Things You
Should Know Before You Try Coding
By Derrick Odhiambo in Coding
Learning to code is not at all
easy. You may find many websites that try to push people into coding by
citing it as an easy trade to master. However, it is one of the
hardest skills to gather and excel at. It is more of an experimentation than
a guide that needs to be followed.
As a beginner, you may want to know
what the journey holds, or what it’s like to progress from beginner to
intermediate level. Learning experiences may vary from person to person,
and you are completely free to choose your own path.
Here are things you should know
before you start programming. Knowing these points will give you a head
start of what to expect, and how to approach programming.
1.
Get the basics right
When you start learning, the first
thing you need to be sure of are the “basics”. It is the first step of becoming
a coding ninja.
To get the basics right, you need to
learn the core of computer science, just like any other trade you will
come across. There are currently hundreds of online courses aimed at
beginners. Clearly, the internet cares about beginners, and provide tons of
information — a beginner’s heaven!
All you need to do is search through
them, and start with one that the best fits your requirements. You can
get started with any of the online places mentioned in this article of ours
(below).
A proper understanding can
give you an advantage early in the path of learning to code.
There are also courses available
online that can help get you started like
2.
Build patience
The number one prerequisite for being
successful as a programmer is building patience. Patience can let
you take blows to your chin yet still be able to stand up – like a ninja! It
makes you ready for disappointments.
Not to mention, patience can help
you become a better problem-solver, and improve your understanding of
computers.
Computer concepts are complex and
require resilience, patience, and hard work to understand. Most of the time,
beginners don’t have the right expectations when starting their
programming journey. Yes, you don’t come with all the power at the beginning.
Too much optimism is dangerous anyways.
Due to faulty expectations, too many
beginners just give up, and move to another trade. To counter this, you should
build patience, and always think of the end goal.
3.
Set a goal & move towards it
Goal-setting can be a powerful, motivational booster on your path to
learning to code. If you are planning, for example, to learn PHP, then set a
goal to do a simple project by the end of the week. Once the goal is
achieved, set another goal, and repeat the cycle. Yes, it is that
easy!
There is no end to learning and
improvement in programming, and that’s why it is a good idea to keep setting
goals, and not to lose track of your primary goal.
So, as a learner, what goals you can
aim for? Let’s quickly go through some sample goals:
- Build a calculator using CSS and JavaScript
- Create a responsive website
using HTML, CSS and JavaScript
- Create a dynamic website using any back-end programming languages, such as PHP,
Ruby, Python, etc.
- Create a 2D breakout game using pure JavaScript
You can also choose to do any
project of your liking. Who doesn’t have a unique taste after all? I bet
you do!
The goal should be achievable,
so don’t try to focus on building Facebook or creating a fully-featured game at
this particular moment. Try to move slowly, and then aim for bigger
and more complex projects as you progress further.
4.
Do more projects
By doing more projects, you can
understand not only your limitations, but also improve your analytical and
problem-solving skills. After all, learning to code is not all about learning
syntax, but about learning how to solve problems using the tools at your
hand.
Programming also requires a creative
outlook, and a plan to build something meaningful. For beginners, it
is tough to get access to projects ideas. You can gain new ideas from platforms
such as Livecoding
where engineers build products live. Watch people do amazing stuff live. Isn’t
that exciting?
You can also sign up for GitHub, a place where you can store
your code for easy access. You can try to find project ideas by going
through other public repositories for the programming language you are
learning.
5.
Get into social coding
Learning to code is never a solo
quest. If you are thinking of building the next big app without any help,
then you are in the wrong trade.
Programming is a group activity, and
if you want to survive, you need to get help from different social platforms
catering to programmers just like you.
Each of the communities mentioned
above has its own perks, and will help you improve your skills. For example,
you can explore public project repositories on GitHub.
Another good example is Livecoding,
where you can see other people code their projects live, giving you an
idea of the challenges a programmer faces while working on a project
6.
Balance your learning
As a developer, there is no end to
improvement, and the continued state of helplessness is just part of
being a developer. New technology releases also don’t let developers relax, as
they have to constantly upgrade their skills to meet the latest market
requirement. As a beginner, you need to always be ready to learn new things.
The number of possibilities
doesn’t help the cause either, as you can always find an experienced developer
who is unsure of his/her skills because of the constant influx of new tools,
technologies, and standards to follow.
So, what can you take away from
this? It is okay to not know everything that is out there. Whatever it
is that you know, that’s okay. As long as you never stop learning new things,
you’ll never go wrong.
Ok,
what’s next?
You started learning, and now you have
crossed the beginners’ tunnel. Now, you might be thinking, “What’s next”?
Is this the end? Or is there something that you can still achieve?
As we have already mentioned, programming
is endless learning. You can continue your learning experience by following
the next four tips.
1.
Learn algorithms
After you have gained some experience
doing projects, it is now time to move to algorithms. Algorithms constitute the
core of computer science. It doesn’t matter if you are doing web
development or game development, you are always using algorithms to achieve
the end-result.
With increased proficiency in
Algorithms, you can take your skills to new heights. Algorithmic thinking
can also help you land your first job, as most job interviews are based
on algorithms and problem-solving. Aim to solve at least one algorithm problem
each day, and keep your problem-solving skills top-notch.
2. Take advantage of code documentation
Code documentations help you learn about the programming language or framework
or library you are using. They are rich with information about that
particular topic, and can help you learn faster!
As a beginner, you need not be
intimidated by them as they are your best friend when it comes to learning. Get
started slowly, and learn how to read code documentation. They can be
intimidating at times, so always keep Google as your rescue boat.
3.
Get used to tools
Just like any other trade, tools can
help you do trivial things faster than usual. It doesn’t matter which
programming language or framework you are learning, take advantage of the
available toolset.
Tools can also help you automate
most of the manual work, and enable you to focus on the main problem.
For instance, you should get used to tools such as Git, Slack, code editors,
Chrome DevTools,
programming frameworks (both frontend and backend), and others.
4. Get a mentor
Programming can be a time-consuming
task if you don’t have a mentor. With the help of the mentor, you can save not
only your time, but also get value from the experiences your mentor
possesses. A mentor can easily guide you through projects, and help you become
a better programmer.
So, if you are starting to learn
programming, getting a mentor can help you hasten your learning process.
You can get a mentor locally, or try out an online code mentorship
program as well.
Final
words
You have made the best decision of
your life — to learn programming! One of the biggest things you should focus on
is to get into a hub, a circle or a social platform where you can find
like-minded people.
Once you are comfortable with your
skills, you might want to earn money as well. There are many online
platforms, such as Upwork
and Freelancer,
that offer freelance work for programmers.
With a real-life project, not
only can you learn new things, but you can also learn to utilize your skills.
Alternatively, you can look for job opportunities within your peer group,
and maybe help them with their projects!
Already started? Share your
experience with beginners, and help them take on the world of coding.
Editor’s note:
This is written for Young Coders
by Derrick Odhiambo.
I’m a coder and tech enthusiast. I love trying out new things: apps, software,
trends and will gladly share my views.
