Part 1: The First Pass — Lighting the Path with LSBot

This is the first of a four-article series where we’ll discuss common roadblocks faced by Launch School students and how to use LSBot to overcome them to create more efficient and enjoyable study routines. That’s not to say you must have a proper “roadblock” to apply these techniques. We are optimistic that LSBot will aid students who desire additional support. However, it can also benefit those of you who have already settled into a rhythm by helping you better use your time and improve your overall experience. The Launch School curriculum is rigorous no matter what tools you have at your disposal; take these suggestions to make the grind a bit smoother.

Each of the first three parts will focus on a distinct phase involved in completing a Launch School course:

1. The first pass
2. The second pass
3. Assessment prep

Everyone has unique approaches to studying at Launch School, but these three phases are typical and widely adopted. If you’re familiar with them, feel free to skip ahead. If you aren’t, let’s first establish what these three phases entail:

The First Pass

As the name suggests, this is the first run-through of the course material. Most of the concepts are likely brand new to you, and you don’t yet have a good overview of the course. This phase can often feel the most difficult; it’s a lot of uncertainty and requires the most grit to keep going. If you can embrace it, the pleasant aspect is that the first pass isn’t aiming for perfection or mastery. If any one thing is bogging you down — an assignment, an exercise, a concept, a paragraph — keep going! The first pass is about exposure and gaining familiarity with the concepts. You don’t yet need to be able to apply the concepts to your work or verbalize what you’ve learned.

The Second Pass

It’s funny that we can change “first” to “second” and call it an entirely new phase, but the “Second Pass” phase is radically different than the first. It’s like someone came in and turned the lights on. That’s not to say it’s easy, but you have enough context to have fun now. You can probably solve most of the exercises on your own. Concepts that felt okay on the first pass are now a breeze, and elusive concepts now feel at least in reach. The second pass is all about polishing up your mental models and beginning to apply and vocalize them.

Assessment Prep

At this point, students vary considerably more than in the first two phases we discussed. Assessment prep could involve live coding with fellow students, writing and explaining code snippets, or completing practice projects. The commonality is that at this point, you’ve “finished” a course and must decide when you’re ready to take your assessment. Exciting!

In part 4, we’ll look at some common pitfalls encountered when using LSBot and how to avoid them.

With that out of the way, let’s jump into the first pass. We’ll start with the most common point of friction that occurs during this phase, how students tend to address it, and provide an alternative approach that utilizes LSBot.

The Roadblock:

You sit down to study. You have your tea and 30 minutes of uninterrupted study time. You open up your next assignment and start reading. The first paragraph makes no sense at all. Did you unintentionally change the entire page into a different language? Did you accidentally skip a lesson? No. It just doesn’t make sense. That’s okay. You’ve been here before. Let’s examine two typical responses, and then we’ll present a third approach that utilizes LSBot.

Option A: Keep going, even if it doesn’t make sense.

In this approach, you forge ahead and hope things start to click. Even if they don’t, the second pass will surely be better. While spending a session on material that isn’t clicking can be frustrating, this method isn’t fruitless. The next time you visit this material, things will come into focus. In fact, if you’re feeling really stuck, we suggest moving on to avoid burnout. What stands out about this approach, however, is that it can be quite painful. Reading material you can’t make sense of eliminates opportunities for curiosity and fun. You’re more likely to get distracted or take a hit to your confidence.

In an ideal world, you have a vague understanding of every concept after the first pass.

Option B: Reread the troublesome content over and over until it clicks.

This approach is commendable and showcases dedication, helping to build that programming mindset necessary for challenging tasks that don’t have a clear finish line. While it may take some time, it often leads to eventual understanding. Some students find it hard to sit down and study knowing they have the same cryptic topic awaiting them, but there is a gratifying sense of accomplishment when the perseverance pays off. This option works for many students.

What both options have in common so far is that they are time-consuming and aren’t the most enjoyable. Sure, studying isn’t always fun, but being engaged and curious significantly improves our comprehension and efficiency. For students working with a tight schedule or pushing for a Capstone deadline, efficiency is essential. As such, we will present a third option.

Option C: Talk it out with LSBot.

We can all think of a time when a teacher has made things click for us. Or a particular study session where you just figured it out together. Or a problem you were stuck on and finally started using your dog as a rubber duck, and suddenly it came to you. What do teachers, peers, and rubber ducks all have in common? They de-isolate you. They question you, they get you thinking out loud, and they present ideas in a different light. Okay, if your rubber duck starts questioning you, it’s time for a break, but you know what we mean. The point is that LSBot can take on this role. Let’s see an example. Take one of the first paragraphs about the concept of “Variables as Pointers” from the Introduction to Programming in Python book:

The behaviors described in this chapter arise from the interaction of variables using pointers to reference their associated objects. In Python, all variables are pointers to objects. If you assign the same object to multiple variables, every one of those variables references (points to) the same object. They act like aliases for the object.

Whoa. If you aren’t here yet, you’re probably lost. If you’re past this point, think back to when you were learning about variables as pointers. Luckily, the topic is similar across all language tracks. Here’s how we could imagine option C going:

LSBot included a few more helpful bits, like a link to the material and some motivation about the concept being tricky and requiring time and practice — thanks, but this is the essential part. We have an analogy! LSBot has played the role of a teacher who sees the bigger picture and can show us a different perspective. Maybe this doesn’t clear everything up, but in terms of time management, we’ve accomplished a lot more in five minutes than we did with options A and B. Let’s imagine that we continue reading:

When you reassign a variable, Python changes what object the variable references. Reassignment doesn’t alter the old or new object; it simply changes which object the variable references.

If you’re still pretty lost, you might ask LSBot, “How would the balloon analogy look with reassignment?” If you’re feeling like you have even some understanding, we encourage you to use this as an opportunity to use your own words:

Even if you got the analogy for reassignment wrong, you’ve spent your time on this topic engaged, thinking from different angles and making connections to helpful analogies. Even better, you’ve put something in your own words! This exercise starts to wade into the technique of “learning by teaching,” which we’ll look at further in part 2.

We’re constantly impressed with the creative and unique ways students utilize LSBot for their studies. We encourage you to try this technique the next time you encounter a confusing concept or problem. At the same time, look to your peers for inspiration and share when you have an interesting interaction with LSBot.

In the next part, we’ll discuss hurdles often faced during the second pass of a Launch School course — stay tuned, and happy studying!