Teach Yourself Anything

Cheryl Riggins has spent more than fifteen years at the intersection of education research and everyday practice. A former classroom teacher and longtime instructional designer, she has developed self-paced curricula for universities, workforce training programs, and online learning platforms — work that repeatedly brought her to the same conclusion: most learners are never actually taught how to learn. Teach Yourself Anything grew out of the workshops she began leading for adult students and professionals who wanted to master subjects on their own but did not know where to start. Her approach is grounded in cognitive science: retrieval practice, spaced repetition, and honest self-assessment, translated from the research literature into routines that fit real schedules and real lives. She writes practical, no-jargon guides because she believes the science of learning belongs in the hands of learners, not just in academic journals. When she is not writing or teaching, Cheryl is usually the student herself — she is currently working through advanced statistics — and she considers every clumsy first attempt, including her own, a legitimate part of the learning process. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.