My name is Artemij. I am 25 years old, University College Cork (UCC) graduate who moved to Ireland from Lithuania 6 years ago. I have a BSc. in Computer Science degree with First Class Honours, but that is not what I want to talk about. You can find all my achievements in my CV. The story I want to tell is about how self-education allows you to implement your ideas regardless of age, location, and formal credentials as long as you have access to the Internet.

The reason why I have decided to do Computer Science is because I was genuinely interested in the Internet, and the way it solves our problems and facilitates our needs. While still in High School, I understood the needs of my classmates and teachers, and I knew ways that the Internet can fulfil those needs. From that moment on, I began learning about how the Internet works. Books, articles, forums - all were part of my self-education arsenal. Since then I have learned key technologies and filled my portfolio with many web projects. The self-education skill that I have acquired gained me the confidence to tackle bigger problems during my final year at UCC.

My next big project is Planbeam.com. It is the best way to share and create the future you want. In order to receive mentoring from experienced people with various backgrounds and skills, I applied to UCC IGNITE program and got accepted. It took 13 months for me to create Planbeam.com, from a sketch on a piece of paper to the launched website. During that time I have read books, tutorials and Q\A web sites. I have never done anything like that before, so I have made mistakes all the way along.

Through my experience I have learned valuable lessons. Hopefully, for some of you, they will be of great help:

1. Never postpone anything. As cliché as it sounds, it is amazing how many times I have neglected this advise. It saves you from the most expensive mistakes.
2. Read books. Self-education starts with reading books on subjects like:
   • Business
   • Technology
   • Psychology
   • Biography
3. Watch training/educational videos.
4. Listen to podcasts.
5. When you have a question - Google it. The chances that somebody had already asked that question are huge. If you find no answer, go to your question-related community website and ask somebody that question.
6. Follow people you admire on Twitter. Keep an eye on their social activity.
7. Learn Marketing, Sales and Leadership. This advice I got from the Michael Ellsberg's book "The Education of Millionaires". It is priceless.
8. Learn foreign languages.
9. Don't lie to yourself. If you don't like something or somebody - admit it. Make a decision and take responsibility for your own life. Cut all the BS.
10. Make notes as often as possible. Create an Evernote account for yourself. Put your thoughts there.

Planbeam.com was launched on September 12, 2011, and on December 1st, it received the Most Innovative Award from UCC IGNITE.