5 Study Tips from Becoming A Proofreader Graduates

Are you about to start our Becoming A Proofreader course? If the answer is yes, congratulations! You’ve taken the first step on your journey toward a flexible, rewarding new career as a freelance proofreader.

Learning a new skill can be daunting. If you don’t pick it up straight away or realize you have more to learn than you first thought, don’t worry. Thousands of Knowadays graduates have been exactly where you are, and with some patience, perseverance, and positivity, have gone on to achieve their career goals.

With that in mind, we asked some of our graduates to share their advice for people just starting the Becoming A Proofreader course. Some of their study tips included:

1. Have an open mind.
2. Use all the resources available.
3. Take plenty of notes.
4. Get support when you need it.
5. Be open to feedback.

Keep reading to find out exactly what they recommend.

1. Start with an Open Mind

When starting something new, it’s essential to keep an open mind. Realizing you know less than you thought can be an uncomfortable feeling but remember that this is an opportunity for growth – everyone has to start somewhere. Even the most successful proofreaders were beginners once. With time and practice, you will only get better and better.

“Empty your cup! I was horrified and humbled to discover just how much I didn’t know about English as a written language.” Maryam

“Go into it with a beginner’s mind. Like Maryam, I found that I knew a lot less than I thought I did, and it was much more challenging than I anticipated.” Ava

“My advice would be to not worry too much when you find it hard. I was shocked at how much I didn’t know, and I have a Master’s in creative writing, I’m an avid reader and writer, and I figured I already had grammar nailed. How wrong I was. Stick with it, complete any mock assignments, and complete all the course content, and you’ll soon start to feel it getting embedded in your gray matter somewhere.

“Don’t panic! I’m sure we all did at some point because it is truly challenging. What I enjoy now is editing something and then applying my newfound knowledge from the course to what I’m working on. You can’t take in everything from the course, but what you will learn will serve you well, and we all continue to learn through practice and feedback anyway. Be positive and don’t give up!” Andy

2. Look at All of the Resources Available

If you want to consolidate your learning, take advantage of all the resources at your disposal. As well as our comprehensive course content – which includes interactive elements like videos, try-it-yourself exercises, and quizzes – we also have a variety of other resources, such as style guides, checklists, and blog posts, to support your learning.

Still not sure about a particular topic? There is most likely a blog post that can help make things clearer.

And best of all, you will have lifetime access to the course, and all our resources, even after you graduate.

“My advice would be, don’t overthink and over-complicate the rules in your head. If you follow the course content and do all the practice documents and mock assignments, you will be on the right path. Read as many blog posts on the website that you can and any additional sites that the course recommends, especially APA website.” Carien

3. Take Lots of Notes

Our course is very comprehensive, so if you’re a complete beginner, you’ll probably feel like there’s a lot of new information to take in.

Everybody has a different learning style, but many people find taking thorough notes helps them absorb and better retain new information. And if you’re struggling to remember something, your notes will provide a quick point of reference.

“Take lots of notes. When you do the mock assignments, use the errors you missed to make a personal proofreading checklist for proofreading future documents to make sure you don’t miss those items in the future. I am making one now, and I didn’t realize how helpful it could be.” Laura

4. Ask for Help When You Need It

If you’re used to face-to-face learning, you might be concerned that online learning will be isolating, especially if you’re finding something difficult. However, when you learn with Knowadays, you’re not actually learning alone. Our friendly tutor team will provide you with one-on-one support, answer any questions you might have, and give you a pep talk when you need it most!

If you want to get the most out of your online learning experience, never hesitate to reach out and ask for help.

“If something needs clarification, reach out for help sooner rather than later.” Maria

“The tutors are excellent and always kind. Follow their advice and feedback.” Carien

5. Be Open to Feedback

As a professional proofreader, you’ll receive regular feedback from clients. Although most of this will likely be from happy, satisfied clients, occasionally it might not be as good as you’d hoped for, and your confidence might take a hit. Remember that everyone gets negative feedback from time to time, and it’s not a personal attack.

The same goes for the learning process – feedback, good and bad, will ultimately help you become a better proofreader. Take a breath, look back at what has been said, and do your best to apply it in the future.

“No matter how unpleasant it is to receive negative feedback, always see it as a learning moment. This is not always easy, and I certainly don’t always feel super warm and fuzzy feelings towards negative feedback, but it is amazing to be able to learn new things and then even pass those on to other editors!” Hannah

Becoming A Proofreader

Are you considering taking our Becoming A Proofreader course? As well as a wealth of practical information, study materials, and excellent one-on-one tutor support, you can also benefit from guaranteed work opportunities if you achieve a distinction score of 80% or above on both Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor. Not only will you learn valuable skills, but we’ll also help you get started in your flexible new career.

Sign up for our free trial today!