- To learn or remember something effectively, try teaching it to someone else. As commonly attributed to Einstein: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
- Engage in discussions with others—ask questions, provide explanations, and exchange viewpoints. Be open to both convincing others and allowing yourself to be convinced by different perspectives. This approach will help you learn much more than just the topic at hand.
- A teacher once advised me to keep all my thoughts on one side of an A4 paper rather than writing on both sides. This prevents interrupting your flow of thinking when turning the page. I've applied this technique and found it remarkably effective!
- For tracking completed tasks (to report to your boss what you've done in the past few days, for example), you can use either TickTick or Notion (with database, board, and calendar views).
- In Notion, create a database with properties: date (task duration) and before (for revisiting finished tasks). Calendar view displays tasks based on date, showing task duration clearly. Remember: one task per card!
- TickTick excels at displaying tasks in calendar format, but its note-taking capabilities are limited (which is why I ultimately switched to Notion).
- For tracking your Mac activities, consider Qbserve. Note: this may raise privacy concerns.
In today's rapidly evolving AI landscape, numerous services offer innovative ways to learn and work, including ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Gemini and many more.
- For coding assistance, I recommend Cursor and Claude Code. Students can apply for free Cursor access, while Claude Code comes with a Claude subscription that's more affordable than competitors.
- When researching topics requiring verification and reliable sources, Perplexity is my go-to tool. It meticulously provides source citations with each response, making fact-checking straightforward.
- To practice English conversation, ChatGPT's mobile app works well because it maintains memory throughout conversations, eliminating the need to reestablish context each time.
- For grammar and spelling corrections, both ChatGPT and Grok offer excellent feedback.
- I rely on Claude for technical learning, particularly for code explanations, Data Science concepts, and Computer Science best practices. ChatGPT has recently introduced a "Study and learn" mode that I haven't yet explored.
- If you want access to multiple AI services under one affordable subscription, consider Monica. It features versatile tools including customizable bots with separate knowledge sources. I use it for learning about French/US culture and history and discussing books I'm reading. Its desktop app and browser extensions integrate seamlessly with your operating system and browsing experience.
- I also use Notion AI for writing this site, correct my grammar and spelling. It provide side by side original texts and correction which are
While we shouldn't cling to outdated methods, we must be cautious not to become mentally lazy or overly dependent. I'm still finding the right balance between leveraging AI and maintaining my own critical thinking skills.
- Save time with AI: Without AI, you'd waste significant time searching for answers (like debugging code), often learning nothing through trial and error. Use AI as a shortcut to find information and learn solution methods efficiently. You can even ask AI about common mistakes or typical answers when seeking solutions.
- AI as an experienced mentor: Think of AI as a knowledgeable guide for questions requiring expertise. Practice asking questions that follow your thought process rather than just requesting final answers. Don't treat AI as an employee taking orders - instead, approach it as an apprentice learning from a skilled mentor while asking thoughtful questions.
- Verify AI responses: Always check AI answers, evaluate them critically, and question what you receive. Stay focused on your original questions and follow up when needed. Don't passively accept everything AI tells you!
- The physical experience of writing matters significantly. Choose your note-taking approach carefully (paper type, pen selection, page size, environment, learning time). All these material aspects influence how effective your note-taking will be.
- At Ideta as a full-stack developer, I work across multiple projects (frontend, backend, libraries, RAG server). Initially I created separate notes for each area, but many topics crossed boundaries. Synced blocks became messy as content grew. My solution: one comprehensive note using Toggle Blocks. Now I simply search this single document for anything Ideta-related—much more efficient than deciding where to file information!
- Use List blocks instead of paragraphs to separate ideas. For nested concepts, use nested lists. This improves readability and shows hierarchical relationships at a glance. Just like this note.
- Todo list → for tasks you need to complete, ideas not yet checked, or temporary thoughts.
- Bulleted/Numbered list → For completed items that serve as reference notes. Convert checked todo items to this format to keep important information visible. For example:
- This one has been done too but it's useful to look back so it's converted to a bulleted list.
- Bulleted list → Use for unordered items when you're adding ideas to your current list regardless of their sequence.
- Numbered list → Use when order matters, such as step-by-step instructions or when items should be read/completed in sequence.
- When a list and its nested children become too long, use a toggle list for the parent item.
This one should be done next
- I don't like the default published style of Notion pages, so I built my own site (this one) to display my notes. You can create one for yourself if you'd like.
- Keep learning every day, but the more important thing is to document what you've learned.
- Consider the most efficient way to take notes, the purpose of your documentation, and then choose the appropriate method.
- One simple rule: write for your future self—create notes that you'll understand quickly and that help you recall information as efficiently as possible!
- Stick with tools and methods you're familiar with. Don't switch to new systems just because others think they're better, unless it's truly necessary.
- That's why I use
- Google Keep: for quick notes and fast searches.
- Notion: for work tasks and detailed notes (two standout features: comprehensive full-text search & ability to quickly create different content formats).
- Google Calendar: for future reminders.
- Bitwarden + 2FA: for storing sensitive privacy information.
- Facebook Messenger (messages to myself): for quickly saving photos/screenshots.
- Markdown: maintaining README.md files in all my projects.
- Screenflict: recording meetings for later review and then upload to youtube (in private mode).
- Journey: documenting my personal life. Sometimes understanding your past is essential.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S+: for handwritten notes and ideas that require drawing.
- Money Lover: for tracking my expenses.
- Screenflick: to record the screen and then upload it to my personal youtube channel for storing (private mode).
- Raindrop: to store bookmarks. You should buy its paid version which has a lot of useful features. It’s not too expensive.
- Gmail: for specific purposes like maintaining job meeting logs or email related stuffs. I appreciate its exceptionally fast full-text search capability.
My personal setup: Notion, Galaxy Tab S10+ with Notein app, Kindle, Flexcil.
- For tablets with stylus support, choose either an Apple iPad (with GoodNotes) or Samsung Galaxy Tab with Notein (Samsung Notes is also good but has issues with accented characters like in Vietnamese). Avoid the Android version of GoodNotes—it's terrible!
- If you prefer an e-ink device similar to Kindle but for note-taking, try Remarkable. There are many other devices available, but I haven't tested them yet.
- Diary app: read note A best journal app (spoil: Journey)
- Password manager: use Bitwarden, it's free and supports cross-platform devices. I particularly like how it integrates deeply with mobile devices and automatically suggests passwords when you focus on input fields. You can also use it as an OTP Generator and store passkeys.
- Always enable two-factor authentication (2FA) ← use Authy & Bitwarden (in case you don’t want to open your phone and use it directly in the browser).
- Avoid using passphrases!
- Regularly change your passwords.
- Use unique passwords for different accounts.
- Want to prevent browser extensions from reading data on all websites? Adjust their settings to activate only when needed. Go to Manage Extensions → Select an extension (excluding locally installed ones) → "Details" → "Site access" → choose "On click".
As a coder, having a large external screen significantly boosts my productivity. Setting up an effective workspace is crucial for both working and learning.
- I prefer two 16:9 monitors placed side by side rather than a single ultrawide 21:9 or 32:9 monitor. Why? When you double-click a window to maximize it, on dual monitors it fills just one screen—keeping the other screen available for additional windows. With a single ultrawide monitor, maximizing makes the window too wide when you often only need it to fill half the screen.
- If you do prefer a single ultrawide monitor, choose 32:9 rather than 21:9. Typically, you'll want to split your screen into three sections (one for browser, two for IDE). A 21:9 monitor isn't quite wide enough for this arrangement—you'll need to make the browser section smaller to give your IDE sufficient space. With a 32:9 monitor, this three-part layout works perfectly!
- On MacOS, Magnet is an excellent app for window management with keyboard shortcuts. It lets you easily split and move windows into various proportions (1/3, 2/3, 1/4, etc.).
- If you don't want to take notes, use the Amazon Kindle App. It syncs your reading progress and highlighted text across all devices for free. You can use your own ebooks and the Send To Kindle app to deliver content to all your devices.
- If you want to take notes and sync annotations, use Flexcil. It requires a one-time payment that's reasonably priced, though you'll need to purchase the app separately for each device.
- I also use Fonos for listening to audiobooks.
- Install these helpful browser extensions: Google Dictionary (by Google) — double-click any word to see its English definition and pronunciation; Google Translate — quickly view Vietnamese translations of selected text (though it has character limits).
- I use Brave Browser's "Translate selection to Tiếng Việt" feature (right-click menu) which handles longer selections than the Google Translate extension.
- For comprehensive dictionaries, I recommend GoldenDict for computers (Mac, Windows, Linux) and Dict Box for mobile devices. Both are all-in-one dictionary solutions that are either free or inexpensive.
- ChatGPT serves as my English conversation partner for daily speaking practice. I prefer it over alternatives because it maintains context memory and responds quickly.
- I use BoldVoice to improve my pronunciation.
- For object removal in photos, the Samsung Gallery app's AI feature is the most effective option.
- Google Photos also has excellent AI features.
- ILoveImg: A comprehensive site with all the tools you need for photo editing (compress, resize, crop, convert, upscale, remove background, rotate,…). There is also ILovePDF.
- I track my expenses by recording every purchase in Money Lover, which helps me monitor my monthly spending patterns.
- For better sleep: Thunderspace (white noise to help you fall asleep faster) and AutoSleep (for sleep tracking).
- For meditation: Balance.
- For fitness tracking: WorkOutDoors (tracks running/walking with offline maps on your watch, available as a one-time purchase).