Most knowledge has a “use-by date”
My lecturer in Software Quality, Graeme Carbines repeated this several times during the past year. I couldn’t agree with him more. When you learn something new, it’s fresh in your mind. If you apply it once you’ve learnt it you refine your understanding even further. If however, several months pass before you have an opportunity to apply it, chances are you won’t remember many of the details – making this knowledge less useful.
Seems to me that when you learn something, is as important as what you learn. – something I should try to take into account as I select my subjects for the upcoming academic year.
I blogged recently that I am starting a new job in a team that strictly practices Agile techniques (XP). It’s seems like this will be the perfect opportunity to apply what I’ve just learnt at Uni (in the Agile Project). It might be a little harder to apply the Software Quality stuff that I’ve learnt, atleast not all of it and not as directly. I might attempt to stay in touch with this by doing more research in the area, perhaps contrasting Agile techniques with more formal & heavy weight models such as CMMI that I studied about. Hmmm, I wonder…
