Learning in order of difficulty, leave nodes (almost) to the very last. Node compositing is tricky and difficult.
For learning node compositing, I keep digital scrapbooks for storing screenshots of node trees plus results. Screenshots act as memory jogger. For scrapping screenshots, I use Google Slides which is free to use.
My studying habit, I keep a study diary & jotter pad (3.5″ x 3.5″ paper block). In study diary, I jot down mostly video titles, hotkeys, etc. For bookmarks inside Blender books, I use loose thin paper from jotter pad and scribble my notes or observations thereupon.
For every new version of Blender, I always watch beginner tutorials only just to be sure of remembering new hotkeys and picking up new tricks, no matter how many years I have been using Blender. 🙂
