Learn to learn

Objective: Recommend study content to help you learn how to learn.

Working in the tech field means constant learning. Many people feel intimidated by this, especially because the way to study is not taught in schools or universities. This makes learning a new subject daunting. Moreover, without a proper study methodology, people waste time persisting with study methods that can end up being more frustrating than productive.

1. Coursera

A course that really helped me not only recognize this problem but also solve it was “Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects”, available on Coursera.

I took it in 2017, and it’s still available today. The techniques I learned have been incredibly helpful.

It was created by Barbara Oakley, Ph.D., a professor of engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and Ramón y Cajal.

2. Book

I enjoy reading about philosophy, and I was surprised by how much the book “Filosofia a partir de seus problemas” by Mário Ariel González Porta helped me.

It teaches you to study philosophical works not only by trying to understand their content and approach but by starting to see what motivated that work. What was the context? What problem was the philosopher trying to solve?

Now, I apply that same question to what I study in technology. Why were channels invented? What problem does Terraform solve?

If you’re also interested in philosophy, the Escola do Parlamento (São Paulo City Council) organized and made available an online course with the author based on the book. You can access it here (Portuguese only).