Comment by dfdz | Hacker News Reader

Comment by dfdz | Hacker News Reader

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> Why? Because none of these chapters answer the most important question a reader has, the entire time, WHY!? Why is all this important and what problems does it solve? When should I use this thing that I learned?

When I was an undergrad taking an advanced class about probability theory, I asked my professor for help understanding the bigger picture. I could solve each of the problem sets, but I couldn’t see the bigger the picture. Why the hell are we doing this? The professor told me something like “Oh don’t worry, somethings are just impossible to fully understand the first time. Once you take a second and third class that uses these ideas the bigger picture will come together”

I have found this mindset to be incredibly true. Rather than philosophizing about the optimal way to learn to code (or anything) just:

1. read/take a class about the subject

2. use the ideas you learned

3. goto 1

While it seems inefficient, I think it can be a very natural way to learn and avoid all catch-22 situations

Yes, I think there are two things which are simultaneously true:

- We (as a society) often teach in not necessarily the most effective way, or at least a way that might be a bit ineffective for a number of students.

- Some people get obsessed with "the best way to learn something" and never actually start doing the learning. I'm learning Japanese atm, and the amount of people you find online who obsess about the best method of learning instead of spending that time just working through a textbook (or whatever), is staggering.

It's good that you mention probability theory, because maths is really a field where I've felt that it's totally normal to feel like a complete idiot the first time you read something.

I observed in myself that when learning new programming language/framework/concept I usually need to force myself through first few chapters even though I may not necessarily understand why. This understanding usually happens later when multiple of basic concepts are in place, absorbed and together help to grasp bigger picture which leads to understanding smaller elements.

While this seems to be working decently I'm not sure if it's only because I became accustomed to this, allegedly wrong method of teaching - not only teaching 'how to code' as this method of teaching is default one in all kinds of school books.

I agree with this. Usually when I learn something for the first time I'm lost. But after I become a beginner in it, then go back from step 0, things get much easier to understand. This has been the best approach for me.

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