Software Engineer gets Private Coaching

Summary

In this insightful discussion, Edgar Cabera, a software engineering student from Mexico, delves into the balance between theory and practice in learning. He emphasizes the importance of not rushing through courses and instead suggests a conservative approach to mastering techniques by gradually integrating them into practice. The conversation explores the concept of 'learning debt' and the benefits of interleaving, challenging oneself with new information in varied contexts to achieve mastery. Cabera also addresses the effectiveness of physical versus digital note-taking, advocating for freehand methods to optimize cognitive processing.

Takeaways

• 📚 Practice and theory should be balanced, with a general guideline of a 1:5 ratio between learning and application to prevent cognitive overload.
• 🔄 It's important to practice new skills immediately after learning them to solidify understanding, but the exact pace depends on the complexity of the material and personal capacity to apply it.
• 🤔 The effectiveness of a technique should be assessed by the effort it takes to perform it and the results it yields, guiding whether to progress to the next technique or not.
• 🏠 Techniques should be built sequentially, like constructing a house, ensuring each is well understood before adding the next to avoid system breakdown.
• 🔍 When learning, be cautious about adding new techniques too quickly, as this can complicate the learning process and lead to inefficiencies.
• 💡 Interleaving techniques and challenging oneself in different contexts is a way to simulate future applications and enhance mastery.
• 🚀 Borrowing time from the future by practicing and applying new skills early can lead to higher mastery levels with less stress when facing exams or real-world applications.
• 🔧 The process of learning should involve hypothesizing, revising, and redoing structures to better encode information into memory.
• 🖌️ Freehand note-taking and mind mapping may be more effective for learning than digital methods due to the physical engagement and cognitive processing involved.
• 📱 While digital tools like Obsidian are excellent for reference and second brain management, they may not be optimal for primary encoding of new information.
• 🎯 Maximizing cognitive resources with minimal effort is key to effective learning, reducing the need for constant revision and preventing exhaustion.

Q & A

What is the main topic of discussion in the video script?

The main topic of discussion is the relationship between practice and learning, particularly in the context of mastering new skills or techniques, and the importance of balancing theory and practice.

What is the '1 to 5 ratio' mentioned in the script referring to?

The '1 to 5 ratio' refers to the balance between theory and practice, suggesting that for every unit of theoretical knowledge, five units of practice are needed to master a skill or technique effectively.

Why is it recommended to practice a new technique before moving on to the next one?

Practicing a new technique before moving on helps prevent cognitive overload and ensures that the learner has a solid grasp of the current technique before adding the complexity of new information.

What is the term 'learning debt' mentioned in the script, and what does it imply?

'Learning debt' implies the additional effort and time required to relearn or reinforce information that was not properly mastered initially due to rushing through the learning process.

How does the script suggest dealing with the challenge of adding new techniques to one's skill set?

The script suggests being attentive to the concentration and mental effort required to perform a new technique and assessing its effectiveness. If a technique is easy to perform and yields the expected results, it may be time to add another technique.

What is the significance of 'interleaving' in the context of learning new skills as discussed in the script?

Interleaving is the process of mixing and challenging oneself with different aspects of learning, which helps in better retention and application of knowledge in various contexts.

What is the speaker's view on the effectiveness of digital note-taking compared to physical note-taking?

The speaker believes that while physical note-taking tends to be more effective due to the cognitive processes involved, digital note-taking tools currently lack the features to optimize cognitive processing as effectively as physical methods.

What are some of the advantages of freehand note-taking over digital note-taking as mentioned in the script?

Freehand note-taking allows for better prioritization of information, easier hypothesizing and restructuring of knowledge, more representational flexibility, and better visual anchoring for memory retention.

How does the script differentiate between 'second brain management' and 'primary encoding'?

Second brain management refers to the use of tools like Obsidian for organizing and referencing information, whereas primary encoding is the initial process of learning and understanding new information, which the script suggests is better done through freehand methods.

What is the recommendation for using Obsidian in the context of the script's discussion on learning techniques?

The recommendation is to use Obsidian as a reference tool for managing one's 'second brain' and not as the primary method for encoding new information, which should be done through more cognitively engaging methods like freehand note-taking.

What is the overarching advice given in the script for effective learning and skill mastery?

The overarching advice is to focus on maximizing cognitive resources by balancing theory and practice, challenging oneself through interleaving, and using tools like Obsidian for reference rather than primary learning to achieve effective learning and skill mastery with less effort.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Balancing Theory and Practice in Learning

The speaker discusses the importance of balancing theory and practice when learning new skills. They emphasize the need to avoid cognitive overload by maintaining a ratio of about 1 to 5 between theory and practice. The speaker suggests that understanding a maximum of 25% of a technique theoretically is often sufficient before moving on to practice. They also highlight the importance of gradual learning and the potential pitfalls of rushing through material without proper application, which can lead to 'learning debt'. The conversation touches on the idea of borrowing time from one's future to master a skill through consistent practice and interleaving, which involves challenging oneself with new information in various contexts.

05:00

🧘‍♂️ Assessing Technique Effectiveness and Mental Effort

In this paragraph, the focus is on how to evaluate the effectiveness of a learning technique and the mental effort required to perform it. The speaker advises being attentive to the concentration needed to execute a technique and whether its effectiveness aligns with expectations. They introduce the concept of 'Germain load' and explain that if a technique is easy to use and delivers the promised improvement, it's a good sign to progress to the next one. However, the complexity increases with the addition of more techniques, which may require slowing down the learning process. The speaker also warns against neglecting foundational techniques in the pursuit of new ones, which can lead to a breakdown in the learning system.

10:00

💻 The Role of Challenges in Mastery and Interleaving Techniques

The speaker elaborates on the concept of interleaving as a method to achieve mastery by challenging oneself with new techniques in various contexts. They argue that it's more efficient to learn and practice in an integrated way rather than mastering one thing at a time and then combining them later. This approach helps to avoid 'learning debt' and ensures that the learner is ready for exams or real-world applications. The speaker also shares personal experiences with learning to code, emphasizing the importance of practical application over mere theoretical knowledge.

15:01

🖌️ Comparing Physical and Digital Note-Taking Methods

This paragraph explores the advantages and disadvantages of physical versus digital note-taking methods. The speaker shares research findings that slightly favor physical note-taking due to the cognitive processes involved, such as prioritization and deeper processing of information. They discuss the ease of creating relationships in digital tools, which may not necessarily lead to better organization in one's brain. The speaker also mentions the difficulty of hypothesizing and revising structures in digital formats, the limitations in representing information, and the benefits of visual anchoring in physical note-taking. They conclude by stating their preference for freehand note-taking, while acknowledging the potential for digital tools to improve in the future.

20:03

🌐 Utilizing Obsidian for Reference and Second Brain Management

The speaker discusses the use of Obsidian as a tool for managing a 'second brain' and emphasizes its role as a reference tool rather than a primary encoding device. They suggest that while Obsidian is useful for storing and relating information, it may not be the best platform for initial learning and encoding. The speaker proposes the idea of incorporating Obsidian into a broader note-taking strategy, where it serves as a detailed reference for nodes within a mind map. They also touch on the importance of understanding the limitations of tools like Obsidian to use them effectively and avoid inefficiencies in the learning process.

Keywords

💡Mastery

Mastery refers to the state of having complete proficiency or expertise in a particular skill or field. In the context of the video, it is the ultimate goal of the learning process, where one can effectively mix and match various techniques and knowledge. The script discusses the importance of balancing theory and practice to achieve mastery, suggesting that one should not rush through learning material without proper practice.

💡Practice

Practice is the act of performing or engaging in an activity repeatedly to improve or master it. The video emphasizes the relationship between practice and learning, suggesting that immediate practice after learning a new concept is crucial to solidify understanding. It also touches on the idea of interleaving, where practicing different skills in a mixed order can enhance learning.

💡Theory-Practice Balance

Theory-practice balance is the equilibrium between understanding the theoretical aspects of a skill and applying it through practice. The script mentions that there should always be a balance, with a suggested ratio of 1 to 5, indicating that a small percentage of theoretical knowledge can support a larger amount of practical application.

💡Overload

Overload, in the context of learning, refers to the state where an individual is exposed to too much information or too many tasks at once, leading to difficulty in processing and retaining knowledge. The script warns against cognitive overload by advocating for a gradual and balanced approach to learning and practicing new skills.

💡Concentration

Concentration is the ability to focus one's attention on a specific task or activity. In the video, it is highlighted as a key factor when practicing new techniques, as it helps in assessing the mental effort required to perform the technique and whether it is being executed effectively.

💡Technique

Technique refers to a method or way of doing something, often developed through study and practice. The script discusses the importance of understanding and practicing various techniques, emphasizing that the effectiveness of a technique should align with its intended purpose and that adding new techniques should not compromise the execution of existing ones.

💡Interleaving

Interleaving is a learning strategy where different topics or skills are practiced in an alternating or mixed manner rather than in isolation. The script uses coding as an example to illustrate how interleaving can help in applying different functions and concepts in various contexts, thus enhancing understanding and retention.

💡Cognitive Resources

Cognitive resources refer to the mental capacity and effort required to process information, learn, and solve problems. The video suggests maximizing these resources by using effective learning strategies to encode information with less effort, thereby reducing the need for constant revision and preventing exhaustion.

💡Second Brain

A second brain is a concept where external tools or systems, such as note-taking apps like Obsidian, are used to store and organize information, serving as an extension of one's memory. The script discusses the use of Obsidian for second brain management but distinguishes between its utility as a reference tool and its limitations in primary encoding of new information.

💡Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual technique for organizing information, often used to represent concepts or ideas as a diagram with branches radiating from a central node. The video script explores the effectiveness of physical mind mapping versus digital methods, noting that while physical mapping may be more beneficial for learning, digital tools like Obsidian can still be useful for reference and organization.

💡Encoding

Encoding in learning is the process of converting information into a form that can be stored and retrieved from memory. The script mentions that the primary encoding should not be done through apps like Obsidian due to their limitations in cognitive optimization, suggesting that physical methods may be more effective for this initial learning stage.

Highlights

The importance of balancing theory and practice in learning, emphasizing the need to prevent cognitive overload.

The recommendation to practice new techniques before advancing in a course to maintain a healthy theory-practice ratio.

The 1 to 5 ratio concept, suggesting that only up to 25% of a technique can be understood theoretically without practice.

The advice to be conservative in learning pace to avoid the inefficiency of 'learning debt'.

The significance of interleaving techniques and challenging oneself from different angles to achieve mastery.

The concept of 'borrowing time from the future' to practice and master skills more efficiently.

The discussion on the challenges of applying multiple techniques simultaneously and the need to ensure each is well understood before adding more.

The emphasis on the importance of doing proper interleaving practice to ensure techniques are used effectively in various contexts.

The idea that learning should be stress-free and well-prepared to avoid last-minute cramming.

The comparison between physical and digital note-taking, and the potential advantages of physical methods.

The critique of digital note-taking tools, suggesting they may not be cognitively optimizing enough.

The benefits of freehand note-taking, such as better information prioritization and ease of revising structures.

The limitations of digital mind mapping tools and the need for more effective software for cognitive encoding.

The suggestion to use digital tools like Obsidian for reference rather than primary learning and encoding.

The concept of using digital notes as part of a larger, freehand mind map for better integration and memory.

The final advice on understanding the strengths and limitations of learning tools to maximize their effectiveness.

Transcripts

you're constantly challenging yourself

from different angles and different

context the way that I think about it is

you're borrowing time from your

future in order to become a master at

this you have to be able to mix it and

match it anyway thank you so much for

your time and I have learned a lot and I

have a lot to think about now every

couple of months I find some members in

our IC can study program who are active

and supportive in our community and I

offer them some 30 minute free coaching

sessions some of you do seem to really

like my coaching sty content so I've

decided to record some of these and post

them on YouTube before we jump in I'd

appreciate if you give this video a like

and if you're interested in joining the

full program yourself then you can check

out iin study.com there's a link in the

description my name is Edgar cabera I'm

from Mexico studying software engineer

it's in the University of Las that's

about it I'm

in ER I'm in second H second year of the

career and I'm still I'm about halfway

through the career

awesome and what's the main I suppose

things that you would like me to help

you with yeah I think one of the things

that I have seen a lot of focus and it's

like I think it's very important it's

about the relationship between practice

and what you learn in the course so what

I want to learn is do I need to always

like during every single lecture or

every single video do you always have to

immediately go and practice those stuff

before advancing into any other stuff of

the course or can I like I have this in

mind and then I can continue like a few

lectures from their course and then

practice like everything in bulk having

the consideration that I need to keep

that relationship like one to five

between theory and practice so whenever

you learn any new technique or any new

skill you just what you're trying to do

is prevent yourself from having overload

so there always needs to be this Theory

practice balance right yeah so you you

can technically go at any Pace that you

want M it it just depends on the density

of the theory and your ability to

convert that into practice MH and

usually what I find is that the amount

that you'd need to know to understand

how to use any new technique or any new

learning strategy if we think about the

total amount that you can know about a

certain technique um and if you know

100% of this technique that means that

you can do it perfectly accurately then

the amount that you can know about a

technique based purely on just a

theoretical understanding without any

real experience or practice using it

there's usually no more than 25% like at

a maximum this this is why I often say

there's a 1 to five ratio at least

because sometimes it's very it's it's

much lower sometimes it's only 2 or 3%

this is really obvious when we think

about other skills like you could

understand how to do go rock climbing

yeah but the amount of actual practice

You' need to not you know fall off and

die is much much more um and so this is

the same thing here is that the amount

of theory depends on the difficulty of

the technique and then it depends on how

um how much of it that you've understood

but the tricky part and this is the

reason why I usually tell people to be

very conservative and just like learn

one thing and practice practice practice

practice is because this is a relatively

small percentage so what that means is

someone that you know has you know

really really understands the theory of

very deeply before practice at most

they're going to understand like 25% of

it but if you understand less of it

maybe you understand 10% less and maybe

that means that you only understand 15%

now that doesn't seem like a very big

difference 25% versus 15% but relative

to how much You' need to know it's a big

difference right because the amount of

practice that you need here this is now

1 to four in this situation whereas in

here here it's closer to like one to you

know like seven to be able to do it

which means that you need like almost

double the amount of practice to be able

to gain the Mastery there so the other

issue is that when you have skills and

techniques applied in the real world and

the real world settings with like

multiple curriculums and pressures and

you know assessments and things like

that there are other variables that are

then added on so let's say now we've got

two different techniques that are added

on at the same time well now we have to

try to practice two separate techniques

and understand the cause and effect

relationship between the technique and

the impact that it's having and then

even at just two techniques that can

become you know quite challenging so one

of the things that I would normally as a

rule recommend is first of all to just

play it safe yeah because there's really

nothing worse than wasting time on going

too fast yeah yeah which is

counterintuitive but the second thing is

that you can try to do more and try to

move a little bit faster but when you're

doing the technique be really really

attentive to two things the first is how

much concentration and mental effort

does it take for me to just be able to

do the technique not even thinking about

doing it correctly just doing it and

then the second thing is how effective

am I finding the technique and is that

aligned with how effective I'm told it's

meant to be when I teach people

techniques I'm I'm pretty clear about

how effective it's meant to be some of

them are going to be like amazing some

of them it's like it improves a little

bit so if I've said something improves a

little bit and you try it and it's easy

to use and it's improved it a little bit

and the amount of effort you need to

spend to do the technique is is very low

that's something that we call Germain

load was a complicated topic but if that

happens then you can move on to add the

new the next technique and if you add

the next technique and you now think

okay it's still pretty easy then you can

move on to the next one it gets harder

though because as you add more and more

techniques the whole system also needs

to function so you might be able to do

each individual technique very well but

when you try to do all three

simultaneously it might get much much

harder so what that would mean is you

need to just slow down there but if you

use a technique and you think okay I'm

getting the result that I'm told I

should get but the amount of effort and

concentration I need to be able to pull

it off is very high then you should not

because as soon as you add another

technique on it's going to be harder or

you think it's very easy to do it but

I'm not getting the result that I'm that

I'm meant to be getting that's even

worse because it means you're not even

doing it right so the effort is not

there because we're not doing the right

thing it's kind of like saying hey I

think going to the gym and working out

is really easy I don't spend any effort

at all lifting weights and then you see

what they're doing and all they're doing

is going inside and looking at

themselves in the mirror so it's like

they're not even doing the right process

yeah so that's usually what I look for

if I see that someone is using a new

technique they're finding that it's

relatively easy and getting the effect

that they're meant to be getting then

they should be ready to move on and then

when they add a new technique on then we

look again the whole system isn't

working one of the things also that you

have to be really really mindful is that

when we are building the techniques we

have to build them like we're building

the foundations of a house like they are

stacking and building on top of each

other a lot of the time what will happen

is that people will start using a

technique they'll be fine at it this is

fine they're work they're using it very

well mhm and then they'll add another

technique on and they're like okay

that's fine they're using it well and

then they'll come to add on a new

technique and because it's too hard to

use all three at the same time they

stopped using this one and now they're

using this one and then they add another

one on and then you know this this one

kind of forc through and eventually what

happens is that you know everything will

sort of topple and it becomes a mess and

the system is broken down and then they

start running into really fundamental

issues really common example here would

be like the really getting into the

mapping process and nonlinear not taking

and they're doing that and doing that

and doing that and they forgotten

completely about doing space retrieval

yeah right so so it's it's kind of like

a long answer to to your question but

did that answer it no no yeah yeah

totally because I have like that um

because when I started like H seeing

stuff through the course and through

your YouTube channel and H because I

already have like some notion on how

Lear happens and how to learn new skills

and stuff because I I really like I

really enjoy the process of acquiring

new stuff to do like being able to be

the better version of myself so I have

always failed in that process in the

process of practicing enough because I

get so passionate about the topic that I

just need to learn more and learn more

and learn more and if you do it just for

the because you just like the topic and

you are just interested about it I think

that that's okay but if you want to

apply it you really need to practice it

before going to the next thing because

it has happened to me for example with

coding because when I started before I

started ER going to University like in

high school and stuff I saw a lot of

YouTube videos about coding and then

when I tried to do it I realized that I

couldn't retrieve anything about what I

have supposedly learned so it's just a

something that I knew had a problem with

with retrieving stuff to actually apply

it um but I didn't exactly know how to

do it like how to patch that hole Yeah

another thing that I'll add on to that I

just thought of when you were explaining

is that you you have to make sure that

you challenge yourself properly before

assessing that you're able to do it

correctly and this is the idea of

interleaving right is that it's not

enough just to say okay I can do it well

in the simple direct method of practice

or execution that I've learned coding is

actually really good example of this is

that it's really really possible and

actually frankly very easy because

there's so many courses and things out

there that just teach you about coding

it's very easy to learn like a lot of

theory about lots of different functions

and then you can follow everything step

by step okay I've learned about this

function okay can I write that line of

code yes okay can I turn that into

something else yes all right like let's

move on to the next one let's introduce

some more variables can I like declare a

variable yes okay can I call the

variable yes can I use it in a function

yes and then you can continue to do that

you're able to do it simply and simply

but until you actually step outside and

say okay well let's try to use all of

these together in a different context

outside of how I learned it am I able to

manipulate and use this information in a

different way and still retain that

level of Competency and this is the this

is the way that it has to be trained you

take a piece of theory you practice it

you can do it simply sometimes you can

do it in this in one go sometimes it

takes a little bit more after after you

do that you can add on the next thing

you add on the next thing and then you

try to use it and then you try to mix it

and then you try and can you still do it

okay now you add on the next one so

you're constantly mixing and

interleaving and challenging yourself

from different angles and different

context with each new thing that you add

on and the way that I think about it is

you're borrowing time from your future

to do

this like in order to become a master at

this you have to do all of this anyway

you have to be able to mix it and match

it anyway usually what people will do is

they'll try to get a Mastery of the

things step by step first and then

they'll try to mix it together to get

the Mastery but by doing that they're

suffering because they're now operating

at a lower efficiency right now so

they're they're going to struggle with

actually being able to learn it properly

right now because of the fact that their

memory is not going to be as strong and

they're going to forget things and now

they have to spend more time learning it

and relearning I call this learning debt

right and so instead if we just use the

time we were going to to spend anyway

and we do it now then we can gain that

Mastery so that by the time we are at

the bottom and we're actually properly

done we also have a very very high level

of Mastery it also is much less

stressful in curriculums or in an exam

because when you get to the time of an

exam you know you're basically ready to

sit the exam straight away there's

nothing more that has to happen but you

know people generally tend to want to go

fast and just cover as much stuff as

possible and so yeah yeah I'm actually

like really guilty about that because

see out of these YouTube videos that

that is like learn JavaScript or learn

go or learn X language in five hours so

in your head you think I just need to

get through this course and then I'm

Gonna Know It And then I try to do

something with the language and can't

remember anything yeah when you have

finished like a semester of University

and then the the the finals are coming

up and then you realize that because of

trying to like free up time free of time

by going as fast as possible you just

have like yeah like you said you have

just stolen yourself from being able to

actually learn properly from the

beginning and it's less stressful if you

can do like this Tiny Steps From the

Beginning than trying to recompile

everything at once the other stuff that

I wanted to um ask about is I usually

use obsidian obsidian is like the place

where I have my most notes I first tried

to do settle casting I couldn't retrieve

anything I because I had so many notes

and because settle casting like didn't

work for me in the fact that my brain

couldn't like remember what exact

combination of words I use to retrieve a

note or something there is a plugin in

obsidian where you can do mind PS so

it's like this kind of nonlinear note

taking I think that the question is do

you think there is like a connection

between like the physical way of not

taking being like better or being like

Superior in any way than having this

like Digital Way of nonlinear note

taking that's a good question and

something that I've experimented with a

lot and I've read the research on and

the in the research space there isn't a

definitive answer um if there is more of

a conclusion it does lean more towards

doing it physically yeah but the reason

that physical tends to be better is not

necessarily because there's anything

wrong with digital it's probably because

the tools that are designed are not

cognitively optimizing enough so there

are some advantages with being able to

do things

physically and and I you know like the

way that I do it is like essentially a

hybrid right you know using a a tablet

and so it's it's digital but it's

freehand and the reason that I still

despite having spent so many

hours trying a different like room or

obsidian or like you know Lucid chart or

many other different types of um

nonlinear kind of mapping softwares and

I get emails literally every day from

mindmapping software people that want to

sponsor me in a video and I say no to

all of them because of the fact that I

don't think there's actually a software

that really does this well at the moment

here are some of the advantages that you

get with freehand that you I just don't

see happening with the digital the first

thing with digital it's too easy to just

create relationships and just space and

just like put things down and the fact

that there's no

barrier means that the information is

prioritized and processed less and I

think this is the same thing as to why

we saw that research said that

handwritten notes are better than typed

notes because with typed notes what what

was found was that you tend to write

more when you're typing which means that

there's less processing going on and so

we know that longer word count is

associated with poor performance when it

comes to note taking and I think it's

same sort of thing is that yes you can

create a relationship yes you can tag

the information and yes technically it's

organized but it's organized in the

software doesn't mean that it's actually

organized in your brain because the

software do so much of the heavy lifting

for you so that's the first thing is

that it's just too easy and it doesn't

Force the prioritization the second

thing is that a big big part in fact

probably 80 to 90% of the learning

process when you're learning new

information is just hypothesizing

structures rewriting them and like

redoing it and trying to make that make

that fit yeah it's not as easy to do

that when you're committing it to a

software because often when you're

creating the note actually creates the

record of it and so it's hard to

actually then just delete it and when

you create it there's like a certain

minimum amount you have to invest to

creating that so it's harder to create

sort of the scratch Pad experience where

you're just like committing revising

dele leading moving uh and that sort of

thing the third thing is that there are

many more ways of representing

information uh freehand then there is

usually buy software and if it is

possible a software there's so many

clicks that it takes to be able to do

that so for example like if I wanted to

if I wanted to like make some notes that

we're saying like okay here's a line of

text here and then this sort of thing is

related to this one here okay I could

say I could then say that let's say that

there is another thing here and another

thing here and another thing here and

another thing here right so if this was

an app probably the only way that this

can be done is like this boom boom and

then maybe like boom boom boom okay

maybe maybe like this and then this is

how it would end up looking yeah but

this is completely different to for

example something like this right yeah

yeah yeah so like this is just a single

example and there's so many other

combinations that we can we can create

from this that

that if we just create it as a binary is

there a relationship or not or not then

it it's just everything just becomes a

line but when we think what is the

characteristic the quality the

importance the um the weight the the

spacing of that relationship in relation

to everything else then it opens up a

lot of other things um and then the

final benefit is that it's much easier

to do visual anchoring which is to

visually make a certain concept appear

more important and and have maybe

imagery involved in it to actually

create like a little memory Landmark

that our brain is going to find easier

to to hold on to so for example I could

have like a right so now that becomes a

visual you know landmark and if this was

I don't know what this concept is but if

it's related to some plant and Mountain

you know like that would be then yeah so

for me I think freehand is still the way

to go I don't I maybe one day software

will catch up to be able to do do this

we're actually thinking about creating a

software ourselves because um there's

lots of room for improvement um but at

the moment I don't think it does a good

job I think obsidian is a really good

app for second brain management yeah but

second brain management is is used as a

reference tool it's a reference software

it's not for primary

encoding and so it's a completely

different way but you could have

multiple you could have maps that are

stored within obsidian and then Maps

could be Rel ated to other Maps as a

conceptual Network that would work

fine but the primary encoding I don't

think I would I I personally would not

put it on obsidian and and I don't yeah

yeah no I have like before everything

doing or like taking seriously like

trying to learn as best as I can I I do

try to like I have been using this Oben

as a prar in coding but I don't think I

use it in a way that most people use it

because like uh after watching a lot of

videos a lot of your videos actually and

seeing the course I think that the best

way like simplify a ton of information

like the ton of research that is into

learning I think that you just need to

be try to maximize your cognitive

resources to it with a less amount of of

effort so that you can encode everything

properly that you don't need to revise

things more often and that you don't get

exhausted about doing the process people

think about doing mind maps on obsidian

think people think about putting their

mind maps on obsidian but you can also

think about putting obsidian in your map

so for example you can have like a node

coming out across here and you can just

literally say like hash like yeah you

know like whatever the tag is and then

all the detailed information like all

the code stimets that might be related

to that particular function that's

related there and so you've got this as

a reference and then you've got obsidian

just purely as a second brain yeah so if

we understand clearly what apps not just

obsidian but like apps like obsidian are

really useful for but then where its

limitations are then we can use it to

its full effect but it's just like any

tool really when you try to make it do

something that it's not the best for you

will suffer for it thank you so much for

your time and you have helpful thank you

for coming on and asking your questions

I hope hope that helped yeah a lot

actually I have learned a lot and I have

a lot to think about now

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