I've always found the key to learning is to make the information relevant to you (although in most cases the information is relevant to me before I learn it). P

I've always found the key to learning is to make the information relevant to you (although in most cases the information is relevant to me before I learn it). Personally, I don't find formal testing / deadlines have helped me learn things, other than as a reason to study. In the case of compilers, I recommend you build one, or at least deeply consider how you would, as a driver to put the information into use. An an exercise, you could think about what language would put as many concepts in the textbook into use as possible.