I'm a total beginner in coding and I've been learning during my university break as I'm transitioning to a cyber security career from social work—pretty big change, right? I've been going through lessons on W3Schools, trying out what I learn, and if I get stuck, I either think it over or use some resources like Grok to guide me. Often, I revisit what I've done, try again, and sometimes come up with workarounds, though they aren't always perfect. After a while, I find myself wanting to open a notepad and jot down what I've learned from memory in full sentences or bullet points—essentially testing my understanding. I'm curious if this practice of note-taking actually helps improve my coding skills and learning process.
2 Answers
That's a fantastic approach! To make it even more effective, try connecting your notes to how you've applied what you've learned. For instance, instead of just stating that 'a for loop iterates over a sequence,' you could say, 'I chose a for loop here because I knew exactly how many times I needed to iterate based on my list's length. This reminds me of that other project where I...'. It’s all about building a solid mental model, and your method is a great starting point!
Absolutely! Writing down what you learn can have huge benefits in the long run. It's sort of like summarizing your journeys in coding; it helps you solidify that knowledge.
That example is super helpful! I’ve struggled with note-taking because teachers never really explained how to do it effectively. I usually tried to capture everything and ended up overwhelmed. I see now that notes should come after learning, not during.