Learning is sequential, knowledge is relational
Original email from Sep 20, 2024
First, you learn HTML, then CSS, then JavaScript...
Four years ago, that was the first thing I learned when I took the plunge into front-end. There was an "order" to how to learn this set of skills for making websites.
If we take a look at sites like the front-end roadmap, we can see this in action. There's a recommendation being made here in what should (more or less) be known in what order.
This is helpful because, in most fields, a few key concepts have to be introduced first. That way, they can be used to build other concepts on top of those.
In front-end development, these first concepts are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. And they take quite a while to get the hang of in the beginning. But then afterward you realize there's an endless list of concepts, knowledge, and tech stacks to learn. So then... how can you make learning a little bit easier?
Understand that while learning is sequential, knowledge is relational
We don't store information in our heads as if it were a giant array that we just access whenever we want.
(That would be funny if we did though. Imagine if remembering what you had for dinner last night meant accessing brainInformation[5739575397522572402774525727529524837438595])
Instead, it's more effective to store information in our minds based on the relationship it has with other information.
Think of information as just data. It's facts, memories, ideas, thoughts, and opinions that we can absorb and remember at a later date.
"The date March 14th"
"My co-worker today wore a Yoda shirt"
"Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable."
By themselves, these little bits of information hold no value. There is no context behind them or reason for them to stick out from other information you hold in your head. In fact, without a reason to remember these little bits of data, they become very easy to forget. And in fact, your brain does this every day with most of the information you learn and see.
To better remember information, it becomes necessary to make it relevant or related to other information in your brain. So if we wanted to remember this information better we could say:
"The date March 14th is relevant because it's my birthday"
"My co-worker today wore a Yoda shirt and he told me last week it's his favorite shirt. He must really love Star Wars"
"Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable and I guess I don't know what a vegetable is anymore oh no. This changes my definition of vegetables."
Suddenly, these little bits of information become more memorable, and you're more likely to store them in your head for longer. Doing this with information to make it easier to remember is a skill... And that's exactly what knowledge is.
Knowledge is the ability to relate information to make it more memorable
Information is only as useful as the use you can get from it. And the value of information will always come from its relationship with other bits of information.
That's why when you're learning, always try to relate it with other bits of information. Try to explain the similarities and differences between two concepts, and you'll quickly understand them better.
For example, what are the differences and similarities between HTML and Javascript?
Can you clearly explain that without googling or asking AI? 👀