Is there better way to retain the information im learning? im more of a hands on guy.

Hi Dean! I hope that you are well!

I've been a student with Treehouse and i know exactly how you feel. I'm trying to understand, are you talking about learning in general or learning Javascript? There have been a number of methods that I use to retain the information. i call it the Study, Do, Model method. Spent a 3rd of your time in each area as follows:

1) Study the material - so watch the treehouse videos and do the code challenges 2) Do - by using your own personal projects or open source projects, apply what you have learnt and see if you can stretch yourself 3) Model - find other developers and show them your projects. With their experience, they maybe able to show better and more effective ways of completing your project. I don't know what part of the world you are from but if you google 'codemeetups' and put your local area, they maybe some that you can just go to & you get the chance to meet other coders who can help you on your way.

I look at Study, Do, Model method like a wheel that keep me 'rolling' on the path of mastery.

The problem with learning just online is that, we spend a lot of time in Area 1, but we need real world feedback which is what really gives us our expertise.

If you want to look at retaining the knowledge that you learn, if you were study in a typical hour, spend 20 minutes testing yourself on the material that you have previously learnt. There is no point trying to learn new concepts if you keep forgetting the basics! This will drive the core concepts deeper into your mind!

I wrote 2 blogs about this subject that go further into detail

http://wp.me/p7nmGk-4F - Study, Do, Model

http://wp.me/p7nmGk-e7 - One Hour Study Method

If you need anymore help don't hesitate to give me a shout!

Best of luck!

Hey Dean,

Repetition is key. You could try hand-writing code on a whiteboard or even a piece of paper. Whiteboards served me well in college when learning the basics of Java. I even wrote a program with a crayon one time when I went out to eat during that period of time. This will force you to think a little harder since you do not have the accessibility of a text editor or a way for you to readily check if your code works. It might seem a little counter intuitive but it's a nifty trick for memorization.

Since you're learning JavaScript, break down the language piece by piece and understand what you're writing. For example, understand the concept of scope. Practice writing global variables and then local variables or vise versa. Yet take it slow and do not move on from a concept until you recall it readily.

Karl both of your blogs were very useful and Jacob i have a white board in hand. Thanks you, you guys came in the clutch honestly.