Random communication tips

Posted on by btunbutr

Here are a few communication tips that have benefited me:

  • Ask 1. Who is my audience/listener? 2. What do I want him/her to think and/or feel? Based on these answers tailor my message/website/software etc.
  • Be very meticulous about the requirements and goals of the software of system. This means asking many questions about the use cases or work flow.
  • Use pen and paper to think, plan, brainstorm. Think on paper. Using just a pen and paper and jotting down 2-5 ideas can help me organize and plan better. The extreme version is something like the 20 Idea Method
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Design Patterns Resources

Posted on by btunbutr

Here are a few links that have helped me gain exposure to design patterns:

I recently started learning from kudvenkat and he is a great teacher who provides clear, simple, and detailed explanations and examples. I am sure his series Design Patterns Videos are great as well.

Random Motivational Tips

Posted on by btunbutr

Here are a few tips that have helped me on my journey

  • Remember my purpose and long-term goal(s).
  • Forget about my long-term purpose and goal(s). Instead focus on the next step, or even just doing a few seconds of the next step.
  • Write, read, and paraphrase my to dos and goals regularly. I currently email myself my goals and to dos every day.
  • When I feel overwhelmed thinking that there is too much to learn, that technology moves fast, I remind myself that is a great thing. The opposite is an industry or a job that never changes, which is mind-numbing and boring. Also new technology is constantly being created to solve problems better, faster, more easily (in theory 🙂
  • When I watch an educational video and think to myself, “How can she/he possibly know all of this?” I remind myself, “It is great that she/he knows this and is teaching me. I can cut down on the learning curve by learning from this teacher.”

 

Learning by repetition and paraphrasing

Posted on by btunbutr

I have been learning material by using a combination of repetition and my variation of The Feynman Technique.

My strategy is to repeat the material in chunks, i.e. section 1, then section 1 and 2, then sections 1 through 3, sections 1 through 4, etc.

I try to paraphrase every sentence. Sometimes it’s I just reverse the sentences, sometimes I change them into a question and answer, and sometimes I just use synonyms for a word or for multiple words in the sentence.

I think this has been working for me because of the sheer number of repetitions, but also because I am actively engaging with the material, and I am jamming the information into my working memory. Furthermore, I am exposing myself to the material in many different ways because I probably paraphrase things slight differently each time.

I think if I get comfortable with the earlier sections, I might start reviewing from the later sections. For instance, if there are 10 sections, I might review section 10, then section 9 through 10, then 8 through 10, etc.

I think I can certain material into long term memory by using flash card software. Also for things that just have to be memorized, I can create pictures, patterns, stories, rhymes, or use memory techniques such as The Link Method.

Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.

Posted on by btunbutr

Here’s a great article on how setting goals can actually be counterproductive and demotivating: Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.

My personal philosophy is to focus on the process by setting up a system and simply following it. I try to make my system consist of fun and right actions, so that way I can happily achieve towards my goals instead of achieving to be happy. I try to trust the process and see what happens, which lines up nicely with James Clear’s article 🙂