What is the fastest way to learn a skill?

[lanflan]

What is the fastest way to learn a new skill when challenges and money aren't issues-TV, books, or actually doing it?

[Wai]

This depends on the skill, and on your Sim's traits, and on how happy your Sim is.  So, I don't think there is a definitive answer.

For some skills, using the tabcast will speed things up dramatically, but, that is a Premium Content item.

If your sim has the "Bookworm" trait they will read faster so will learn the skills for which books are available much faster when reading.

Generally, I would say, just do it.  For most skills there are bonuses for "doing" in the skill challenges, so they might as well do whatever it is and contribute to the bonus.  Also it is more interesting for you than just watching them read.    For some skills, doing is the only option anyway.

Get the "Fast Learner" reward as quickly as possible to speed up all learning just a little.  Where the learning can be done indoors and you have WA, get an incense burner from China and have it burning in the room they are using to speed up learning just a little more.

[Stormi71]

I tend to make my sims actually do the skill, and then if they are having some downtime, I will let them read a skill book. My two main sims are both drummers, so I always get them to jam or play for tips, as it earns them some money.  I recently read that for musicians , choosing "perform" rather than just "play" an instrument, causes a slightly faster skill increase. They apparently also learn/read faster at the library.
Today my Sim was reading the mixology books, as I was doing housework, so I just left her to read for a while, then would give her the next book to read lol

[Zaki]

For getting started with a skill, taking a class is the fastest. It automatically gets you to the first level, and if you've already progressed a bit, just moves you up more. The sad thing is, you can only take a class in a certain skill once. After that, there are different ways that are helpful for different skills. For Guitar Skill, there aren't any books so the only way to progress is playing. With Cooking, however, you can of course just cook (which your Sims need to do a lot so you will gain this almost automatically), there are books you can read to learn the skill, or you can watch the cooking channel on TV.

[RaiaDraconis]

The Brain Enhancer from University Life is an amazing tool as well. The sim sits in the machine and will learn one level in a chosen skill in a fairly short period of time. This is particularly useful if you're trying to level up a skill that the sim is already high level in, since leveling up the traditional way tends to take longer at those higher levels.

Fairy auras seem to help as well, but am not 100% certain how much of a boost they give to skills. The Aura of Creativity assists with instruments, painting, and writing, and the Aura of Body and Mind assists with Charisma, Logic, and Athletic.

[Eldridge]

People usually abusing multi-tab from store content to help building the skill as fastest as possible, but not all skill available though. You can learn two skills at once, that's the neat thing from that content.

[Variosities]

It depends on what you're learning, where you're learning it, and how much money you have available for classes.

Exercise at the gym to level up athletic faster. Martial Arts levels fastest at the Academy. Cooking levels fastest if you use the right stove. I think logic levels faster at the Scholar's Garden, but I'm not sure.

In my opinion, reading at the library is better than taking a class. Both seem to take about the same amount of time, but reading is free. I like to read Handiness 1 and Charisma 1 right away. You can't do much with handiness until level three, but after that it climbs as you upgrade and/or repair things. Charisma helps with interaction speed and has some lucrative opportunities available.

I also check the consignment shop for the photography book every day or two. Once I get it, I take it to the library to read.

Once a sim maxes Logic, they can teach other sims. So I have my sims work on different skills, then teach each other. This is especially great when raising kids.

[Squark]

This was a long time ago when I heard it, but the "pumped up" moodlet used to be bugged so it did the reverse of what it should (That is, you were better off exercising at home than at the gym).

[Zyffyr]

This was a long time ago when I heard it, but the "pumped up" moodlet used to be bugged so it did the reverse of what it should (That is, you were better off exercising at home than at the gym).

They fixed it a couple patches back.

[Seabody]

This was a long time ago when I heard it, but the "pumped up" moodlet used to be bugged so it did the reverse of what it should (That is, you were better off exercising at home than at the gym).

Yeah, that was the Fit Atmosphere bug. It was kind of funny -- I think EA waited until patch 1.53 or something to fix a bug that had been in the game since day one, and was simply a matter of changing 0.5 to 2 to fix it.

[Stormi71]

People usually abusing multi-tab from store content to help building the skill as fastest as possible, but not all skill available though. You can learn two skills at once, that's the neat thing from that content.

Ugh, I bought that Multitab, thinking it would save me from buying a ton of skill books. My Sims just use it all the time. Leave them alone somewhere for a minute while you work out what to do next, and they're listening to a tabcast in a skill you're not interested in. I wish I could turn off tabcasts and still be able to do the other stuff, like order books online etc.

[Lisa46]

I'd like to add that you can use Mixology skill gain drinks to skill faster, and of course keep your sim in a very good mood.

[Magz from Oz]

I use a variety of methods including:
1. Classes,
2. Tabcasts on the Multitab 6000,
3. reading skill books in the library,
4. Brain Enhancing Machine,
5. Tree of Prosperity from Lunar Lakes,
6. Skill Gain drinks from Mixology, and
7. Skill Booster elixirs from Alchemy. 

I think I abuse Skill Booster elixirs the most.  Most Sims can max out every skill with about 300 Potent Skill Booster elixirs so long as they have started the skill by classes or using the object.  I did this with one Sim and she hadn't picked up a paintbrush until she'd maxed the skill.  Every painting was either brilliant or a masterpiece.  It was also the easiest way to max Scuba Diving without going to Isla Paradiso.

[Trip]

I had a sim simultaneously listen to a logic tabcast and read a logic book in the library, whilst getting moodlets from Chinese incense and a skill gain drink, and a small boost from her perceptive trait. She flew through that skill.

[Tandrael]

I'm a bit confused with the difference between "vial of enlightenment" and the "skill booster": according to the guide the vial of enlightenment you gain skill while sleeping; but both will give you a skill boost randomly: at any skill, even the ones your Sim hasn't learned. But here in this thread everybody is recommending the skill booster, how does it work then? If the Sim is under the influence of the skill booster and reads a book or does something related to a specific skill, would they get a skill boost on that specific skill?

With Trip's example I imagine it's like that, because what good would the drink do if your Sim wants to learn logic, drink the drink and reads the book and suddenly gets a sill boost in say handiness...

Oh, and this thread got me curious about the tabcast, what are those?

Thanks!