The Proficient Practitioner Attitude

by Brian Zhao

If you have considered learning a new skill and embarking on the “Proficient Practitioner” Quest but are clueless how to begin, you are in the right place. Don’t worry that none of your friends know what to do either. It is a rare skill that requires a special “Proficient Practitioner” attitude, that only a persistent few can master.

I am going to recommend that you take several easy steps. To make the points clear, I will share how I did it.

Here are my suggested steps:

Research

Starting can often be the hardest part, despite this, the first step you can take is to research. This is usually quite fun and fascinating. Go search up any interests on the internet - articles,

what are the best books with the best Google reviews, or websites. Some websites or library sites may also have a list of recommended books for specific topics. There may also be information about where to get a copy of the book you are after. Otherwise, speaking to a librarian would be very helpful. The books you choose should cover different aspects of the skill you are wanting to learn, or they could cover closely related skill that hinges on each other.

Read

The second step is reading effectively. The keyword here is ”effectively”. In this quest, you are to choose five books that can help you learn a set of skills. There is no need to read every single word or page. You can if you want to. Skill-based books tend to link ideas together very well so you get to see the big picture of the subject you wish to learn about. Skip over parts that you already know. Read some parts over again if it is complicated. Read at a speed that suits your needs.

Practice

The third step is practicing. Unlike other genres, books that teach you a skill often come with

tasks that you can try out or test your understanding. Don’t skip this step. You may think you can remember what you have read but it is likely you will forget the beginning section of the book by the time you get to the end of the book. Taking the time to try out the skill as you are reading will ensure that you burn the process into your long-term memory. You may also encounter unexpected problems while practicing that would require you to re-read sections of the book. Because of these necessary interruptions, you might take longer to complete a book but the time taken is well worth it.

Let me share with you how I personally attempted the Proficient Practitioner quest on competitive programming, a relatively uncommon skill, I know. However, you can glean from how I applied the above mentioned three steps so you have a better idea how to do so in your own unique quest.

As competitive programming is not a popular topic, I could not find any experts in school to consult or relevant books in the library to read. However, I was able to find recommended book lists through google searches and on the resource sections of NZMO (New Zealand Mathematical Olympiad) and NZOI (New Zealand Olympiad In Informatics) websites. From there, I selected five books:

• Problem Solving Tactics

• C++ Primer 5th Edition

• Competitive Programmer’s Handbook

• An Introduction to the USA Computing Olympiad C++ Edition

• Introduction to Algorithms 3rd edition

These were chosen because they covered three different aspects of competitive programming: mathematical thinking, algorithm design and implementation.

I skipped over the parts that I already understand, like complete search and methods of proof. The chapter on “segment tree” was particularly challenging, so I dug into it for over a week by solving every question presented. This was valuable as I could evaluate my understanding from my performance in the questions and fill in any gaps in my comprehension.

At the end of the day, the completion of a library quest became an added bonus to something so much more rewarding; a useful skill, an enjoyable passion, a hobby that has become a new part

of my identity. Although the Proficient Practitioner badge is arguably one of the more challenging quests, it’s definitely worth taking the time to figure out and complete.