🐱‍💻 How to learn complex things quickly?

Question

I was wondering if you have a system or any advice in terms of learning things that are complicated, and learning them fast? Any advice might be helpful! How do you do it?

VISHNU SUBRAMANIAN · Accepted Answer

For me learning a complex topic by following different sources helps. For example, when I was starting with deep learning a subfield of AI, I would have read at least 4-5 books and several MOOCs, before I got a feeling that I understand it. It did not happen at one stretch, I gave up several times before starting to feel comfortable.

So the easiest way to understand something is not giving up, which is actually not easy. I hope there are better ways.

Chandan Das · Answer

Break whatever you're trying to learn down. 
Consider how much you need to learn to accomplish each. 
Start by just trying stuff and take break

Matt Romond · Answer

It really depends on what you're trying to learn. I've found frequently zooming in and zooming out to be helpful. I first try to understand the big picture and as soon as I have even the slightest idea of how things fit together I dive into a specific technical nuance that might be vital to the whole; trying to understand and replicate (i.e., practice) something small.  Once I put some pieces together on the ground level I zoom back out and repeat the process. It's like putting together a puzzle. Eventually it's possible to see which pieces go where and why, even if the picture isn't complete.

Viorica Vanica · Answer

@mattromond do you use visual board for that - I am just a visual type of learner and find it useful to have something you look at. So how do you do it?

VISHNU SUBRAMANIAN · Answer

@viorica_vanica It depends on the reasons too. For me when I am curious about something then I overcome the willpower issues. But if it for some external reasons like passing an exam thats where it becomes quite a challange. For which I do not have a solution.

Viorica Vanica · Answer

@vishnu_subramanian l think so, personally I find willpower quite hard to hack. What I see also as the solution that might help is to look at the pain of not doing it. what do you think about this?

Viorica Vanica · Answer

@chandan_shopify thank you, how much break do you take?

🐱‍💻 How to learn complex things quickly?

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