There’s a lot of buzz around coding bootcamps these days. A crash course in a new set of programming languages can be a huge career boost for bootcamp graduates. I have learned a ton in my first month of Flatiron School’s Learn Verified program. But one of the most important things I’ve learned in how to most effectively learn.

If you’re doing a bootcamp, some of these tips might help you as much as they help me.

Creating a Focused Environment

There are plenty of distractions when working online. I try to always stay directly focused on the content I am learning. I use the Firefox Add-On Leechblock to allow myself only 10 minutes a day on distracting websites like Reddit, Product Hunt and Hacker News. I keep my phone facedown and away from my desk. I play instrumental music (more on that in a bit). I’ve also found how important it is to take notes on the content I am learning. It helps me internalize what I am learning as I learn it.

Take A Break

Every twenty or thirty minutes, I take a five minute break. I’ve found that a short break is a breath of fresh air that allows more focus in the long term. Unless I get into a good flow with a longer lab, in which case I keep working.

The key is to recognize unproductive brain space, like when I’m searching for distractions. Instead of fighting the mind, I take some space to clear it before returning back to learning. This allows me to work almost all day, most days. ;)

Feel Out Your Brain Space

The Brain’s States are super interesting.

Modern neuroscience knows a lot about our brains. There a few distinct brain spaces that have patterns we can recognize, both through EEG readings and in self-examining meditation. All these process are happening at the same time, but we can move into one dominant thought pattern with some simple exercises.

The first brain space is Beta.

This is every day consciousness. A mind on the run, perceiving and interpreting. Thinking busy thoughts. Beta level consciousness is the mind when it is wide awake.

The next, in contrast, is Alpha.

This is when the mind is calm and receptive. It’s an open and meditative mind. This is the best way to learn more deeply, as we absorb information most effectively in alpha brain space. Learning while the brain is in an alpha state means that I am learning on two levels (alpha and beta).

You can easily transition between alpha and beta by relaxing! Take a few breaths, meditate for 20 minutes, or listen to music. Research shows classical music induces an alpha wave pattern in the mind, but I’m partial to instrumental music like El Ten Eleven, Madlib, Vulfpeck Damu The Fudgemunk and Thievery Corporation.

The sleepiest is Theta Wave.

The dreamy space right before you fall asleep is called theta. It’s disorienting, with random dreamy thoughts intermingled with normal ones. The chemical melatonin is released and it lulls us to sleep. Recognizing the sleepy mind and stopping work is equally as important. I’m not learning as effectively as possible if I’m tired.

REM sleep.

REM sleep, or dreaming, is equally important in the learning process. Dreams are the way we digest and store information. I’ve found that getting quality sleep is the best way to internalize lessons and content. Some mornings, I wake up dreaming in code, finding solutions to problems I am stuck on automatically. Let your dreams do the heavy lifting. It’s an evolutionary process to digest information and store it in long term memory.

Short Term and Long Term Memory

Understanding the way memory works can be empowering. Ideas are stored in either our short term or long term memory, based on time and frequency of exposure. Anything can stick in our short term memory after one exposure, sure. But it is only transferred to long term memory if it’s rehearsed immediately. So what’s the most efficient way to store things in our long term memory?

Research shows short, repeated exposure is actually the best way to memorize something. Rereading my notes on a daily and weekly basis helps me to internalize points and move them into long term memory. It’s the philosophy behind Memrise, which is how I’m learning Portuguese.

This week, I’m returning to old projects and fiddling with them, adding in what I’ve learned from later points. This is a good review and a creative way to solidify new things like database management.

What do you do?

Anything I’m missing here? What tips do you have for working effectively in a coding bootcamp? Reach out to me on Twitter.