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Some people believe that learning by doing is the most effective way to gain a skill, while others argue that students should understand the theory first. In my opinion, both are important, but practice should come earlier in most cases. On the one hand, theory gives learners a clear framework before they start. For example, a medical student must know how the human body works before she treat a patient, because a mistake could have serious results. Similarly, future engineers need to study physics so that they can understand why a bridge stands up. Without this knowledge, people may copy what others do without knowing the reason behind it, and this make it difficult to solve new problems. On the other hand, practice helps people remember things better than reading about them. When children learn to swim, for instance, no amount of explanation can replace time in the water. In the workplace too, many employees say they learned more in their first month at work than during years at university. Making mistakes and correcting them quickly is a powerful way of learning, and it also builds confidence. A new driver, similarly, only gains real control after many hours on the road, whatever the manual says. In conclusion, although theory is necessary in some fields, I believe that most skills are learned faster when people begin with practice and add theory when they need it. Teachers should therefore give students more chances to try things by themselves from the beginning, and explain the theory once they have met a real problem.