12 months ago I decided I needed to kick my brain in to gear, I was feeling like a dinosaur when it came to my development skills. I started well with my nice thick book and kept on going but then I stopped. I half heartedly dipped back in a few times before giving up completely.
But I did learn something.
I’m not a book learning type of guy. I probably should have known this from uni but I learn best by listening, being shown and then doing it myself. I’m not sure what what learning style this makes me – kinesthatic with a touch of visual maybe – but I have to play to my strengths so I’ve started again.
I’ve signed up to the Microsoft Virtual Academy, a great free resource that hosts courses based around video instruction. The one I’m doing, for C#, has a great presenter and works for me. He encourages you to type as he does and to pause, rewind, experiment as he goes along. I’ve been chugging through the videos (it really is beginner level) and feel I’ve learned more in the couple of hours of this mode than I did in the hours I spent slogging through The Book.
I’m flat out with work right now but I aim to get this course finished in a week or so and launch straight in to the next level.