MENTOR TRACK // M02
How To Practice (Deliberately)
A loop that makes lab time compound instead of evaporate.
Session loop
- 01Learn the concept in principle first.
- 02Attempt without assistance.
- 03Get stuck and stay with it.
- 04Form a written hypothesis before searching.
- 05Research narrowly to test that hypothesis.
- 06Try it, capture evidence.
- 07Document what worked and why.
- 08Rebuild the lab and repeat from memory.
The stuck ladder
| Time stuck | What to do |
|---|---|
| 0-15 min | Keep going. Re-read your own notes and the last output. Do not open a browser. |
| 15-30 min | Write the hypothesis and the exact question you would ask. You often answer it yourself. |
| 30-60 min | Consult vendor documentation or man pages for the specific behavior. No writeups yet. |
| 60-120 min | Read one authoritative page (MSRC, MITRE, primary doc). Still avoid the walkthrough. |
| > 2 hours | Look at a walkthrough only for the mechanism, not the answer. Close it, rebuild, redo from memory. |
Avoid walkthrough dependency
A walkthrough copied is a skill not built. Rule: if you used one, you owe the lab a full rebuild plus re-solve from memory before it counts as learned.