it was a retrospective realization that most of my independent research is related to this meta concept of learning how to learn
concepts like how i can learn faster, figuring out how to use those concepts wherever necessary and ofcourse, the fullfilling experience of pursuit of knowledge
most of the things i’ve learned have been on my own and self taught; traditional systems did not work for me to fulfill my intellectual curiosity
i had to figure out a way to improve my quest for knowledge and put the insights im learning to good use because i noticed two fundamental issues from my experience:
- learning is high friction and unless you have crutches ( both mental + physical ) helping reduce that friction, the action will not happen.
- insight gained is worth nothing if not re-visited
some principles i have learnt about and am trying to actively implement:
- following intellectual curiosity without a map in place
- without an outlet, whatever you engage in will be ephemeral
- trying to learn without an underlying reason literally never works
- my why is usually curiosity which leads into wanting to build something using the information
- active recall + test enhanced learning is the best way to retain information that is being learned
- learn by doing
some systems i am building / have in place to help this endevour:
- building a reading inbox
- building a writing inbox
- building a digital workbench
- creating a info workflow was a good exercise to visualize the systems involved
- a mental gym
- effective retrieval strategy
my review of using a knowledge management system
thing i want to experiment: optimized way of learning any topic quickly:
- learn the topics as fast as you can from various sources to absorb information with the intention to start solving problems and get your hands dirty ASAFP.
- then make notes of the important things / find other people’s notes and save it into your active recall system
PS: i love that mathacademy gets u solving problems straight from day 1
principles:
- active > passive. spend time solving and getting stuck, if not you’re not learning.
- spaced repetition. review older material at expanding intervals. make yourself recall derivations + formulas FROM MEMORY. that’s how retention actually compounds
- testing effect. when you learn something, close the material and test yourself on it - derive key results, re-solve prior problems, teach a concept etc. if you fail, then peek
- interleave topics
- deliberate practice; dont just “do problems” - choose the problem that hurts
- drill low level stuff in memory until it’s reflexive
- desirable difficulty; right at the edge of what you can do unaided. too easy = stagnantion, too hard = frustration. balance the discomfort
- beware the illusion of comprehension; you dont understand it unless you can reproduce it
- use accountability hooks; weekly checks, habit tracker, timer, and stupid rewards
- maintain a journal of whatever you study
reading list
thread about different practice strategies for learning effectively