Learning techniques

Learning a new trade can be extremely challenging. When I made the transition from Sales to Tech, I had to relearn how to learn. If you couple that with the fact that learning self-paced content online is now at a premium, I was entering a whole new world.

I found that my main issue was that I didn’t have a process. After some trial and error, I found the techniques that worked for me.

The two techniques I recommend:

1. PQ4R - for reading comprehension
2. The Feynman Technique - for quick subject mastery.

The PQ4R Technique.

PQ4R is an acronym for Preview, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, and Review.

1.Preview:?

Look ahead. Expose yourself to the new material and documentation. Read through the first paragraph, the headers, the image/captions, and the last paragraph. Seeing information before you fully understand it can speed up your learning down the line.

2. Question:?

Write down all of the questions you have as soon as they hit you. What were the man’s takeaways from the preview? The goal is to assess your level of understanding of the subject before diving into the reading.

3. Read:

Read the documentation. Take notes. Gather screenshots. Many online articles have hyperlinks. Be sure to grab them and put them in your notes along the way. Please do yourself a favor and put a summary of what the link contains next to it. A collection of hyperlinks is kind of worthless when you don’t know what they lead to.

4. Reflect:?

How did this information align with information you already knew? What was new information? What information surprised you?

5. Recite:?

Think about the material and try to say it out loud. Try documenting it in whatever way you find most beneficial. It’s important to put what you learned down in your own words. I touched briefly on Bill Gates’ approach in another article. Building a Framework: Soft skills to help you dominate a career change | LinkedIn?

6. Review:?

Were your questions answered? Do you need to reach out to other resources for another perspective or to hear their interpretation of the same information?

The Feynman Technique.

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool.”

1. Identify the topic.

No explanation is needed here. Just pick a topic.

2. Explain the concept as if you were teaching someone new:

Imagine that you are tasked with teaching the idea to a new student. If you don’t have an audience to teach, make a video.

3. Review your explanation:

Don't worry if you get stuck when practicing step #2. You are just starting to learn, so it won't all come to you immediately. Watch those videos. By shortening your feedback loop, you are speeding up your progression.

4. Simplify and refine, then re-write sections in simpler terms:

Create a Knowledge Base. If you asked a question, the odds are that someone else will have the same question. Tech is loaded with acronyms and terminology. It’s a great idea to have a place to refer to quickly. In addition, it'll encourage you to ask level-setting questions.

Final Thoughts

Appreciate how far you've come. There is an extreme value in establishing solid fundamentals. If you ever feel like you’re lagging, keep in mind how new tech is. Each day is an opportunity to learn something new, and anyone can become an expert at anything nowadays. It all comes down to discipline, hard work, and patience. Most fail to put together all three. The experts find a way to figure it out persevere.