Comment by BossingAround | Hacker News Reader

Comment by BossingAround | Hacker News Reader

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I am fairly sure this is not the optimal way, but I've been learning complex information/structures in passes.

For example:

- 1st pass - I consume the materials as well as possible, and apply my knowledge. Typically, I have to look things up, some things are unclear, I can't remember much. Applying the knowledge is quite difficult. That's ok.

- 2nd pass - I return to the materials, re-read much less thoroughly. I realize some things that I missed, or got wrong. I apply my knowledge, without looking information up again. This is, from my experience, when I get most of deeper understanding, but also where I learn most things that I remember long term.

- 3rd pass - if necessary, I can go through the materials again, just like in the 2nd pass. Diminishing returns start to kick in.

- (3+n) pass - diminishing returns start to manifest even in form of being bored with the materials, and starting to build up mental dislike for the materials/topics.

The passes are effective if and only if they are some time apart. Ideally, they are spaced in increasing time, i.e. 2nd pass is a day after 1st pass, but 3rd pass might be 3 weeks after 2nd pass.

The above has been useful for me, for example, when learning math or when I started to learn development way back. Note that in all passes, knowledge is applied. Without applying the knowledge, I learn much much less (though not nothing).

It also assumes that you have quite good theoretical source of information (e.g. a math textbook) and practical problems (e.g. math problems with correct solutions). If you're missing one or the other, e.g. if you're memorizing history lessons for your history 101 test, I'm not sure how effective the passes are.

I do this in reverse. First blaze through reading with very little comprehension, then go back thoroughly.

My reasoning is "I don't know what I don't know" on the first pass and my first goal is to understand that all of the things "exist", then how things individually work.

Me as well. In one of my CS courses, I was recommended Keshav's How to Read a Paper (https://blizzard.cs.uwaterloo.ca/keshav/home/Papers/data/07/...) which I have adapted to all kinds of technical material, not just papers.

I also do this. A trick I've learned is to grab a PDF or Word or any editable copy of a document, then highlight sections with various pastel shades to indicated "don't care", "maybe care" or "get deep". Then on the second pass I can focus more intensely on the sections I need to get deep on.

Another trick I've learned is to find an older copy of a specification and read that first. Usually the older copies have less bulk, are more directly addressing the core conceptual issues, and are easier to read.

Sometimes if I want a rapid and superficial understanding I just go after the diffs or change notes for the last few versions of whatever it is. This can give a scattershot coverage of the contemporary state of the thing. It's not much but it's a place to start from.

I do the same. First pass is mostly getting a feel for what the extents and pieces in the system are, and getting familiar with the vocabulary. Then one can search targeted and efficiently afterwards when working on a task.

This is my philosophy as well. Start by touring the forest quickly, then go back to appreciate the trees. When learning technical material, the first pass means skipping any exercises.

This is my exact approach - get familiar with the vague concepts and where you might use them, having lots and lots of these concepts to dig through in your head can be extremely helpful - then go back and learn in detail when it seems like one might be applicable to a given situation.

In defense of the other people here - often doing this properly involves a bit of a dense pre-read to make sure you can at least understand where these might be applicable. With a totally new area to you there's a big learning curve there.

For me, it takes multiple passes too, but their quality varies significantly depending on how familiar I'm with the subject. If the subject is challenging and truly new to me, my approach is more or less like this:

On the first pass, try to understand as much as possible, but don't push too hard if I hit a road block. It's OK to not fully understand or be hazy on key details after the first pass.

Then take a break, and ideally work on something else, sometimes for a for a day or two, until I feel ready to take another pass. Also, go for walks or watch a movie or do something else that takes my mind off the subject. Try to explain things to myself, to get a sense of which things I don't really understand.

On each subsequent pass, spend time only on those things I don't really understand -- until my little brain gets tired or I hit another road block.

Then take another break, and ideally work on something else, until I feel ready to tackle again. Again, go for walks or watch a movie or do something else that takes my mind off the subject Try to explain things to myself, to get a sense of which things I don't really understand.

Keep doing passes like this this until I can explain everything to myself because I fully understand it.

Throughout, I look for and rely on informal explanations, friendly tutorials, video lectures, and other auxiliary materials that can be readily found on the Web. Also, try to replicate experiments, do exercises, and/or write code if and when applicable.

My approach is best described as "long-term persistence."

Overall similiar to this, except I get a pencil and a couple of sheets of 11x17” paper and I incrementally build concept maps[0]. These help me memorize entities and relationships, identify abstractions, chunk details, etc. I also use Visual Understanding Environment[1] and there are other good concept mapping tools available.

IMHO mind maps are a more recent, dumbed-down subset of concept maps. I don't use them. My daughter has been using the 11x17” paper and pencil approach for the past few years to ace science and other subjects.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_map [1] https://vue.tufts.edu/

This describes my process as well. I'd add that one of the huge benefits of the 1st pass is that it is low pressure. You just have to get through the material.

For example, I put off SICP for a very long time due to not wanting to put in the time for the exercises. Eventually I just decided to take a first pass, and made I through in a month. Second pass did the exercises.

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