10 must have information sources in your learning toolbox
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In the era of RSS feeds and Internet it’s easy to get used to getting all your information from only one source - the Internet. Although you could argue that you’re reading many sources (for example I’m subscribed to about 70 different RSS feeds) there are some really important alternatives that you shouldn’t ignore. These sources can broaden your world view and teach you different styles of looking at things compared to blogs. Also if you really want to be a constant learner, you don’t want to learn only when you are at your computer, do you?
- Books: I suggest you read both fact and fiction as they both can be enlightening in their own ways. From fact books you get new information and inspiration, and by reading great fiction you improve your language skills and imagination. Fictive novels can also make you think about life and in that way inspire you to learn more.
Suggestions: Blink, Next of Kin
- E-books: E-books are often less polished than “real” printed books, but there are some important exceptions. Basically from an E-book you get the same benefits than from regular books, plus they are more easily available and often more up to date. The annoying part is that you’ll need a computer to read them, which makes them quite bad for reading in a toilet.
Suggestions: Getting Real, Make a name for yourself - Blogs: Although I said that you shouldn’t be relying to blogs only, I’d say that blogs are one of the greatest channels of media today. They are fast to read, up to date and there is a lot of free options for you to choose from. Make sure you use an RSS reader - otherwise keeping track of your blog posts pretty soon gets impossible.
Suggestions: Copyblogger, Nate Whitehill dot com, Signal vs. Noise, Freelance Switch - Scientific magazines: If you’re looking for a reliable source of good professional information, scientific magazines can actually be interesting reads. For example I’ve noticed that IEEE Software is a well-written and interesting magazine and beats easily all the mainstream computer journals.
Suggestions: IEEE Software (let me know if you have some other favorites) - Newspapers: Newspapers are good for keeping you up to date with what’s happening around your world. I’m currently mostly skipping these due to prioritisation reasons. A quality newspaper is of course better than a free one, but you shouldn’t ignore the free ones like Metro, because they are available when you have the one or two extra minutes to spend reading a newspaper (in a bus, waiting in a line and so on…)
Suggestions: Metro - Podcasts: One of the reasons why I’m currently mostly ignoring newspapers is that the commuting time that is best for reading newspapers is also best for listening to podcasts and I figured that I will learn more by listening to podcasts I select myself than some random news bites. The major benefit for podcasts in my opinion is that you can consume them when you’re on the move. In addition to that they can also teach you a thing or two about a foreign language, and often they are more interesting than just regular blog posts or articles.
Suggestions: Hello, my name is PODCAST, Freelancing on Rails - People: I would say that all the best programming advice I’ve ever received has come from other, more experienced programmers I’ve worked and talked with. This is an easy way to learn: hang out with geniuses, or well, even regular people who are experts on their field and have a curious mind, and you’re guaranteed to learn something new. Send them e-mail, chat over a cup of coffee, or go for a long walk.
Suggestions: You can start from easy ones, like your grandpa and gradually start looking for and contacting people who you don’t know yet. - TV: Every now and then there are some great documentaries, news flashes and interesting series or movies that can teach you new things or inspire your mind. Some things just are easier to understand when you see the picture and hear the sound, instead of just reading. On the negative side however, you cannot watch the shows when you want to (VCRs are good in this though - if you remember to schedule them), and it’s easy to get stuck to the TV screen and also watch all the nonsensical series that just eat up your time.
Suggestions: Lonely planet, CSI - Discussion forums: When I started game programming as a 15-year-old kid, I first read some books and browsed the Internet for tutorials on C, graphics programming and so on. These were good sources, but pretty soon when trying things myself I ran into trouble: everything didn’t quite go the way I wanted and I sometimes spent hours looking for something I had missed in the tutorial. During these years I learned to trust the Internet community of like-minded people learning the same things as I was. I joined the GameDev.net forums and asked my questions. Pretty soon someone answered and I wasn’t stuck anymore! So, go ahead and do a Google search for a forum on your favorite subject. People are willing to help, just make sure you help them in return at some point.
Suggestions: GameDev.net, Suomipelit.com - Lectures: If you have a possibility to attend university courses, go ahead. At least in Finland it’s free for all to attend lectures, even if you’re not a student. Of course you cannot participate in the exam or any exercise group, but go ahead and listen to what the lecturer has to say.
Suggestions: Introductory courses in any interesting subject (e.g. programming, psychology or accounting). Also, you should check out MIT’s free online course materials
This was my brief list of great information sources, now let me ask you a question: what are your favorite sources of information?
Image source: stealthtractor @ Flickr
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