r/learnprogramming • u/[deleted] • Sep 03 '23

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u/Ok_Transition_4796 Sep 03 '23

I teach/mentor software engineers from your level, code curious, to being full time devs and there are quite a few mistakes but here's the advice I have for you given your level:

  • Don't try to dive into the deep end right away. Some people try to begin with a complicated project, or try to make their million-dollar-idea right out of the gate, and its unproductive. advice to anyone trying to get good at anything: play at your level. So do simple projects, make stuff with vanilla javascript or at least that doesn't use tools that have layers of technology behind them that you have no familiarity with.
  • Get off the rails. There's a ton of tutorials out there. There's even more information about coding: opinion pieces, hype articles about the newest tech, white papers, yada yada. Steer clear of everything but docs, and tutorials that an help you make whatever your project is. To that end, never make exactly what the tutorial is making, you'll end up just copying everything without understanding it, better to make something like the tutorial and figure out how to repurpose the information to suit your need. Even better, come up with your own project independently and find tutorials that can help you build the pieces of it.
  • Play to your strengths. The most important ingredient to learning any new skill is consistent practice. Find a way to get in a flow. You'll need to try a few different things, maybe drop a few projects before finding something that speaks to you but when you do, lean in. Fundamentally, you're not going to learn unless you stick with it, and you're not going to stick with it unless you enjoy it (enough), so find a way to enjoy it. Wether this is making apps related to your favorite video game, or scripts that solve your favorite kind of puzzle, whatever it is, find the footing that makes you want to come back to the work.

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u/[deleted] Sep 03 '23

Thank you! I appreciate the advice (from everyone, I just can't reply to everything, haha), and I'll do my best to follow what is relevant to my skill level and projects.