How To Study Programming The Lazy Way
Summary
TLDRThis video script emphasizes the importance of problem-solving and logical thinking in programming over just mastering a language. It advocates for learning patterns and understanding how different pieces fit together. The speaker shares personal study techniques, including using Notion for note-taking, applying the Pareto Principle to focus on core concepts, asking 'big questions' to understand and connect topics, rewriting definitions for clarity, and combining text and visuals. The script also recommends active learning methods like active recall, spaced repetition, and using AI for tutoring and practice quizzes. It concludes with strategies for interview preparation, suggesting a structured approach to solving coding problems and leveraging AI to refine understanding.
Takeaways
- 💡 Programming is not just about coding; it's fundamentally about problem-solving and logical thinking.
- 🔨 The focus should be more on understanding programming concepts rather than just mastering a specific programming language.
- 📚 To improve programming skills, practice coding and apply the knowledge to real projects rather than relying solely on tutorials.
- 📝 Utilize note-taking apps like Notion to organize learning materials and concepts in a structured manner.
- 🧠 Apply the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) to prioritize learning the most impactful concepts that yield the greatest results with less effort.
- 🤔 Formulate 'big questions' (what, why, when, how) to deepen understanding and contextualize new programming concepts.
- 🔄 Actively engage with the material by turning information into questions and rewriting definitions to simplify and solidify understanding.
- 🎨 Combine textual notes with visual aids like diagrams to enhance comprehension and retention of programming concepts.
- 🔄 Use active recall and spaced repetition techniques to reinforce memory and improve retention of learned material.
- 🤖 Leverage AI tools for personalized tutoring, generating practice quizzes, and refining understanding of programming topics.
Q & A
What is the main focus of programming according to the transcript?
-The main focus of programming is problem-solving and logical thinking rather than just memorizing code or a specific programming language.
Why is it detrimental to focus solely on the programming language itself?
-Focusing solely on the programming language can lead to a lack of understanding in problem-solving and logical thinking, which are crucial for programming, and may result in being stuck in 'tutorial hell' without learning how to actually program.
What is the recommended approach to studying programming?
-The recommended approach is to learn patterns, problem-solving approaches, and how different pieces fit together rather than memorizing the language.
How does the speaker use Notion to optimize their learning?
-The speaker uses Notion to take notes, organize information, and maximize their learning efficiency by focusing on core concepts and applying the Pareto principle to concentrate on areas that yield the most results with less effort.
What is the Pareto principle mentioned in the transcript?
-The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is the concept that roughly 80% of outcomes or results come from about 20% of inputs or effort.
What are the 'big questions' the speaker uses to maximize learning efficiency?
-The 'big questions' are: What is this? Why is this important? Why should I learn this? When will I need this? How does it work?
How does the speaker apply the concept of active recall in their learning process?
-The speaker applies active recall by quizzing themselves on the material they need to know, which helps to strengthen memory and understanding.
What is the significance of space repetition in the speaker's study routine?
-Space repetition involves taking gaps between study sessions and increasing the gap each time, which helps to flatten the forgetting curve and improve long-term retention.
How does the speaker use AI to aid in their programming studies?
-The speaker uses AI as a tutor to explain concepts, debug code, create practice quizzes, and refine their understanding by comparing AI responses with their own notes.
What is the structure of the speaker's interview preparation using Notion?
-The speaker structures their interview preparation with a Kanban board, categorizing problems into 'haven't solved', 'needs review', 'solved', and 'today'. They also include problem statements, solutions with comments, time and space complexity, and track their progress.
Why is it important to build real projects while learning programming?
-Building real projects helps reinforce understanding of key concepts and provides practical experience that goes beyond tutorials and simple examples.
Outlines
💻 Understanding Programming and Study Techniques
The speaker emphasizes that programming is not just about coding but rather problem-solving and logical thinking. They argue that focusing on the programming language is less important than understanding concepts and applying them. The speaker suggests learning patterns and problem-solving approaches rather than memorizing languages. They also discuss the Pareto principle, which states that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts, and apply it to programming by focusing on core concepts for maximum efficiency. The speaker advocates for active learning through programming and using tools like Notion for note-taking, emphasizing practical application over aesthetics in notes.
📚 Practical Learning Strategies for Programmers
The speaker outlines practical strategies for learning programming, such as copying code from resources and creating examples to identify patterns. They stress the importance of working on real projects to reinforce understanding. The speaker introduces learning techniques like active recall and spaced repetition to enhance memory retention. They also discuss using AI for tutoring, generating practice quizzes, and refining understanding by comparing AI responses with personal notes. The speaker shares their approach to interview preparation, using LeetCode and organizing problems in Notion with categories for tracking progress and focusing on areas needing improvement.
💼 The Benefits of an Efficient Study System in Programming
The speaker concludes by highlighting the benefits of setting up an efficient study system, which can lead to accomplishing more in less time. They mention the potential of earning a high salary in software engineering as a motivator. The speaker provides a special link for Notion and a discount for students, emphasizing the importance of an organized approach to learning programming for long-term success.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Programming
💡Problem Solving
💡Logical Thinking
💡Programming Language
💡Tutorial Hell
💡Notion
💡Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)
💡Active Recall
💡Spaced Repetition
💡Interview Preparation
💡AI Tutor
Highlights
Programming is not just about coding; it's about problem-solving and logical thinking.
Focusing on programming languages without understanding problem-solving can lead to 'tutorial hell'.
To study programming effectively, learn patterns, problem-solving approaches, and how different pieces fit together.
Programming is a skill that improves with practice, not just by memorizing languages.
Using Notion for note-taking allows for an organized and comprehensive approach to learning.
The Pareto principle (80/20 rule) suggests focusing on the 20% of effort that yields 80% of results.
Studying core concepts is more important than memorizing every method in a programming language.
Creating 'big questions' helps in understanding and connecting new concepts to a broader context.
Rewriting definitions and turning information into questions engages the brain and aids in active learning.
Combining text and visuals in notes can significantly enhance understanding, especially in programming.
Real-world projects are essential for reinforcing understanding and applying programming concepts.
Active recall, such as self-quizzing, strengthens memory and understanding of programming concepts.
Spaced repetition involves increasing gaps between study sessions to improve long-term retention.
Using AI for tutoring, generating practice quizzes, and refining understanding can be highly beneficial.
Interview preparation is crucial for programmers, and understanding patterns in solutions is key.
Structuring interview preparation with categories like 'haven't solved', 'needs review', 'solved', and 'today' helps in focused practice.
Investing time in setting up an efficient study system can lead to significant time savings and better learning outcomes.
Transcripts
hi so you want to talk to computers yeah
that'd be pretty cool you want to make
video games yeah that'd be pretty cool
you want to get rich yeah that'd be
pretty learn how to program no why it's
hard why you just Google stuff kind of
oh what is programming I've said this
before what is it not code what it's all
about problem solving and logical
thinking you have to understand the
concepts and how to apply them okay what
about the programming language that's
just a tool is it important kind of a
majority of people focus mainly on the
language itself and less on problem
solving and logical thinking is that bad
yes why because you'll end up in
tutorial health is that bad yes yes why
because you'll never learn how to
program oh how do you study programming
then don't try to memorize the language
instead of trying to memorize the
language try to learn patterns problem
solving approaches and how different
pieces fit together so how do you get
better at programming you program what
you do it what program really yes that's
it yes really no what programming is a
skill okay but we can optimize this I'm
lazy I don't like hard work me too I
don't like to study for 8 hours a day me
too so let me show you how I like to
take notes I like to use notion notion
yes don't other apps exist yes why
notion because I've been using it for
years and I'm pretty comfortable with it
it handles everything I need allows me
to have everything in one place it's
easy to use and most importantly it's
free oh that's pretty cool this video is
also sponsored by notion oh you might
notice my notes aren't exactly winning
any beauty contests yeah they're pretty
ugly and simple here's the thing I
actually want to learn stuff not make my
notes look good A lot of people like
iPads and that's cool but it doesn't
really work for programming unless you
get a keyboard and a mouse oh wait
that's now a computer you complete idiot
most people are using a computer I don't
want to get an iPad and my handwriting
is disgusting whenever I study I want to
maximize my time ideally I want to learn
as much in 2 hours as someone else does
in 8 hours if you're really a programmer
you should already know where I'm going
with this I want to optimize my time let
me introduce you to the pit Paro parto
pit the Paro
principle the Paro principle which is
also called the 8020 rule what's that
it's the idea that Approximately 80% of
outcomes or results come from about 20%
of your inputs or effort what a small
portion of your work lead to a majority
of your results what 20% of work equals
80% of results oh cool it sounds crazy
right yeah so how do we apply this to
studying programming well we have to
concentrate on areas where we get big
wins with little effort let me show you
how we do
that whenever I study I like to focus on
Core Concepts this is important instead
of trying to memorize every method in a
language I focus on understanding the
fundamental principles once you get
those the rest often fall into place why
because of the 8020 rule these fun
mentals will get you 80% of the results
when I'm studying new programming
Concepts or really studying in general I
have specific questions that help me
maximize my learning efficiency and
understand Core Concepts I call these my
big questions what is this why is this
important why should I learn this when
will I need this how does it work now if
you don't like these questions you can
create your own it's simple all you need
is a what a why a when and how now why
do I use these questions they're not
just random questions they help me
connect what I'm learning to other areas
it helps me understand where the subject
fits into the bigger picture and it also
lets me subcategorize the topics so
let's say I'm learning something about
object oriented programming the big
questions would be what is
object-oriented programming why is
object-oriented programming important
why should I learn object-oriented
programming when will I need I should
have picked a better example but you get
the point I'm not just copy and pasting
or memorizing definitions I'm trying to
understand why this concept exists but I
don't stop
there if I'm given information about the
topic I take it a step further by
turning the information into questions
this method allows my brain to actively
engage with the material which is way
more effective than passive reading so
let's keep going with the
object-oriented programming example
let's say I learn what a class is what
an object is and how to create both I'd
rephrase the information which would
give me what is a class what is an
object how do you create a class how do
you create an object and then I'd also
give myself my own questions so maybe
something like what's the difference
between a class and an object if I'm
actively asking myself questions then I
know I'm actually paying attention and
not just brain rotting it's like
creating my own pop quiz and if someone
actually ask me that question I would
know how to respond I like to rewrite
definitions I start with the original
definition then create my own version
when I write my own definition I try to
meet two key requirements one would this
make sense to someone else two would
this make sense to a 5-year-old I like
the idea that you truly know something
if you can simplify it now not every
concept has to be simplified to a
5-year-old level but try your best to
simplify it as much as possible I do
this all the time if you were paying
attention you would have noticed I did
it to you when I explained the par
principle 20% of work equals 80% of
results and really the whole intro of
the video was very simplified what is
programming I've said this before what
is it not code what it's all about
problem solving and logical thinking it
helps me a lot and it's really a test to
see if I actually understand what I'm
learning I like to combine text and
visuals in my notes I know you've all
heard the line a picture is worth a
thousand words well in programming
that's really true diagrams can often
explain Concepts better than paragraphs
of text I promise you
now all this note taking and organizing
is pointless if you don't actually write
code so I try to program obviously so
whenever I'm learning a programming
concept I like to do this I like to copy
the code from whatever resource I'm
using so YouTube a book a class lecture
and then I create my own example doing
the same thing I try to notice if
there's a pattern to it let's do an
example let's say I'm learning how to
fetch data from an API so I copy code
from whatever resource I'm using and
then I create my own example of doing
the same thing and now I'm going to look
for a pattern and luckily for fetching
data there is there's some steps to it
get your API URL create a TR catch for
error handling create a response
variable that fetches from the API check
if the response is not returning an
error if it is then return an error if
the response works then parse the data
from it with Json yes I'm using
JavaScript I don't care as you can tell
this makes it really easy to understand
a concept but simple examples like this
only go so far you also need to practice
with real projects I spend more time
building actual project projects than
doing endless tutorials this way I learn
by doing and reinforce my understanding
of key Concepts and you all keep asking
me what's the best way to learn
programming well this is it right here
just make projects literally just code
it's that simple just code I don't
really take notes when I build projects
it's really just trial and error but I
do like to design and diagram things
like my database schema maybe classes or
I just visualize how the architecture
would look visualizing really helps me
understand how the project works and
it's a great experience cuz you're going
to be doing this a
lot all right let's speedrun some other
learning techniques number one active
recall your brain is like a muscle now
most of you probably don't work out and
that's okay but you need to work out
your brain by testing it instead of just
rereading notes quiz yourself on
whatever material you need to know this
is pretty obvious but quizzing yourself
will make you remember the information
better it's not a surprise number two
space repetition this technique is
basically just taking gaps between study
sessions and increasing the Gap each
time this technique is based off the
theory of the forgetting curve which is
just a fancy big brain way of saying the
longer you don't study the more you
forget wow so when you first start you
study the material you take like 1 hour
off and then study it again and then
this time take maybe 2 hours off study
it again now take a day break study it
again take a week break study it again
blah blah blah you get the point you
just keep increasing the Gap space
repetition helps flatten the curve which
means you don't forget as much which
means you don't have to study it as much
because you remember more which means
less studying which is what I want why
because I'm
lazy we're living in the age of AI and
I'd be a fake programmer if I didn't
show you how I'm using AI to study if
you have notion AI this makes it a 100
times easier since it's built in first
up is an AI tutor it's like having a
personal programming Mentor 24/7 I like
to use AI to explain Concepts debug some
code and even challenge my understanding
by asking it to explain things back to
me next thing is AI generated practice
quizzes and exams honestly this is a
game changer for active recall I can
quickly create questions about any
programming topic I'm studying it's like
having an infinite supply of practice
problems one of my favorite techniques
is comparing AI responses with my own
notes this helps me identify gaps in my
understanding and sometimes introduces
New Perspectives that I never considered
I like to use AI to simplify and refine
my writing remember how I said I like to
simplify my Concepts so that a
5-year-old understands AI helps me do
this which also helps my own
understanding if there's one thing you
can study when it comes to programming
it's interview preparation if you're
serious about technical interviews
you've probably heard of leode it's a
platform that has a bunch of programming
problems that are commonly asked in
coding interviews and they're really
difficult it's hard to get good at these
problems a lot of people study these
wrong they try to memorize the solution
if they ask you that question in a
coding interview and you do have it
memorized fair enough lucky you but
ideally you should try to understand how
the solution works and the patterns used
for it so here's how I like to structure
my lead Code Practice in notion I like
to to use a canb board because it lets
me move the problems into specific
categories I have four simple categories
haven't solved needs review solved and
today the categories are pretty
straightforward and whenever I create a
new problem it has this information the
question name the difficulty the type of
problem and the time it took to solve it
and once you click on a problem it's
going to have this information the
problem statement so I just copy this
from leode to have the information in
one place and then I like to have a
solution section I always try to come up
with at least two approaches a four
solution and an optimized one sometimes
I like to add another solution just to
keep things open-minded and for each
solution I like to have this information
the code obviously and I make sure to
have comments in the code explaining
each step of the process and then I also
add the time complexity and the space
complexity because sometimes they'll ask
you this in the interview so it's good
practice to know it all right so that's
everything regarding how I set up notes
now when it comes to deciding which
problems I want to do for the day I like
to have this structure I try to do at
least three problems a day if I'm
starting to interview and then I step it
up to five problems but I make sure that
I have these requirements one question
that I haven't solved one question that
I need to review and one question that
I've solved before and if I feel like
solving more questions then I can decide
either another question that I need a
review or another question that I need
to solve the reason I like to have a
question that I've solved before is
remember space repetition I'm taking a
gap between the time I solve the problem
so the more problems I solve the larger
the Gap is so if I can't solve a problem
it goes into review and if I can solve
it then it'll go to the solve and I make
sure I put it at the bottom not the top
by structuring my interview preparation
like this in notion I can easily review
problems I can track my progress and I
can focus on areas where I need
Improvement now I know what some of you
might be thinking this all sounds great
but it seems like a lot of work to set
up and you're not wrong but here's the
thing the time you invest in setting up
an efficient study system pays off tfold
in the long run remember what I said I
like to get done in 2 hours what another
person does in 8 hours that's the plan
that's the goal and if that doesn't
motivate you here's some software
engineering salaries to motivate you if
you want to get started with notion and
try out some of the techniques I've
shown you today I have a special link in
the description below and if you're a
student you'll also get a discount for
notion AI so moral of the story you'll
never be a good programmer
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