How I Like To Study A New Topic

This is a sub-part to an article I had written recently.

List Down The Topics. Study Topic Wise Only (10% Effort)

I like to list down my topics beforehand or have them in front of me while I’m studying. Helps to categorise the content I’m reading/ viewing to be within a ‘boundary’.

Pick A Good Video Tutorial (10% Effort)

Watching a video is much faster than reading docs. It gives you a good overview on a new subject. More content in little time.

Don’t Always Start From The Basics

Unless it’s a brand new subject, chances are you already know this. Start from the advanced topics, or those parts that you haven’t done before.

Go Through It Quickly (20% Effort)

Even if it’s a 40hr Udemy course or a YouTube playlist of 200 videos, I try to go through them all within 2 days. Think 1.5x or 1.75x speed. The idea is to only acquaint myself to the subject right away. If I’m stuck on a topic, I don’t waste time on it. I skip to the next section and carry on.

Recall + Revise + Make Notes (20% Effort)

This is the meat of it all. Recalling + writing it down is like hitting a Ctrl + S. It stays better in memory. The notes you make are in your own words. It also doubles up for quick review before your exam/ interview.

Go Deep Into The Subject (40% Effort)

The subject you were stuck on earlier? This is where you find YouTube videos for that particular topic. This is where you refer the documentation for examples and explanations. Read books and PDF to be an expert. This is where you fill in the gaps.

Practice (Maximum Effort)

There’s no way around this one. Make a GitHub project. Design, code and implement your own idea with what you’ve learnt. Document it for future references.