Have you ever read a whole page of a textbook, only to realize you have no idea what you just read? Or maybe you thought you understood a coding concept, but when you tried to use it, your mind went blank?
Don't worry, it happens to the best of us! But there is a secret weapon used by one of the smartest physicists in history to learn complex ideas quickly and deeply. It's called the Feynman Technique.
Who was Richard Feynman? 👨🔬
Richard Feynman was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who was famous not just for his brilliant discoveries, but for his ability to explain very complicated things in simple language. He believed that jargon and big words often hide a lack of understanding.
The 4 Steps of the Feynman Technique 📝
You can use this technique for anything: math, history, or even learning a new programming language like Python!
Choose Concept
Pick exactly what you want to learn.
Teach It
Explain it simply to a child or duck.
Fill Gaps
Review source material for missing parts.
Simplify
Organize and use analogies.
Step 1: Choose Your Concept
Pick a topic you want to understand. Write the name of the concept at the top of a blank sheet of paper. Let's say you want to learn about "Loops in Python".
Step 2: Teach it to a Child (or a Rubber Duck!) 🦆
Pretend you are teaching this concept to a 12-year-old student. Write down an explanation on the paper.
- Use simple words.
- Avoid technical jargon.
- Use analogies (e.g., "A loop is like a robot doing the same chore over and over").
This step is crucial because it highlights what you don't know. If you start using big words or get stuck, that's a gap in your knowledge!
Step 3: Identify Gaps and Go Back to the Source 📚
When you got stuck in Step 2, where was it? Did you forget how to stop the loop? Did you forget the syntax?
Go back to your book, video, or documentation. Re-learn that specific part until you can explain it simply. This is targeted learning, and it's very efficient.
Step 4: Simplify and Organize ✨
Now that you've filled the gaps, look at your explanation again. Is it smooth? Is it easy to follow?
Read it out loud. If it sounds confusing, simplify it more. Create a final, polished explanation that anyone could understand.
Why is this Important for Coding? 💻
In programming, it's easy to copy-paste code without understanding it. But to be a great coder, you need to understand the logic.
Next time you learn a new command or algorithm, try the Feynman Technique. Explain it to your pet, your parents, or even a rubber duck on your desk (this is actually called "Rubber Duck Debugging"!).
Happy Learning!