I originally did my undergrad studies in Fine Arts. Fast forward a couple of entertaining years, and now I’m a salaried full stack developer. How did that even happen?
Let’s face it: the world of software is in a constant state of change. This means that at any point, someone can enter this world as a junior developer and genuinely flourish. It is my core belief that technology favours those who take a witty, gritty, and hardworking approach to their everyday life. Keeping this state of constant change levels the playing field, if you will, by keeping everyone on their toes.
In the last couple of years, I’ve spent more Saturday nights in a coffee shop than I’d care to admit, filling my head with new learnings and retracing my thoughts back to previously read books. This lifestyle has inherently changed me as a person (I think I’ve become a better student than I ever was in school.) and it’s lead me to realize some core components to learning fast, but learning efficiently. I’ll outline a few tidbits I’ve picked up along the way.
Read Twice, Learn Once
Ever watched a movie once, loved it so much you watched it a second time and picked up new little tidbits you’d missed the first time? That’s essentially what learning is all about. Every time you revise something, your brain picks up on a deeper detail. When reading some new material, I like to go through it all once, then go through it a second time with a side project that relates to it.
Metaphors are the bread to our butter
Our brains are wired to compare new findings to something we are already familiar with. It’s likely the reason why when giving advice, we are inclined to pair it with a story of our own that encapsulates the theme of the issue. The same can be said for learning. The moment you start building a narrative with something you are already familiar with, your brain will be more likely to connect the dots and understand new concepts.
When in doubt, hang upside down
When I find myself stuck in a bit of a thought-drought, I like to start doing jumping jacks. Something about the movement gets me out of that ditch. Since I can’t always do this (note: inside coffee shops), I’ll instead point my brain to another task. Sometimes I’ll literally leave a coffee shop and walk to another one, just to get a change of scenery. Either way, sometimes in order to get out of that mental drought, you have to physically move.
Now, it’s time for you to be the student. Take that list and make it your own. Cultivate your own techniques, find your own mantras. Whether you’re 20 years in, or just starting out — comment below with any tips you’ve learned along the way!
Above & Beyond,
@havimaki
