Re: Problems retaining what I study

  • From: JApplewhite@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • To: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 08:32:01 -0500

Ram,

Welcome to the wonderful world of technology.  There's always too much to
remember.  That's why docs and search engines are so useful.
My tips:
1.  You won't remember what you haven't actually used.  Doing reinforces
learning far better than just studying.
2.  Document your code, scripts, etc.  In a couple of months you won't
remember why you did what you did.  My PL/SQL, shell, etc. scripts are at
least 50% comments and my old brain sure needs the reminders.
3.  Be prepared to actively forget stuff you've learned.  As technologies
change, you've got to forget the old, inapplicable, rules so they don't
interfere with the new ones.  I figure about 80% of the technical details I
ever learned are now obsolete.  Oh well, it was fun at the time.

Above all, it's not the quantity, it's the quality - knowledge, time,
whatever.  That is, except for money.    ;-)

Jack C. Applewhite - Database Administrator
Austin (Texas) Independent School District
512.414.9715 (wk)  /  512.935.5929 (pager)

   The devil made me do it the first time,
   The second time I done it on my own.
      - Billy Joe Shaver, "Black Rose"



                                                                                
                                          
                      Ram K                                                     
                                          
                      <lambu999@xxxxxxxx        To:       
oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx                                          
                      m>                        cc:                             
                                          
                      Sent by:                  Subject:  Problems retaining 
what I study                                 
                      oracle-l-bounce@fr                                        
                                          
                      eelists.org                                               
                                          
                                                                                
                                          
                                                                                
                                          
                      08/19/2005 03:20                                          
                                          
                      AM                                                        
                                          
                      Please respond to                                         
                                          
                      lambu999                                                  
                                          
                                                                                
                                          




Recently this happened to me. I studied a good Oracle book by an
author some months ago. It was a tough read for me, took several weeks
to study, understand some important parts of the book.

I had emailed several queries to the author. He had responded to me
with his answers after 3 months. To my surprise, I found out that I
had forgotten my own questions to the extent that I could not even
understand them on the first pass in the response email. They looked
too technical for me. I spent quite a bit of time just on the replies
and my questions and then I was able to understand most of the
questions.

How do people who read lots of technical stuff remember and retain
what they read?

How many hours of reading do other DBAs put in per week and do others
have problems retaining what they read?

--
Thanks,
Ram.


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