Efficient learning using ChatGPT
- General
I'm always on the lookout for new technologies to learn, so I recently started exploring Go. Although I'm familiar with JavaScript and TypeScript, learning a new language can be challenging.
That's when I discovered the power of using ChatGPT as a tool to help me better understand other languages. By constantly asking for equivalents between JavaScript code and Go code while building small projects and just experimenting, it became much easier to make connections between the two languages and retain the information.
Writing effective prompts
However, one thing that helped me achieve even better results was writing precise and descriptive prompts when interacting with ChatGPT. This allowed me to get more accurate and useful responses from the model which made my learning experience even smoother.
When creating prompts for ChatGPT (or any other language model), there are some best practices you should keep in mind:
- Be clear: Make sure your prompt is clear and specific so that it provides enough context for the model to generate relevant responses. Example prompt: Can you provide an example of how to use "for loops" in Go?
- Be descriptive: Use descriptive keywords or phrases that accurately describe what you're looking for from the model. This will help guide its output towards your desired result. Example prompt: How would I write this JavaScript object into a struct in Go? { name: 'John', age: 30 }
- Keep it simple and short : Avoid long sentences or complex phrasing as they can confuse models like ChatGPT which mostly rely on pattern recognition. Short inputs work well! Example prompt: Can you explain the difference between a struct and an interface in Go?
- Make it even more simple: If you're having issues understanding certain topic or concept, ask ChatGPT to explain it to you in the most simple way. Example prompt: Explain to me what's the difference between a slice and an array in Go? Explain to me as if I was a complete beginner.
Building projects with the help of ChatGPT
By following these best practices, I was able to create precise and targeted prompts resulting in more accurate outputs. This helped me deepen my understanding of both Go and some of its key concepts.
Building a small project with Go (or any other language/tool you want to learn) is also an excellent way to get started. I found that by working on a project, it was easier to understand how different pieces of code fit together, which made learning much more fun and engaging.
One thing that surprised me about Go was how simple, yet powerful this language is compared to other programming languages. Unlike other languages which have multiple ways of doing things, leading sometimes to confusion among beginners, Go has one clear way of solving problems, this makes it easier for beginners getting started with the language.
ChatGPT served as an invaluable tool for helping me learn new syntax and concepts quickly while getting my hands "dirty" at the same time. Its ability to provide quick answers saved me valuable time from having to search through documentation or online resources, allowing me to focus more on coding itself.
ChatGPT makes you more productive
While there are concerns that tools like ChatGPT could replace human workers in certain industries (including software engineering), I believe that these fears are largely unfounded. In fact, I see ChatGPT as an amazing tool that lets you become more productive!
By using tools such as ChatGPT, you can automate repetitive tasks freeing up your time so you can focus on higher-level tasks such as architecture design, data modeling and so on. You know, the stuff that really matters.
The ability of ChatGPT to understand natural language and generate responses like a human can help programmers ask more intelligent questions, leading to better-informed decisions and ultimately improved software.
Conclusion
If you're interested in learning a new skill or language, but don't know where to start, try using tools like ChatGPT! By following best practices when creating prompts, you'll be able to achieve even better results, faster.
That's all for this article, I hope you found it useful and/or interesting. See you in the next one!