Not Every Self-Learning Journey Is Like Learning to Code

I am a self-taught software engineer, and all this year I always thought that since I already being able to gain knowledge deep enough to become a professional software engineer, I thought that I master the art of self-learn itself and can self taught myself other field.

I never been so wrong.

so after my time is freed up because I decide to stop becoming indie hacker and give up on my product, I am thinking what should I do in my free time.

I am always curious about math, and always thinking that it is beautiful or cool to be able to understand math. I like movies like “a Beautiful Mind” or “Good Will Hunting”.

So, I thought, it doesn’t need much money to self-learn math right? I think it even should be cheaper than learning programming because it should be fine with pen and paper.

The problem is, I think my Math is as good as elementary school student at best. I am a college dropout, and my high school major is social science. the major I got because I flunk math and cannot go to science major in my high school.

Because I know I want to somewhat to relate on my field, and I always heard that AI is based on this math thing called Linear Algebra. I decide that it something that I want to learn first.

So I jump the gun and tried to read a free textbook about it. and boy I couldn’t even understand a single thing it tried to teach me. I tried to watch youtube video from popular youtuber and I still don’t understand a single bit. I watch the video while nodding like I understand. but then after the video end, it like I don’t understand anything.

you may say, but Hanif, learning math is like code, you have to do the exercise to understand things.

yep I agree. but the difference is, Math is a layered knowledge. you need to actually understand what beneath the abstraction to be able to work with the abstraction. meaning, how can I not flunk Linear Algebra if I am lacking knowledge of Algebra?

it is different with programming where we can work with the abstraction without understand how the abstraction been built. you don’t need to understand Virtual DOM to be able to work with React.

Bottom up learning also work in programming, learning React first before eventually learn about Typescript / Javascript is possible. And even help. for example, it easier to understand Virtual DOM when you already work with React for a while and understand it quirks.

The other thing that I think self-taught programmer like me taken for granted is how quick it is the feedback loop. We can learn React with Typescript and the compiler, linter, browser console, even React itself is reporting the error and the mistake that we need to correct. it makes learning easier, it like having an Instructor that is never make mistake and willingly take a look at our work 24/7

Well nowadays we have AI like ChatGPT which helps a lot but sadly it can’t replace a good instructor. Because I think, the key to use Chat based AI for learning is being able to make the right question.

also it still far from the experience of having a compiler. because for example lets say I do 20 exercise in a book, then I need to manually take picture of the question and my answer and ask GPT am I wrong and if yes which part do I did wrong.

Some people mistaken learning with AI as just take photo or scan the whole question pages and ask GPT for answer. but honestly this doesn’t work and doesn’t resemble as having a compiler. why? because it can’t tell us where we did wrong. and actually understanding where we make mistake is the key part of learning. its not about the answer itself.

that is why even having a textbook that having a solution book that only give answer is not work for self learning

but is the future to self learn Math or other Science bleak? I don’t think so. I think platform like Brilliant.org or Khan Academy already works for teaching basic level.

And actually I decide that I should go back to learn High School Maths at both of these platform, because the feedback loop is quick, and the progression is clear.

I think in this era of AI, a platform that can teach a more advanced topic with AI assisted learning is not impossible, at least imagine something where I don’t need to take photo 1 by 1 of my question and answer to GPT.