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On Changing Things Up May 7, 2017

I used to spend a few hours a week helping students learning to code. Two students would work through a problem together, and I'd offer hints when they got stuck and gently try to steer things in the right direction.

During one session, things weren't going great. One student suggested switching roles--changing who was driving (sharing their screen and doing the typing)--even through they weren't at a natural stopping point.

Things instantly got better. And, to be honest, for no apparent reason.

We talked about how helpful that had been at the end. The student said something like, "We weren't working together well, so I thought changing things up couldn't hurt."

I loved this, and I find it to be true.

I have a bad habit of hammering away at something until it works. Switch lines 3 and 4, trying renaming the variable, copy-pasta Stack Overflow. Hammer, hammer, hammer, hammer--for 30 minutes. In a fit of frustration, I'll give up and decide to get a snack.

Within a few seconds of stepping away from my desk, I realize the concept I'd overlooked. I'd been too busy brute-forcing to think.

It's really easy to continue trying to force something that doesn't work. The good news, I have found, is that you don't need to know the answer. Try changing something, and see if that helps. Move seats, take a step back, try a different approach.

I used to live in New York. That stopped being good for me, so I moved across the country. This carried more risk than getting a snack, but worked out well for me.

Brute force is a bad approach to things that aren't working. Change it up; I think it'll help.