Buckle down and study hard

ID:2940741
 
Aug 13, 7:53 pm (Edited on Aug 19, 5:26 pm)
### Essential Learning Tip and BYOND Community Update

I wanted to share an essential tip that I've found incredibly effective, as well as an update for everyone involved in the BYOND community.

### Vocabulary Building: A Structured Approach

Let's start with an interesting observation: vocabulary building, much like what we experienced in primary education. Think of it as writing the days of the week—Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri—over and over until they stick. Back then, we practiced writing the same 10-20 words each day, introducing a new list every week.

Inspired by this method, I've decided to take a similar approach to enhance my understanding of the DM reference. Over the past month, I’ve adopted this strategy, practicing 10-20 words, Monday through Friday. However, I’ve added a slight twist to the method.

### The Strategy

Here’s the updated approach:

1. **Get the DM Reference:** Start by obtaining a comprehensive list of terms. You can use a resource like this one: [DM Reference](https://pastebin.com/yVULMJ7U).

2. **Randomize Your List:** To add variety and prevent rote memorization, use a randomizer tool to shuffle your list: [Random.org List Randomizer](https://www.random.org/lists/).

3. **Daily Practice:** Cross-examine and study 10-20 definitions each day, five days a week, progressing through your randomized list until you've completed it.

### Autopilot Learning

By doing this regularly, I’ve noticed substantial progress in my understanding. For example, I’ve now memorized and can apply commands like:

- `usr << browse('../help.html', "gameWindow")`
- `usr << output("More...", "gameWindow")`
- `&, &&, *Pointer`
- `L[2]`, and more.

This is what I like to call "autopilot learning." It's a simple, structured way to absorb new information without overwhelming yourself. If you're looking to learn a new language, or even just improve your English skills, you can apply a similar method. For instance, use a Pictionary word generator set to "easy" or "very hard" to create a list of 10-20 words for daily practice.

### Final Thoughts

Remember, learning is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to give your neurons time to rest and absorb the information over the course of several days. Thank you for reading, and I hope you find this strategy as beneficial as I have!
Aug 16, 2:53 am
I don't think you should treat using a coding language like learning a like, normal language. References exist to be used, and it's natural to forgot how something works or need to look up the exact name for what you need.

What's more useful is building an intuition for how to solve problems, and that's something you get by just like, makin shit right? That way you get used to different components of the language as you go.

I realize this is a bit of a external take since i'm from ss13 and I had a wide expanse of existing code to learn from when I started, but I figure it's worth mentioning.
Aug 17, 4:47 pm (Edited on Aug 19, 5:28 pm)
Enhancing Pixel Art Skills Through Consistent Practice
After discussing the game Pictionary, I've developed a plan to enhance my pixel art skills through consistent practice.

Your insights on this topic are appreciated, and I fully agree with your assessment. To optimize my learning approach, I intend to delve deeper into the forums by searching for terms such as [winget], [mouse_drop_zone], and others. However, I believe it is crucial to take a strategic approach to learning by gaining hands-on experience.

For instance, after some initial practice, consider adjusting your learning strategy to focus on 16 reference articles spaced out over four days a week. This approach would involve conducting forum searches both before and after your practice sessions to reinforce your understanding and application of the material.
Aug 18, 12:14 am
In response to Ridkacez1
Ridkacez1 wrote:
Certainly! Here's a more professionally phrased version:

--- ILY ^_^

Your point is well taken, and I agree with your assessment. To optimize my approach, I plan to further explore the forums by searching for terms such as [[winget], [mouse_drop_zone], [etcetera]]. However, I believe it is essential to strategically approach learning by gaining hands-on experience.

For example, after some initial practice, you might consider adjusting your learning strategy to focus on 16 reference articles, spaced out over four days a week, with forum searches conducted both before and after your sessions.

Aug 27, 1:46 pm
People learn differently. Back in 2005 or so when I was trying to learn Byond past the extreme basics, I mostly just built a lot of one off projects and tried to get various features to work (in many cases, I just got them to compile and called it good).

I learned mostly by doing. The only reason I'd say trying to memorize syntax isn't a completely bad idea is that DM as an IDE is pretty beyond the times and won't suggest fixes or flag issues in real time like Visual studio or the like.