Think of when you learnt programming at your fastest. When you seemed to really learn rather than just solve the immediate problem (or learn to be resilient in problem solving).<p>What was the (apparent) magic ingredient which enabled you to absorb and use the information so much faster?<p>What are your tips for creating the perfect learning environment?
The magic ingredient was that I had already been doing it for around 20 years. I doubt there's much of a shortcut. Or maybe there <i>is</i> a shortcut and I was never clever enough to find it.<p>And at that point (20 years), my understanding of documentation had become completely different in a number of ways. More subtle, nuanced.<p>I don't know if this will be helpful at all -- but even after being a professional programmer for nearly three decades, I still read the "basics" chapters of every programming book.<p>And I <i>still</i> usually pick up something from reading those parts that most people skip.