Learning Pathways
Use this page only after you understand the default path. It helps you adjust how you study without changing what counts as completion.
The curriculum has one shared standard: you must be able to explain the idea, practice it, produce an artifact, and retrieve it later. A pathway changes the route you take to understanding; it does not lower the bar.
Default Path
Start with the standard module order:
- Read the module objective.
- Work through concept pages in order.
- Do the drills, katas, or practice tasks.
- Write a retrieval note from memory.
- Complete the quiz, checkpoint, or project artifact.
If that works, stay with it. Do not spend time optimizing your learning style before you have started learning.
When To Adapt
Adapt your approach when one of these is true:
- you can follow the prose but cannot solve problems
- you can code examples but cannot explain the concept
- you can do familiar exercises but fail on slight variations
- you keep rereading without producing artifacts
- the concept is abstract enough that a diagram, proof, or implementation would make it clearer
Four Useful Study Modes
| Mode | Use When | What To Do |
|---|---|---|
| Visual | The concept involves structure, flow, space, or dependency | Draw a diagram, redraw it from memory, then explain every edge or label |
| Formal | The concept depends on definitions, proofs, or invariants | Write the definition, state the claim, prove it, then test it with examples |
| Implementation-first | The concept becomes clear through behavior | Build the smallest working version, test edge cases, then explain why it works |
| Application-driven | Motivation is unclear | Pick a realistic problem, show why naive approaches fail, then apply the concept |
Most learners should mix these modes. For example, a graph concept may need a drawing, a proof, and a small implementation.
How To Switch Modes
Use this rule:
- If you are confused by wording, draw or implement.
- If your implementation works but feels magical, write the invariant or proof.
- If the proof feels unmotivated, create a concrete example or application.
- If the diagram looks right but you cannot solve exercises, do more practice.
Switching mode is a recovery tactic, not a new curriculum track.
Completion Does Not Change
No matter which mode you use, a module is complete only when you have:
- your own explanation
- practice work or implementation
- retrieval from memory
- a quiz, self-check, or checkpoint attempt
- a committed artifact in your notes or repo
The goal is not to identify as a kind of learner. The goal is to build enough representations that the concept survives contact with new problems.