À la carte vs Buffet Learning

There are 2 kinds of learning - À la carte learning & Buffet learning.

À la carte learning

À la carte translates to ‘according to the menu’. In the world of food, this means:

• A fixed menu (With pre-decided dishes)

• An acceptable order of courses (Appetiser → Mains → Desserts)

• A fixed portion size (Doesn’t matter if you eat less or more)

In the world of learning, à la carte means:

• A fixed curriculum (With pre-decided topics)

• A pre-decided order of learning something (Chapter 1 → Chapter 2 → Chapter 3)

• A fixed set of chapters and content (Too bad if you want to learn more)

À la carte learning is great for you to get introduced to something new. When you’re starting out, too many options can be confusing.

Traditional systems of learning like schools and colleges are examples of à la carte learning.

But there is another kind of learning…

Buffet learning

In the world of food, buffet means:

• A variety of dishes (With many more options!)

• Make your own combinations (Feel free to have our dessert before your food)

• A flexible portion size (Eat as much as you want!)

In the world of learning, buffet means:

• A variety of mediums (Books, courses, podcasts, people - take your pick!)

• Craft your own journey

• Learn as much or as little as you want (Learning driven by curiosity)

Buffet learning is great when you want to build mastery in something. When you want to dig deeper into something, finding your own jam is comforting.

Teaching yourself using the internet/ books/ people is an example of buffet learning.

There is place in the world for à la carte and buffet learning. Find what works for your context and start eating, oops I mean learning!