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Ask HN: What is your single best advice for studying / acquiring new skills?

12 points by ilia_lotov 6y ago

onion2k 6y ago
Just get on with it without wasting time trying to find the best way. Suboptimal methods achieve better results than not starting.
CodeGlitch 6y ago
For me: Get book on the subject, read from cover to cover and create question/answer in Anki. When it comes time to refresh your knowledge on the book, just test yourself on the items you added to Anki.
- mapster 6y ago
  Do you have an Anki to share?
  - CodeGlitch 6y ago
    I wouldn't use pre-made Anki files. Creating your own is part of the learning-process. Plus you are the only one who knows what you don't know :)
simplecto 6y ago
The sooner you start something and start failing. Get yourself into a feedback loop of try/fail/try again/fail less/etc/etc You can read and research all day long, but that does not build skill. Test your own ideas by writing and sharing. Hopefully the feedback you get from peers and anons online will be helpful.
- the_only_law 6y ago
  > You can read and research all day long, but that does not build skill. This is honestly what gets me every. single. time. I’ll get stuck and I have no idea where to reach out for help and I’ll start trying to research, fight with google filters, then decide to put it off and start researching other things (for the same project or a different one) and eventually give up.
  - simplecto 6y ago
    This was my issue, and apart of the reason I've been experimenting with this: https://django.curaffe.com https://django.curaffe.com I work a lot with Django and simply mapped out the ecosystem, and then put a search layer on top of it. If I can get a little traction with this one then I would happily roll one out for each of the other language and framework ecosystems. At least now there are a few slack groups and forums I can ping into when I get stuck.
slipwalker 6y ago
(for anything "doable") learn by doing. Practice is the best teacher.
bjourne 6y ago
Stop looking for the perfect advice/best method/non-existing silver bullet and just do it.
Bambo 6y ago
I like to apply the things i learn and enjoy how they change the way i work or do tasks!
markus_zhang 6y ago
Don't do it unless you plan to treat it seriously.
forgotmypw17 6y ago
Break it down into small incremental bits and dedicate ten minutes per day, every day. Once you've done this regularly for a month or two, you'll have a better sense of where to go from there.
kleer001 6y ago
Create a project that depends on that skill. Want to learn a language? Plan a trip to a place that speaks that. Want to learn circuitry? Build a digital clock. etc...
lnwlebjel 6y ago
My favorite: "The idea is to study by lecturing out-loud, to an imaginary class, about the key concepts you need to learn. Something about articulating arguments in complete sentences cements them in your mind like nothing else." from http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/08/02/the-straight-a-gospels-studying-is-a-technical-skill/ http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/08/02/the-straight-a-gospels...

12 points by ilia_lotov 6y ago

Just get on with it without wasting time trying to find the best way. Suboptimal methods achieve better results than not starting.

CodeGlitch 6y ago

For me: Get book on the subject, read from cover to cover and create question/answer in Anki. When it comes time to refresh your knowledge on the book, just test yourself on the items you added to Anki.

mapster 6y ago
Do you have an Anki to share?
- CodeGlitch 6y ago
  I wouldn't use pre-made Anki files. Creating your own is part of the learning-process. Plus you are the only one who knows what you don't know :)

simplecto 6y ago

The sooner you start something and start failing. Get yourself into a feedback loop of try/fail/try again/fail less/etc/etc You can read and research all day long, but that does not build skill. Test your own ideas by writing and sharing. Hopefully the feedback you get from peers and anons online will be helpful.

the_only_law 6y ago
> You can read and research all day long, but that does not build skill. This is honestly what gets me every. single. time. I’ll get stuck and I have no idea where to reach out for help and I’ll start trying to research, fight with google filters, then decide to put it off and start researching other things (for the same project or a different one) and eventually give up.
- simplecto 6y ago
  This was my issue, and apart of the reason I've been experimenting with this: https://django.curaffe.com https://django.curaffe.com I work a lot with Django and simply mapped out the ecosystem, and then put a search layer on top of it. If I can get a little traction with this one then I would happily roll one out for each of the other language and framework ecosystems. At least now there are a few slack groups and forums I can ping into when I get stuck.

slipwalker 6y ago

(for anything "doable") learn by doing. Practice is the best teacher.

bjourne 6y ago

Stop looking for the perfect advice/best method/non-existing silver bullet and just do it.

Bambo 6y ago

I like to apply the things i learn and enjoy how they change the way i work or do tasks!

markus_zhang 6y ago

Don't do it unless you plan to treat it seriously.

forgotmypw17 6y ago

Break it down into small incremental bits and dedicate ten minutes per day, every day. Once you've done this regularly for a month or two, you'll have a better sense of where to go from there.

kleer001 6y ago

Create a project that depends on that skill. Want to learn a language? Plan a trip to a place that speaks that. Want to learn circuitry? Build a digital clock. etc...

lnwlebjel 6y ago

My favorite: "The idea is to study by lecturing out-loud, to an imaginary class, about the key concepts you need to learn. Something about articulating arguments in complete sentences cements them in your mind like nothing else." from http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/08/02/the-straight-a-gospels-studying-is-a-technical-skill/ http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/08/02/the-straight-a-gospels...