Vet the Tutorial Before You Commit to It
Added 2026-11-05
Pick the wrong tutorial and skill improves in the wrong direction.
I want to learn to do this: [goal], and I am considering this tutorial or course: [details]. Before I start, assess it: 1) does it cover my goal, or only a narrower case; 2) is its version and environment already stale, and which steps may fail; 3) what verifiable output can I produce when I finish; 4) does it show failure paths and debugging, or only the happy path; 5) what prerequisite knowledge should I close first; 6) give a 20-minute trial criterion — up to which step tells me to continue or drop it. Do not just rate it.
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[goal][details]
How to use
The test is not whether it explains well, but whether you can do it alone when it ends.
Try tweaking it
- Ask for one diagnostic question first to locate where you are stuck.
- Replace "explain it" with "give three progressive exercises; correct me after I answer".
What you should get
- A diagnosis of exactly where you are stuck
- A small set of self-checkable exercises
Common mistakes
- Asking it to explain from scratch, and still not knowing where you went wrong.
- Memorising the explanation as the answer, then failing on any variant.
How to check the output
- It names exactly where you are stuck instead of re-explaining everything.
- Exercises are graded and self-checkable.
Where it works
- Good for: diagnosing where you are stuck, then giving the smallest exercise instead of a lecture.
- Watch out: ask it to flag uncertainty rather than memorising a confident but wrong explanation.