Personal Professional Development?

I think that, while what you do and how you act will always fall only on you, you are constantly impacted by those around you. As such, it follows that if you surround yourself by people who behave in fashion you wish to emulate, you will stand a far better chance of learning by example than you would by guessing.

                The same should apply to technological development. Find individuals around you who possess skills you wish to possess and know things you wish to know. Even if they do not teach you directly, you can learn a great deal by simply interacting with and watching their model. The great thing about this kind of mentoring relationship is that it is free and gives you the opportunity to learn from someone who, if not a professional, has made greater strides or different strides than you yourself.

                I believe the above is the greatest opportunity, if not only because it allows you to benefit from the experience of another which is almost always better than having to make mistakes yourself. However, the internet is a thing and it makes life easier every day. Search engines exist solely to pop out answers to your quandaries and are an invaluable resource to anyone looking to find information on something for which they have no idea how to begin learning.  As such, you can be responsible for your own development if you so choose and are free, here, to learn as you see fit.

                I am not sure if this is an appropriate answers to the question at hand I look forward to reading what my classmates have had to say about this topic, especially those of you with professional experience.