8 Learning Tips I actually use

After years of trying different learning approaches, I've found that what works best for me is a mix of structure and chaos. These are some of my hard-earned observations about what its useful to learn effectively. It all depends on the context:

Structured vs. unstructured—In my experience, having a clear guide to follow when it comes to learning something has several advantages like spending time more effectively and usually making faster progress at the beginning. However, I've found that unstructured work is equally valuable. When I say unstructured, I mean letting myself explore topics that naturally interest me, trying out mini projects between lessons, and following occasional curiosity-driven detours. The challenge for me is balancing effective time use and maintaining motivation. That's why I prefer fuzzy plans that I can adjust as I go. When things start feeling like drudgery, I use strategic procrastination—I keep a list of interesting readings or background materials I can fall back on. I try to pick short items so I don't end up down the rabbit hole.

Time boxed vs. dispersed—Consistency is key no matter what. I've learned that I can't expect to pick up a learning project after a long break and be at the same level as before. When maintaining a fixed study schedule proves challenging, I make sure to do at least a pomodoro here and there, find relevant podcasts for my commute, and avoid the feeling of falling behind. I've noticed there's a fine line between learning in a dispersed way and simply not putting in the hours. So I stay alert—studying in a dispersed way may not feel like a commitment, but it definitely is.

Social vs. solo—Undeniably, there are a lot of benefits to learning socially. From being accountable to accessing experts and materials that would be hard to find on your own. I've found the risk here is getting overwhelmed or losing focus. I definitely need time on my own to process stuff at my pace, even if the answer could be handed to me instantly online. In my experience, the sweet spot is between getting the good parts of community (like novel solutions or explanations) and resisting the urge to look for quick answers when what I really need is to dive into documentation, experiment, or start over from scratch.

Public vs. private—Public learning is often celebrated as the optimal approach in modern learning communities, but I've found it's more nuanced than that. Teaching others? Absolutely valuable. But learning itself can be messy. Many of my notes are rough, unorganized, and barely understandable to anyone but me—and that's by design. Eventually, there comes a time to polish them, but that's separate from the learning process. Learning in private keeps the stakes low and releases the anxiety to deliver something, though it can be lonely with no upside beyond personal growth. I'm still finding my balance here.

Here are the actual tips, mix and match given the complexity and depth of what you're learning:

1. Make a plan, an imperfect plan

When I start learning something new, I make it quick, dirty, incomplete. At this stage, I usually know so little that any detailed plan would be guesswork anyway. I don't even know if I'll truly want to continue learning that thing. What matters is making something, not leaving it theoretical. As I work and realize what's missing, I start adding, tweaking, removing, and improving. I use a simple list with rough dates and timeframes, nothing too aggressive.

2. Gather materials: books, articles, to-dos, tutorials, documentation

I try to do this part quickly—usually in a couple of evenings at most. I collect everything I can find and start sorting them into three categories: Deep dive materials, quick reference items, and supplementary resources. I use table of contents, online reviews, and sometimes just gut feeling to classify and discard. While I keep adding to these lists over time, I've learned not to get stuck searching for the perfect resource—I'd rather start with what I have. I make notes about what seems authoritative, what's more speculative, and what might be interesting but too specialized for my current level.

3. Take a first dive, shallow and wide

I do this early, before making any serious commitments or schedules. My goal is just to get a bird's-eye view of the topic, similar to what I might learn from attending a couple of introductory lectures. This helps me decide where to focus next, identify areas that particularly interest me, and spot concepts that might need extra attention. These initial explorations have often helped me adjust my learning path in ways I couldn't have planned for initially.

4. Build a schedule, don't beat yourself over missed days

I've found that while schedules help with consistency, being too rigid about them can be counterproductive. I set weekly goals based on my commitments, but I try not to obsess over exact hours or how far ahead or behind I might be. I keep track of progress in simple ways—sometimes with basic markers like coins or clips—but I only glance at them occasionally. The point, I've learned, is building consistency, not hitting arbitrary metrics. When I check my progress, I try to do it dispassionately, focusing more on the quality of my learning than the quantity of time spent.

5. Start taking notes, detailed, aimed at a beginner me

After those initial exploratory sessions, I start getting more detailed. I take my messy initial notes and start refining them. While this part can feel tedious since it's mostly reinforcing what I've already learned, I've found it incredibly valuable. I write as if explaining things to my past self who knew nothing about the topic. Whether these notes end up public or private isn't important at this stage—what matters is creating something I can reference later. I try find the sweet spot between making it comprehensive and getting lost in unnecessary details.

6. Cross reference and build up your notes

As I polish my notes, gaps in my understanding become more obvious. This is when I start bringing in different sources—other books, videos, articles—anything that helps fill these gaps. My study becomes more focused, and having that initial document helps me process all the topics more confidently. I've found that at this stage, studying niche concepts becomes easier because I have a better foundation to build upon.

7. Draw large interconnected concepts and refine

Throughout this process, I've found that visual representation helps tremendously with processing information. I start simple—maybe just mapping out the main concepts from my notes, or sketching a basic process flow. Looking at sites like wizard zines has inspired me to create my own visual guides. This isn't about making beautiful artwork; it's about giving my brain another way to process and connect ideas.

8. Start collecting hands-on projects to motivate you, then pick one even if it's not original

I've learned the hard way that theory alone leads to stagnation. Practice is essential, but drafts, proof-of-concept implementations, mock ups are enough. It doesn't have to be a full-fledged project. I often start by recreating features on existing projects with my own twist. Even small modifications to established projects count as progress. After completing a few of these, I usually find myself naturally coming up with original ideas and better understanding others' work.

I've used these eight principles to learn everything from programming to music theory, from woodworking to writing. Some worked better than others depending on the subject and circumstances, and that's exactly the point—learning is personal. While there's no universal formula, being honest about what works (and what doesn't) beats following any expert's perfect system. Take what resonates, ignore what doesn't. The greatest skill might not be learning itself, but discovering how you learn best.