ngahine
Modern neuroscience has come to find out now that the brain can still change as you get older and that you can continue to create more pathways in the brain to support more learning.
When learning a new skill or trying something new the brain is sending all these chemicals between neurons that is triggering responses and trying to create new pathways. The brain is rapidly increasing the amount or the concentrations of these chemicals to support learning and is the main process of short-term memory learning.
Even though you felt like you are learning so much at the time, when you go back to the skill after a few days it can feel tricky to get back into and feel like you have lost some of the information. During learning the brain is changing the physical structure of the brain and with the long-term takes more time. Therefore making it a behavioural practice everyday can create these pathways for the long-term memory.
Understanding neuroplasticity principles is beneficial for giving people the tools to improve on various different things. A main function of neuroplasticity is recovering from a injury that requires repetive tasks of motor skills. It's good to know that it is physically possible to train your brain to modify or rewire itself.
Some of the main principles I'm wanting to use is: repetition - trying to get in a good routine and repeating it everyday so information can stick in my brain. I need to do things muliple times and in various different ways in order for it to stick. The other principle would be: use it and improve it - actually using what I already know and improving on my abilities. I have a habit for learning many different things at once and never mastering one. Being able to focus on programming is a good goal for me to stick to and keep up the habit.
Infographics are a favourite way of reading information for me, here's a very long one on Neuroplasticity
Psychologists have had observations and theories that some people have certain mindsets when it comes to different ways of learning or tackling new challenges.
There is two types of mindsets one can be in when it comes to learning:
It all depends on the perspective the person has when it comes to facing a tough challenge or facing something brand new and outside of your comfort zone.
Do you feel worried or nervous, feel like you can't do it and will try different ways to get around it than solving it? This would be a fixed mindset.
Do you accept the challenge and see it as a learning experience and try hard even if you don't succeed at it yet? This is a growth mindset.
Growth mindset is relevant in that we are learning vast amounts of information during foundations in a short amount of time. This can be overwhelming and it's important to keep a right mindframe for your learning and to enjoy the process. We're going to need to be in this growth mindset to help getting through the bootcamp!
When I was exploring this I was suprised to find that I have been spending alot of time in a fixed mindset and it can be hard to break that. I think the growth mindset can be learned and adapted and that the fixed mindset isn't truly fixed, it's just a perspective.
My goal is to break out of that fixed mindset habit. By doing that I have to start by enjoying what I'm learning and finding passion in it even if it's difficult, as this promotes that growth mindset that is productive. One thing I need to focus on is not doing everything all on my own and getting in a cycle of self-doubt. Otherwise I'm simply not going to finish things properly and I know it is going to stop me from trying to achieve the big goals I want to set out to do. I have to set smaller goals first and achieve those.
Link to article about Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset with infographic!