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Ask HN: How do you learn complex, dense technical information?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you learn complex, dense technical information?

#101

Post by all2 »

kevas wrote: post #99

For the past few weeks, I’ve been going back and forth with the notion of hiring a private tutor/teacher (not in school and not for work) that’s in a PhD program at a local uni for a few months. For the past +5 years, I’ve been teaching myself programming, math, and any related matters, yet it’s a slow and grueling process with many side paths that I go down. I’m tired of this! I want to dive into a book on financial…

> I want to dive into a book on financial derivative modeling and have someone next to me explain any concepts I don’t understand instead of me going down the rabbit hole and extending the time it takes to complete my goal.

Sounds like you need to take a graduate level course in derivatives modeling. Graduate level courses are typically seminar style and have lots of hands on work and discussions.

You might be able to find a school that does this kind of course online. I'm not sure how that would work for seminar style classes, but it might be what you're looking for.

Another option is to hire a tutor, as you said.

Just do it. See how it goes. Go on "Rate My Prof" or whatever and find someone who will challenge you (and who also cares that you learn). Have deliverables ("homework", readings, etc.). Be willing to pay them up front for developing your "class" syllabus. Planning how to teach complex materials is an arduous task, especially because most text-books aren't quite right for any given person's learning/teaching method.

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn complex, dense technical information?

#102

Post by all2 »

leto_ii wrote: post #84

My approach, which I don't claim to be necessarily the fastest, somewhat resembles what you first mentioned (going slowly, looking up every word etc.). I recommend the following: 1. Give yourself time and accept that there will be things where you will get terribly stuck. 2. Ideally work with other people, or find other people trying to learn the same thing that you can exchange meaningful questions and comments with…

> Give yourself time and accept that there will be things where you will get terribly stuck.

I don't remember where I heard it, but this situation was described to me as the "moment before a breakthrough". I was told to look for these moments of stuckness because that's where the biggest wins are (and where many, many people quit).

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn complex, dense technical information?

#105

Post by gowld »

crdrost wrote: post #65

I do not have advice directly addressing your question about how to read, but I will say this: A lot of this complex-dense-technical stuff is difficult precisely because it can get abstract. That is true for example in writing proper C for kernel development (your field) and physics (my old field) and chess (everybody's field). My solution is to do lots of exercises and learn lots of examples before learning these bi…

It's a weird feeling when I don't know how to do something so I practice a lot and I then still don't "know" how to do it but somehow I can do it.

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn complex, dense technical information?

#106

Post by Psyladine »

metairie wrote: post #103

Very often the very first thing you see when you open a very technical book is the book giving you the finger so to speak. You must remain calm and continue. You'll be surprised how much useful info you pick up that way. Anxiety is the killer of progress.

"A math textbook might be fascinating page turner, if only it were written by a writer instead of a mathematician" -Paul LaRocque

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn complex, dense technical information?

#107

Post by BeetleB »

stared wrote: post #92
BeetleB wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When one actively uses something, there is a natural spaced repetition of the things that matter. With the frequencies as these things are used in practice. Everything else can be looked up later. Disagree: There's a grey area in the middle where it is costly to always look it up, but you don't do it often enough to ever be ingrained in memory. SRS is a fairly effortless way to cure it. When I started my current jo…

Well, I finished a mathematical physics PhD, without a hint of SRS. During my undergraduate time I knew people memorizing instead of trying to understand theorems (especially ones with background in chemistry). Often they got good exam results... and almost never it helped to build a bigger picture, or do research in mathematics. That said, I have ADHD and any small-dose-but-regular learning (typical for classes!) wa…

> During my undergraduate time I knew people memorizing instead of trying to understand theorems (especially ones with background in chemistry).

As I pointed out in another comment, this is a false dichotomy. You can do both. I contend that one who attempts to understand and memorize will know the material better than one who doesn't. The thrust of my argument isn't that it is necessary. It's that you will gain from it. Of course, if you make that your only tool in the toolbox, you will suffer.

And I never claimed that not memorizing will prevent degrees. I'm sure while in grad school you came across plenty of less capable people than you who nevertheless still got a PhD ;-)

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn complex, dense technical information?

#108

Post by freedomben »

crdrost wrote: post #65

I do not have advice directly addressing your question about how to read, but I will say this: A lot of this complex-dense-technical stuff is difficult precisely because it can get abstract. That is true for example in writing proper C for kernel development (your field) and physics (my old field) and chess (everybody's field). My solution is to do lots of exercises and learn lots of examples before learning these bi…

I approach languages in a similar way. I will often start with solving Project Euler problems in the new language, then I re-implement my perennial favorite project (a password manager) using the new language (mostly the server side and command line client). It's a long and hard way to do it, but I actually learn the language instead of knowing how to copy paste from Stack Overflow and Google even little things like "How to get substring in "

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn complex, dense technical information?

#109

Post by freedomben »

gowld wrote: post #105
crdrost wrote: post #65

I do not have advice directly addressing your question about how to read, but I will say this: A lot of this complex-dense-technical stuff is difficult precisely because it can get abstract. That is true for example in writing proper C for kernel development (your field) and physics (my old field) and chess (everybody's field). My solution is to do lots of exercises and learn lots of examples before learning these bi…

It's a weird feeling when I don't know how to do something so I practice a lot and I then still don't "know" how to do it but somehow I can do it.

Indeed, this is the subconscious aspects of your brain presenting information to your conscsious parts. I notice this too! It's amazing, and I think it's where the whole "gut feel" comes from.

If you're interested in more of this stuff check out "The Believing Brain" by Michael Shermer, and "Consciousness Explained" by Daniel Dennett.

Re: Ask HN: How do you learn complex, dense technical information?

#110

Post by wkey »

stared wrote: post #92
BeetleB wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> When one actively uses something, there is a natural spaced repetition of the things that matter. With the frequencies as these things are used in practice. Everything else can be looked up later. Disagree: There's a grey area in the middle where it is costly to always look it up, but you don't do it often enough to ever be ingrained in memory. SRS is a fairly effortless way to cure it. When I started my current jo…

Well, I finished a mathematical physics PhD, without a hint of SRS. During my undergraduate time I knew people memorizing instead of trying to understand theorems (especially ones with background in chemistry). Often they got good exam results... and almost never it helped to build a bigger picture, or do research in mathematics. That said, I have ADHD and any small-dose-but-regular learning (typical for classes!) wa…

I would be curious as to any techniques you used to overcome this painful regular learning. I find certain 'plain' tasks (for lack of a better word) excruciating.
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