Ask HN: How do I efficiently use learning material? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do I efficiently use learning material?

2 pointssky22241 comment

When learning, there's kind of two contradicting schools of thought. On one hand, I'm told to slow down and really understand the material. This takes a lot of time. And on the other, I'm told to not worry about getting everything understood and totally correct the first time and to just keep moving forward. This results in me not learning the material and having to go back later, which you could argue may take even longer.

So as I've accrued a plethora of "must read" books, I'm sitting here wondering how I'll actually have time in my life to finish many of them. I've heard people studying math say they may spend up to a week on a single page until they understand it. If that's actually true, how the hell am I supposed to make long strides in becoming well learned in computer science and software?

I really want to read more, but it almost feels like a waste if I can't get through the material in a reasonable amount of time. Are my expectations just really skewed?

Here's some advice I've been given by maths professors that I've put into practise. This stuff really works.

-- Make sure you can do it cold, as in make sure you can do things without looking at notes, or looking at wherever you learned it from. For example, say I give you a calculus problem, you should be able to solve it without any outside help, just you, some paper and a pen. No notes, no Google, nothing else. If you can't, then you need to study more and do more problems.

-- Build a routine. Make sure you study whatever it is you want to study every day at the same time and you'll find yourself wanting to do it after a habit is built. And if you miss a session, for whatever reason, you'll feel quite bad about it, and want to try extra hard in the next session because you know you're "behind schedule".

-- Actively recall whatever you've learnt. You can do this by quizzing yourself, or by using flashcards/anki. This is one of the best ways to retain info.

-- Don't stress or get angry. You'll just stop the learning process. If you find yourself stressed, or angry, take a break. Remain calm, happy and curious.

You can do it. I believe in you. Start today.

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