I was failing at learning

Last year I decided to learn how to code and failed, more than once. I concluded that the problem was a lack of talent or aptitude for programming and maths. However, reading story after story of the successes being made by other people around the world who came from challenging backgrounds made me question my assumption that I just wasn't cut out for a career in tech. Recently I began to study web development again and came across a community called 100 Devs, more on them in another article.

As part of the 100 Devs software engineering course, which can be found here, you are introduced to a coursera course on learning how to learn and this has changed everything for me.

What have I learned so far?

The course is taught by Barbara Oakley, author of the book A Mind For Numbers which complements the course. I have only completed week one so far but I am making changes and already seeing results.

1. Shorter and more focused learning sessions on a regular and consistent basis are better than one longer session.

This means taking 30 minutes or an hour a day to practice coding is better in the long run than trying to fit everything into an 8-hour session every Saturday.

2. Use the Pomodoro technique.

Try downloading a Pomodoro app, a timer essentially, and using this to give yourself 25 minutes of focused learning followed by short breaks in which you reward yourself with a coffee or some Twitter browsing, whatever you like. The idea seems to be based around two states of mind called the focused and diffuse modes. In the focused mode, you concentrate hard on a problem, then in the diffuse mode, you relax and allow the problem to work in the background. Ways to enter the diffuse mode are to change focus to something else, go for a walk, make a coffee, have a nap. Anything that allows your mind to relax and moves your thoughts to something else.

3. Sleep!

I admit I am not good at this one but your brain really does need that rest if you can get it. As well as removing toxins during sleep your brain uses that time to reinforce and form new connections. I don't fully understand how all this works but there is enough research out there to show that if you want to learn something new then a good night's sleep is a good way to improve your chances of success.

4. Exercise.

Your mind and body work together and keeping yourself fit and taking some time to work on you can have huge long-term benefits. I have struggled in the past with depression and I know this can be hard for some people but if you are able to take some time to go for a walk, hit the gym, or do something fun that gets you active then hopefully you will see a positive impact in other areas of your life too. This is not new I know but for me, it wasn't something I had previously connected to learning. For the last few weeks I have started to change my diet and I exercise for 30 minutes every morning. I have noticed an improvement in my sleep, mood, and energy levels. All things that can help your learning.

Some helpful articles and additional resources

How to stay focused

Note-taking tools and tips

How memory works

As I enter week two of the learning to learn course I am excited to see what other changes I can make and what I might achieve because of them. I would love to hear from you in the comments below if you have some techniques that have helped you learn to code or what you think about the advice given here.

Happy learning,

Chloe.