If you're learning in any area in tech ( Front end Engineering, Backend Engineering, Cyber security, Data science, Product design etc), you may be struggling with information overload(when you try to consume too much knowledge at once) by jumping from one tutorial video/learning resource to another without mastering what you have learnt from the first resource. This could make your learning process seem overwhelming.

There are many reasons you could be struggling with information overload, but, this article will highlight two. One of the reasons are desperation of seeing others in their tech field who have gotten their breakout in tech such as landing job roles and contracts.

Another reason could be if you listen to contents that tells you how to learn tech and secure a job in 2 months. Today, Youtube is flooded with content creators in tech who lure beginners and those learning new tech stacks that they can learn everything within few weeks or months and secure a job in tech. Examples are "how to learn javascript in two months", "how to learn UIUX design in two weeks", "how to learn python in three weeks from zero to hero".

Others are boot camps and training platforms who lure newbies to learn their courses, promising them jobs after few weeks of training. Listening to contents like these and following such advice could cause you to consume too much knowledge than you should in your learning process.

How can you avoid information Overload? How do you make sure you're not consuming too much knowledge at a time during your tutorial? This article will offer practical suggestions that will help you to learn with purpose.

Having a healthy mindset is the first step towards learning tech with Purpose. Whether you're learning a programming language or no-code in tech, you need to have a healthy mindset of how you approach your tech field. What are some of those things you need to have at the back of your mind?

First, you need to accept that "no area in tech or programming language is easy to master" .Tech is not a get-rich-quick scheme so avoid desperation in your tech journey. You cannot "learn Javascript, python or any programming language in two months and land a job". Here are the few tips you can apply ;

1. Have a daily, weekly or monthly Schedule with tools such as google Calendar, Notion etc to plan your study routine. Also, in your schedule, indicate the hours you're going to spend daily on your tutorials and stick to it.

2. Remember that watching tutorials or other resources for many hours will not determine how fast you can understand the course material. You can decide to study for one to two hours daily depending on your daily schedule.

3. If you have video tutorials, books, podcasts or other practical resources in your chosen tech path, put them in your daily schedule and decide which one you will consume each day. Try to learn at every free opportunity.

4. If you are watching a coding tutorial, design tutorial or any tutorials that are practically hands on for the first time, don't code along or design along. Watch it at least once or twice and take notes only. This will help you gain a better understanding of the tools and what each function does. You can then code or design along the tutorial. There's a popular saying that the best way to learn something is by doing it hands on but you need to understand the tools and how to set up your learning environment before doing hands on.

5. Try as much as you can to repeat your tutorial contents until you master the contents of the tutorial. For example, if you're learning HTML/CSS, indicate in your study plan how long you are going to learn that stack until you master it and move to the next. (This example is applicable to other tutorials in any tech field you have chosen to study.) This is to make sure you have mastered a certain technology or topic before moving to the next.

6. Document your Learning process. Use tools such as personal notes, excel or google sheets to document what you have learnt every time you study. For example, If you understood flexbox in css for that day, document it. Having a summary is very important. It helps you to do a recap of what you learned and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

By applying the above mentioned tips in this article, you will be able to navigate your learning successfully and learn with purpose. Happy Learning !!