I'm afraid I might be going through this too quickly.

Question

I am learning python and I am learning at my own pace (A pretty quick one at that) and I feel like I may be going to fast. I have a habit of learning really fast then forgetting just as fast, and I have to review old things I learned because I forgot them already.

Answer 1

Apply what you've learned. Try to make code projects along the way, how big or small. It will help you remember the lessons, syntax and concepts better.

Based on my experience when I was learning, there are two types of projects:

(1) Projects wherein you apply what you've learned.
🔹 For example, you have learned about operators, if else statement etc. Then you can use those to make a simple calculator.

(2) Desired projects wherein you need to learn something to be able to make that project.
🔹 You want to make a snake game using python? But then, you find out that you need to learn pygame for making games. Then, you proceed to learn pygame to make your desired snake game program along the way.

Try to list down some program ideas that you think you can do and programs you want to do.

All the best and don't rush in. Stay passionate and just enjoy the journey.

Answer 2

Just a comment about why sometimes we cannot help asking seemingly vague questions:

I'd like to inform you people that the return rates are really low with posts. Only natural, as we are the ones that follow but discussions are visible to anyone who takes a look.

I can produce here a million questions that you think aren't specific enough but in fact are very specific for a beginner, where "practice" alone as an advice doesn't work but "do this" works.

How, when do you choose to learn from others' codes, where do you find the specific exercises to incorporate that knowledge, do you do spaced repetitions, do you try to come up with as many solutions to a problem as you can when you've just learned something or anywhere along the way, what's a waste of time, what's a must, etc

There's a heap of advice on the internet and most are bland. Yet they take time to read, where instead I could read a mentor's advice or the link a mentor shares to a place that they know is a gem, but I don't.

Answer 3

Do not rush. Getting to the end is not very rewarding if you don't remember how you got there. It is not necessary to learn everything at once. But the core concepts are worth it.
Set small goals every step of the way. It will keep you intrigued.
To retain information, study a concept. Practice it. You can also refer to other resources that can explain in greater detail. Rest. Then Test. Rest is very significant.
After you learn, take a break, then come back to it. Try to create what you learned from memory without looking. Once you are able to do that. Then move on to the next.

Answer 4

Per Bratthammar I agree for the most part but is Q&A Discussions only dedicated to code problems? Doesn't it also include asking for advise as long as it is related to programming?

His question's topic is about learning and programming, though you have a point there since it is not really a direct question.

Answer 5

As an attempt to an answer from yet another beginner:

I haven't tried this but there's a book that claims to specifically address this situation:

Learn Python the Hard Way

It asks for a lot of patience in the beginning AFAIK.

If you try and dig that, you might want to apply the same method with other programming languages.

I try to find questions related to what I've just learned, solve them.
Then I try to compare that with other solutions that I can find.
If I can I try to come up witj more solutions but it sometimes messes with my head.

I try to learn commenting, I have been failing, but I am very aware that its importance couldn't be stressed enough. Very important for learning and retaining knowledge.

I'll have to start pseudocoding at some point, I humbly advise you the same. Start writing your algorithm first, planning ahead - - > This alone can teach us to analyze a question.

I haven't confirmed it yet, I believe I can best learn this by applying it on the simpler problems.

Best of luck.

Answer 6

Make codes!! While you are learning you should to make codes with the scripts that you learned (sorry if I don't wrote it well, I speek spanish)

Answer 7

Hi! I’m not shure there is anything like “going through” things to “quckly”.
As long as you code you will learn, and you will have to repeat as long as you code. I don’t think there is something like stay at one point to you learn everytning before you move to the next part. Just trust in yourself.

Answer 8

noteve Hi! Maybe you right. At least a can see the need for a section where this type of question is discussed.