Yiming Xu

First Principles for Learning

2025-09-30 · 2 min read · #learning, #systems, #evergreen

Most learning advice is tactical—apps, tips, and hacks. First principles help you reason from the ground up and adapt across domains. This post condenses research-backed principles into an actionable workflow you can use today.

Why first principles?

  • Generalizable across skills (programming, writing, languages).
  • Composable—you can mix and match without brittle routines.
  • Resilient to tool churn; principles outlast platforms.

1) Define the smallest useful outcome (SUO)

Pick a concrete, valuable outcome you can achieve in days, not weeks. Examples:

  • Implement a REST handler with proper error boundaries.
  • Summarize a paper in 8 sentences and 2 diagrams.
  • Hold a 5-minute conversation about your project in English.

Constraints sharpen attention and feedback loops.

2) Retrieval beats rereading

Testing yourself reconstructs knowledge and reveals gaps.

  • Use active prompts: “Explain X to a teammate without notes.”
  • Close-book recalls > open-book rereads for durable memory.
  • Track friction—if recall stalls, that’s where to practice.

3) Space and interleave practice

  • Spaced repetition: revisit just before forgetting to maximize gain/effort.
  • Interleaving: mix problem types so you learn to discriminate, not just repeat.
  • Keep sessions short (25–45 min), end on a small success.

4) Generate, don’t transcribe

Transform inputs into your own words and structures:

  • Write a one-paragraph distillation per source.
  • Sketch diagrams; reshape equations into intuition.
  • Create a tiny project that uses the idea once.

5) Teach to learn

If you can teach it, you understand it. Options:

  • Write a post (like this) or a short note.
  • Record a 3-minute loom for a teammate.
  • Pair-program and narrate decisions.

A minimal workflow

  1. Choose an SUO and deadline (e.g., 3 days).
  2. Daily loop: retrieve → practice → generate → reflect (15 min journal).
  3. Publish a small artifact (gist, note, demo) and collect feedback.

Toolkit (optional)

  • Notes: plain Markdown + folders; keep friction low.
  • Spacing: calendar reminders or any SRS you already use.
  • Feedback: share WIP early with a peer or community.

References

  • Dunlosky et al. (2013), Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques.
  • Roediger & Karpicke (2006), Test-Enhanced Learning.
  • Cepeda et al. (2006), Distributed Practice in Verbal Recall Tasks.