Make a Question List Before Entering a Field
Added 2026-11-06
Questions first; only then does the material get read.
I am entering an unfamiliar field: [field, purpose, time available]. Build the question list: 1) three questions at each level — what problem the field solves, what methods it uses, how quality is judged; 2) mark which can be answered from reading and which need a person; 3) give the first place to look for each — reviews, terminology, failure cases; 4) name the question types beginners get wrong: too broad, demanding conclusions too early, mistaking a tool for the field; 5) design a way to update the list as I learn; 6) say which questions to revisit after a week of investment.
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[field, purpose, time available]
How to use
A question list keeps your judgment intact in front of too much material.
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.