New ask Hacker News story: Ask HN: How do you apply what you've learned?

Ask HN: How do you apply what you've learned?
3 by junkypuppet | 1 comments on Hacker News.
For example, a friend of mine digs deeper into a concept to find out why that thing works the way it does and connects that to what he already knows to understand it better. What are some strategies you use to make those connections between a topic you are learning and what you already know, especially a topic where that real-world application might not immediately be clear?