connect to calendar

[joshpitzalis]

Joshua Pittman So I'm trying to figure out how I could change the app to help rehabilitate people with expensive/wasteful learning habits. Learning is a luxury for most but its non-negotiable for software engineering, specifically ones that work on the web. I have to continuously learn or everything I know becomes outdated.

I need a healthier approach/structure for continuous learning. If you have suggestions, please help.

Just showing me how much money is potentially wasted is a good start. I'll seriously consider spending money on a new course now. Organising course I want to do by how cost is also helpful for prioritisation. However, the goal is to help me finish the courses, not just guilt trip me into buying less courses.

The problem here is deeper than laziness. I find it hard to justify taking a weekend to finish a course when there is so much other shit that I need to deal with. If I was going to take the weekend to sort something out, an online course probably wouldn't be top of the list. As a result nothing gets sorted. We've all played this game I'm sure.

Other options I am considering are putting money down to finish a course in a set amount of time. So basically if you don't finish the curse by x date you lose y amount. Harsh, I was hoping for something a bit more elegant. I really enjoy learning new stuff, this might make it too much of a chore.

The best idea I have is just to get the app to send you a weekly progress update. "You've done 22 courses, nice one! There's still a bunch on your list though. Here's some of the most expensive ones. here's some that are expiring soon. Would you like to connect to google calendar to schedule 2 hours this week for some study time?" That sort of thing. So a little reminder, and I make it easy to block out time on your calendar. No-enforcement though. I like this the most but it doesn't really address the root of the problem. It's a nice band aid though.

Any other suggestions?
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Sonia Inorbit
Sonia Inorbit If only doctors in India had the same approach! I love this post - perhaps you could add in a link to your calendar so that when you book a course, you have to physically mark out time to finish it. If it's not available, you don't book it. Good luck!
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Joshua Pittman
Joshua Pittman Oh I like that.

So when you signup it asks you how much time a month you have to study. Let's say 10 hours. It then connects to your calendar and finds those 10 hours or gets back to you with a problem.

Then it cues up all your existing courses into the time available each month. If you don't have any free time to do the course in the next 90 days it just doesn't let you add a new course and tell you to go sort your shit out.

I'll have to figure out how to estimate the length of a course. That's a minor problem though.

This would really help me. Now I just have to find the time to build the feature :)

Thank you Sonia Inorbit, lovely.