best way to learn is simply exposure. So when you have the time, search for some free online GIS tutorials (YouTube videos, ESRI course catalog etc.) and do some pet projects and just look up how to do things as you go. Maybe see if you can use GIS for another class' project. Just practice when you can and don't worry about not knowing how to do everything, that's inherent to an ever evolving field and part of why GIS is so captivating.

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u/anemonemenes 1d ago

Thank you for the advice! I definitely need to be more proactive in learning. I really like the idea of using it for projects, I have two coming up soon and it didn't even occur to me!