How I would learn if I could start over
This is the advice I wish somebody gave me when I started to study all those years ago. I hope this can add some value for you.
General
- Good sleep (~ 8 hours) is non-negotiable. This is when you consolidate the day’s learning and build long-term memory.
- Be consistent with your studies. Discipline v/s Intelligence is like Tortoise v/s Hare. All-nighters are worth 0 extra points.
- Courses in general aren’t stand-alone; they build on previous knowledge. It doesn’t make sense to half-ass anything you know will be required later.
- Learn in public. Don’t just consume, create. Write blogs and cheat sheets. Make the material you wish you had when you started.
- Taking a break is crucial for peak performance. Schedule down time and be intentional about not working. Work hard and play hard.
- Emphasize knowledge over credentials. It’s important to have strong fundamentals. Also, don’t find shortcuts in learning, good things take time.
Study
“What I cannot create, I do not understand”- Richard P Feynman
- Make a schedule for learning. List what you need to know, resources, and how much time you’ll devote. Spend some time in meta-learning.
- Carve out some time daily for studying; do this in a place with the least distractions. It’s harder to slack off in a place where others are learning, like a library.
- Look at the final exam before the course starts. Helps prime you for the course—how and what. Start learning as early as possible.
- Understanding the content =/= replicating it. Close the book and write it out yourself. Teach a friend what you (think you) know.
- Active recall and spaced repetition are your friends.
- Learn with friends towards the end. They can help find pitfalls, bring up good issues, and share their resources. Teaching a weaker student will make you much stronger.
- Summarize. It helps you hone in on the most important stuff. Can you fit a semester in an A4? A chapter in 3 sentences?
- Doing > Reading. Learn theory until you can start solving problems, then let problem-solving lead back to more theory.
- Clear your doubts as soon as you can. Gaps in knowledge also build upon themselves, albeit in a harmful way.
Exam
- Try using a pencil, you can erase your garbage answers.
- Spend some time scanning the test. It gives you an idea of what you know & don’t, where to spend more time & where not. Understand the points per question and optimize to get maximum marks, given time constraints.
- Do the easy questions first. It helps build confidence and warm you up for harder tasks.
- Think like the examiner ; (i) write neatly (ii) box / circle final answer (iii) show your work and explain your thought process with notes, partial marks > no marks
- Never leave an exam early. Chances are you’ve made some silly mistakes, find them and deal with them when you can. Once completed, make your test more legible to read.
Miscellaneous
- Nobody will care about your grades, unless they are bad. Get 85% on all courses, maintain close to a 4 GPA without over-study or under-study. Use your limited time well, do things in the real world. Get internships & research projects, contribute to open source, improve a library, etc.
- Invest time in making & maintaining relationships with people. The word of a professor / recruiter can open doors otherwise inaccessible.
- Write out results while running in a text file and ensure you commit your changes.
- With regards to thesis : (i) pick a topic you know you can finish in 30% of the time, you’ll probably make a poor estimate of how long it’ll take & spill over anyways (ii) try to limit risks / aspects you have no control over, atleast factor them in your estimation ; (a) robotics (b) data mining (iii) “even bad results are results” is a blatant lie, on that note don’t falsify results
I enjoy myself the most while studying when I solve a challenging problem or have a Eureka moment finally understanding a topic. While teachers can help a lot, most of the work and the reward is left to the learner. Don’t shy away from putting in the hours.
While each of these ideas can work in isolation, a lot of them complement each other. These were a few things that helped me, and I hope they help you too. Remember to experiment and stick with what works for you. Happy learning :)
References
Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of resources that have helped make my insights
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