Learning by yourself:How not to get stucked?

[Jorg]

Hi, I was wondering if have had any problems learning stuff by youselves? I have spent many months tryings to learn programming by myself, I'm studying electronic engineering and I must perfect my code skills, but I just feel the college plans are waaayyy too short on programming, I mean, the forst course was a semester of python, then a semester of C++ and now verilog. And by semester I mean 16-18 weeks.

I've seen my partners just flow with it, doing random stuff but I get obsessed by the details and try to learn every single thing and I just get frustrated. I must say I passed the C++ course thanks to a project made in pairs and the other dude was kind enough to save my ass, and with some hel from professor.

 

[Mia]

Also had that problem Jorg when I was at University. Wanting to get everything right, and to understand it, rather than rote memorize it and then forget about it later. Would discover an interest and go off on a tangent to know 'more.' Often, I would get so lost in the possibilities and the direction I should go in, that it was confusing and frustrating. Narrowing it down, focusing on the subject matter, was a big problem.

Found that staying within the parameters of the assignment was like confinement in a cage, I didn't find it interesting. Problem was that I would lose focus and become unable to do the simple things that were required of me. Write the paper, write the exam, do the specific work. Wanting to do more, or understand more, to really 'get' it all was my desire and learning style.

College's and university's are often not set up to accommodate people who want to know more unless they do higher degrees. My learning style was different, wanting to understand, not regurgitate at exams. Narrowing your focus, so that you can complete the work in the required time, is what they want. I once mistakenly took an elective that I had to fit into my schedule, that was about learning to learn. It opened my eyes to my lack of real direction, which requires discipline and goal motivated behavior. Not that difficult to learn, as Aspies have the capacity to motivate themselves. Often their motivation is to know more.

 

[Judge]

My whole life. And yet it wasn't until I arrived into this community that I began to even consider it as an issue that has always plagued me. Learning has almost always been an uphill battle for me.

But despite whatever deficits I have in the learning process, I was always quite persevering. So that if I really wanted to learn something, it was possible. But not without a lot of effort and most of all frustration.

Though in some instances, I think I just plain faked it, much like trying to pass for NT. Just to get by.

 

[Mr Allen]

About 13 years ago I did a part time Uni course in Web design at Sheffield Hallam, managed most of the course fine as I was teaching myself basic HTML at the time anyway, but then they wanted us to do a group project to create a site for a fictional Holiday company, I can do Web design just fine, but I hate group work, would much rather work either 1 to 1 or even alone.

I then did another Uni course in MS Visual Basic 4, which I passed as with my Brother's help I created an app to randomly predict National Lottery numbers, used it a couple of times and won a couple of tenners

 

[Judge]

I originally taught myself HTML as well. Went on to get formal certification in web design to get a good job. But I also recall how arduous it was trying to teach myself Macromedia Flash, which my employer insisted on me learning. It was a terrible struggle until one day I mentioned it to one of our outside contractors who was an ASP specialist. In a relatively short conversation this guy explained the things that for whatever reason I could not grasp at the time....and it all began to fall together.

I've always thought that was one of those moments that really highlighted for me that the learning process itself posed problems, and not merely that which I had or wanted to learn. One thing for sure though, if something doesn't interest me it's very difficult for me to learn even if a gun is pointed at my head!

I also recall when I mastered learning property insurance rating and how my employer then wanted me to learn private passenger auto insurance rating. Made my head spin as it was a completely different subject. I structured things though in a way that worked for me. In the morning I did all my property files, then in the afternoon all my auto.

Eventually I became proficient at auto and I began to do them indifferently at any time of the day. A little success story for me.

 

[Crossbreed]

I noticed that once I learned my first language [BASIC], all other languages came easy to me (because they all did the same things, using different words).

For that reason, it is best to learn your first language in a formal setting.

 

[Andrew206]

I've been learning accounting in college. I've learned to be self-disciplined and stay focused while learning.

 

[Jorg]

It is weird because I never had any learning issues at school or highschool, I was the kind of guy with 100's (A's in american score system) and wasn't until college when i started to be more obsessive with details and stuff, obviously there is a huge difference between college and previous educations and the fact I'm studying engineering but I just need to figure how to make it work.

 

[texkag]

I have always enjoyed losing myself in the details when I am engaged in a learning task. The problem is, it can take me ages to find a way out. I was never able to finish my degree because of caring commitments but one thing I took away from the experience was to structure my learning. If I'm trying to teach myself something now I always break it down into the smallest task I can and just work on that. It took discipline and practice but I learned to do it over time.

One thing I always do now is to decide how long I'm going to spend on a particular task and make a huge effort to stick to that time frame. I set a digital timer and when the alarm goes off I then have to decide if I can prise myself away from that particular task. I don't always, but the alarm breaks the spell most of the time. I then have to decide if there is another task that I need to do or if I can indulge myself and continue with the one I was enjoying.

When I was into woodcraft I used to spend the whole day in the shed and would have to be forced out by hunger and exhaustion. I have a compulsion to complete tasks even if it drains me of everything but when you're working with potentially lethal machinery you learn quickly the danger of losing concentration. I have learned to use the fact that I am a perfectionist to motivate me to take (semi) regular breaks or whatever I'm trying to produce, whether it be a bookcase or piece of writing won't be much good. That works for me.

Despite everything I've said, if I'm really gripped by something I get lost in it. I think it's inevitable that I will do that sometimes. After all, I'm still a work in progress.

 

[Jorg]

I remembered something, idk, I'm here in my desk trying to fit the pieces of why I'm not like..the same student from years ago and I just figure that I don't feel fine in my bedroom, I feel like claustrophobic. And it started some ayears ago, idk if there is a relation but it's the only I can think of.

You see, around 5 years ago when I started college I change the bedroom with my parents, they got mine and I move to their bedroom. Mi original one was a very small bedroom, like 3x4m and it was inside of the house so the windows showed me another wall, my parent's where like 5x4m or something like that and it was against the patio. BTW when my brotehr moved out the house my parents got a bigger bedroom.

In that new bedroom I felt happy, even when I'm a little desorganized I felt space, I felt room to breath, and I was a productive student.

Around 3 years ago my mother wanted to make some remodelations to the kitchen, which was besides my bedroom, in that moment I also went through my worst depression and my bedroom was torn apart, I temporarily moved to my old bedroom but as I was depressed I couldn't sleep and it was a terrible time.

Anyway, after the remodelations my new bedroom was shrinked and moved when the kitchen used to be, now that I see, my new/current bedroom is the size of the old one, like 3x4 and the fact I have kept the books from college has shrinked even more. I still have windows which look to the patio but I constantly feel claustrophobic, or not good in this one, and I constantly try to move the bed, desk and other furniture to try to feel better but nothing works.

Could it be this change in my room the cause of my decrease in productivyty?

 

[alwayzambi]

Yep I remember learning Flash, it took a while before it clicked... I think they are special ways to learn these web technologies as it relates to aspies

I originally taught myself HTML as well. Went on to get formal certification in web design to get a good job. But I also recall how arduous it was trying to teach myself Macromedia Flash, which my employer insisted on me learning. It was a terrible struggle until one day I mentioned it to one of our outside contractors who was an ASP specialist. In a relatively short conversation this guy explained the things that for whatever reason I could not grasp at the time....and it all began to fall together.

I've always thought that was one of those moments that really highlighted for me that the learning process itself posed problems, and not merely that which I had or wanted to learn. One thing for sure though, if something doesn't interest me it's very difficult for me to learn even if a gun is pointed at my head!

I also recall when I mastered learning property insurance rating and how my employer then wanted me to learn private passenger auto insurance rating. Made my head spin as it was a completely different subject. I structured things though in a way that worked for me. In the morning I did all my property files, then in the afternoon all my auto.

Eventually I became proficient at auto and I began to do them indifferently at any time of the day. A little success story for me.