How to Survive: “BORING” Study Materials
It’s that time again — the moment when your manager drops the bombshell: you need to become certified in yet another cloud provider’s services as a professional architect. Or maybe, you are a developer, and it’s the challenge of refactoring a legacy application to meet the newest standards — here is the kicker… what are those new standards. And let’s not forget those times when you’ve taken the initiative upon yourself to perfect your craft. You’ve already amassed an impressive wealth of knowledge, capable of tackling most tasks. But here’s the real test: can you truly retain and recall everything you’ve learned? The pressure is on as your expertise is constantly pushed to evolve and expand, demanding your unwavering dedication and adaptability. Here are a few tips to help you make strides in achieving your study goals.
Tip 0: Before you start studying something in software you must realize, “there is no spoon.” The truth is all our information is controlled, in software we are told things are getting easier but really they are just being automated and placed in hidden files. We are all becoming more stupid. Any exams on software development are not a measure of one’s abilities for architecting a cloud solution, but more so a brainwashing campaign by companies to spout out a certain company’s managed services as necessary. Remember, it’s all good until things break down.
TIP 1: YAGNI, “You ain’t gonna need it,” is the best thing to remember when learning something. I know this is a developer’s phrase, but it is so true when trying to learn something new. If you don’t actually need the information you are consuming, then your brain will throw it away; in one ear and out the other… like my kids learning how to fold a shirt. If you work in a dotnet shop and you decide you are going to learn Rust, then good luck. If you are working with microservices and you want to learn to develop modular monoliths, just forget it. The direction you are facing is the direction you’ll go.
Tip 2: How do I face the correct direction? Personal fun projects is the answer. My daughter is learning about recyclables, and while I informed her of how it’s a pipe dream in our country, she has to learn what the numbers mean the bottom of different plastics and such. The teacher doesn’t hand her a sheet of paper and tell her to memorize each meaning, instead she must construct a costume out of trash/recyclables. This is the secret to learning something new, fun.
How to make learning something incredibly boring and make it more interesting? Well, trying to learn this… is the trick. It is subjective, and as you learn what makes you tick, you will learn to learn more effectively. I mean, who the hell legitimately loves making notecards? Do you really want to be standing in front of a mirror talking to yourself like some daft fool, as your wife sits on the bed trying to play Nintendo but can’t help but wonder why… I digress. Fun, it is a stupid small three letter word, and in our childhood it was so easy to find, and now as adults we have to ponder what it means to us personally.
Tip 3: Nobody cares, so you should not either, and life is too short to be chasing something that doesn’t bring you true happiness. What you want a fancy car? A bigger house? You must be young to want such frivolous things, because any old man can tell you there is but one thing that makes a person truly wealthy, and that is your health. Don’t give up family, friends, or sleep. I won’t even talk about religion, but Him too. Your craft in life must give you true joy, but it can never take precedence. Remember this as you dive into learning something new.
To end this opinionated rant, dear reader, I wish you the best in your journey toward learning something new. I have learned in my experience a few things and hope they help you in some way. You are way smarter than me, and you are going to do great things in this world. So I will end this by telling you the same thing I told my kids, “Lay the t-shirt flat on a clean surface, such as a table or bed, with the front side facing down. Smooth out any wrinkles or creases on the t-shirt to ensure a neat fold…”
