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Diwakar Verma
Diwakar Verma

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The Importance of Structured Learning: A Lesson from Building a URL Shortener

Recently, my elder brother asked me to build a URL shortener. He didn’t specify any tech stack—I had to figure that out myself.

At first, I started researching—how URL shorteners work, how URLs are shortened, where the data gets stored, and how everything connects. I explored different technologies, trying to determine the best approach.

Once I picked a stack, I dived into learning the necessary concepts. But theory and implementation turned out to be two completely different challenges. Understanding how things worked in principle was one thing, but translating that into functional code was a whole new struggle.

After hours of trial and error, I realized something valuable—structured courses save us from so much confusion. They present information in a logical order, breaking complex topics into manageable steps. Without structured learning, I was jumping between concepts, struggling to connect the dots.

This experience taught me the real importance of well-structured courses, tutorials, and classes. When learning on your own, you often don’t know what to focus on first, what’s truly important, and how everything ties together. But a good course provides that roadmap, making the process much more efficient.

So, if you're learning something new, don't underestimate the power of a well-structured course. It can save you time, effort, and frustration.

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