Continuous Learning

Learning is the crucial tool on the road to mastery and true driver of the software craftsman career. There is no way one can become successful at software development without becoming an expert in learning.

I believe that effective learning contains of components so called learning framework. This framework can be applied to any kind of learning. It does not meter if it is learning the language or preparing for the OCP (Oracle Certified Professional) exam.

So, what are those components?

1. Reflect

Analyzing what works and what doesn’t can make any learning path much easier. For example, for me personally, morning studying sessions are much productive than evening ones. The same is with the time right after lunch. So, scheduling any learning activities at these time slots would be a bad idea from the beginning.

2. Schedule smart

Next step after having a clear picture of the “dos and don’ts” is to schedule studying sessions at the right time/place. I can not emphasize enough how helpful was using Pomodoro technique.

What is Pomodoro technique ?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It uses a timer to break work into intervals, typically 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.

Even though it may seem like unnecessary interruption of the process, making pauses lead to feeling less tired in the end of the day.

3. Be consistent and self-disciplined

After the scheduling of sessions the most important thing is “sticking to the plan”. The key to “studying no meter what” is to fight procrastination and do not rely on motivation.

So, these components made a difference in my learning process. At the same time hard work doesn’t go anywhere. In times of social networks and endless streaming services one needs to chose to do the work.

For deep dive into learning strategies here are some useful sources: