Learning Tools
Learning doesn’t just happen. No matter how long I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, aliens are not going to abduct me and transplant the knowledge directly into my mind (although I can still daydream about it). Instead, learning is an active practice.
In the first class of 100Devs, Leon assigned a couple of learning-focused videos and courses:
- YouTube: How to Study for Exams by Ali Abdaal
- YouTube: How to Study for Exams - Spaced Repetition by Ali Abdaal
- Coursera: Learning how to Learn
The third link is a course, and despite being listed as 4-weeks, it is doable in a week or so.
I took away a few key items:
- Set up your tools and environment to support you
- Engage with the material via questions and spaced repetition
- Focus on small pieces and the process over the end product
The first step is to set up my tools and environment to anchor my learning. For flashcards, I am using Anki in a question-answer format. For my second brain, I am using Notion, although I’m still vetting this out . For simply getting myself to sit down and focus, I’m using a basic Pomodoro app. There is still room for modification and improvement, and figuring out what works best for my workflow is key.
Curious about the second brain concept?