
Ask HN: How do you choose what's worth learning? - vbuwivbiu
Your time is limited. You learn about b-trees, then you learn about bloom-filters and then you learn that Learned Index Structures beat both, next week some new algorithm will beat that.<p>Every day a load of new algorithms appear and there&#x27;s not enough time to keep-up with them all and it&#x27;s going to get exponentially faster.<p>How do you decide what&#x27;s worth focusing on ?
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Hendrixer
I have a list of things. On that list, I weight all those things to learn with
3 categories. Relevancy, practicality, and excitement. If something hits all 3
categories, I learn it now. 2 categories, it's up next. 1, I may never learn
it. None, absolutely never.

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pizza
boils down to some risk theory under uncertainty + how to know your own
desires:

\- uncertainties have uncertainties, recursively

\- now, if something has a chance p(success) = 0.99 and p(ruin) = 0.01, and
reward(success) is on the order of, say, five or even ten years's worth of
happiness, whereas reward(ruin) = -inf.. avoid avoid avoid!!!

\- 90% boring in-demand skills + 10% god-tier hobbying is a good mix for both
stamina and creativity (aka anti-burnout)

Einstein never had to use much of his brain while he was at work so he could
devote all his creativity when off work. Can you even imagine how differently
our whole of science might have turned out had he become something more
intellectually demanding than a patent clerk? :P

Maybe instead you should invert the question: how can _you_ make that which is
worth learning _from_ , _choose you_? :P Because, listen, you don't need a
syllabus. A syllabus ends up tossed in a trashcan.

You need to find someone who is so gifted it makes you leap to your feet and
dash to your IDE after they casually drop a brilliant one-liner. Now I'm not
talking about those bullshit rockstars developers who are in it for the
vanity.. I'm talking about someone whose presence makes you re-estimate your
former 100% effort could have been a mere 40%, with the right nudge.

And if it's a school thing? Take a few practice tests per test. Each makes the
next easier, that's the nudge in the helpful direction.

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SirLJ
First it has to be interesting to me, Second is it going to bring me money
(job, side project) or just joy (hobbies): Few examples:

1) my job systems/security and my side project: stock trading robots

2) fishing, sailing, Cuban cigars, old scotch, wine, reading, sports, etc...

And one in between: Art collecting....

You are living only one life and not very long at that (so far), so don't
spend it on boring stuff...

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sonabinu
It will depend on your goals, background knowledge and interests. It's very
easy to fall off track if you are going it alone and there is no balance of
these elements and how much personal time you have to dedicate to your
learning.

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linkedlist007
If it will help me automate more, give me access to a new domain or framework
for thinking to help me solve problems faster and more efficiently- I'd go for
it.

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R0otChiXor
i follow my gut. If i see something and it really tickles my brain, I am right
on it

