How to successfully teach yourself to program
I want to share with you an article that, during the reading, responded very strongly to me. Its author, a nineteen-year-old web developer girl, Lydia Hallie, better known as "the most hardworking, yet most relaxed person" (a very hardworking, but still relaxed person) talks about how a modern developer can cope with multiple streams of incoming information and save motivation for self-development.
After I published my previous article about how I became a developer at the age of 19, hundreds of people wrote to me about the same thing:
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Today there are many resources that "teach you how to program." However, this is not the most important thing, and the article is not about that. Crucial is how you build your life, process new information, retain motivation and focus on the essentials.
“It all sounds good, Lydia,” you tell me, “but I feel this is another article that motivates me for 10 minutes until I return to Netflix!” Before I begin, I want you to understand that you are already cool, if only because you decided to learn how to program. This means that you can think a few steps forward and are able to get out of your comfort zone, even if you have not done it yet!
If you like to learn something new and complex, you will definitely become a good developer.
For many years I was a mentor and often heard from my players that they lacked motivation. They focused on a major goal, ignoring their small, but still very important improvements. Therefore, it seemed to them that they were not moving anywhere.
Although I knew how important it is to keep this in mind when acquiring some new skill, I myself fell into this trap when I started. I did not feel any progress and thought that everything around me would still be a cut above. It seemed to me that I would never reach their level.
These thoughts prevented me from realizing how many important steps I had already taken. At the same time I wrote the code from the first time, and created more and more complex applications. Continuing to compare myself with other, more experienced people, I could not see my progress. And all I could think about was: “I am still so far from my goal.”
The critical moment in programming training is real, and you need to make an effort to cope with it. This is more or less common to all novice programmers, and I really want to help you overcome this critical moment. This does not mean that everything is in fact the way you think - it is possible that everything happens only in your head. But it is easier said than understood.
Everyone overcomes this in their own way, but I will elaborate on the most common problems of all novice programmers: how to work with new information as efficiently as possible and how to keep motivated . I'm not going to stop searching for the best sites, because it is very subjective.
Finishing even a relatively small project, I felt such happiness! I learned a lot in the process and had the opportunity to work with technologies with which I had never worked before.
We are all different, and we assimilate information in different ways. Yes, I speak as Captain Obvious, but this is not as obvious as it may seem. Before you learn to code, you have to learn to learn.
Soon you will learn (or perhaps already learned) that there are two types of publicly available information resources: online courses and documentation. However, if you are not a superman, then just don’t remember all the information when looking at courses (not even because of difficulty concentrating, but because they are frankly boring) or reading a text.
Feeling lost and confused while watching courses or reading documentation is normal, everyone overcomes this at the beginning of their journey. Developers can hardly teach people who don’t understand this much, without resorting to boring vague terms (yes, yes, I’m talking about you, Stack Overflow!).
No matter how cool you think you are, don't skip the basics. Always start learning a language from the very beginning and do not miss anything. The base is very important, and you will definitely regret not paying enough attention to it! Of course, you can always google, but this will only slow down your work. When reading the documentation, start from the first page (or from 1.1 in some cases). To some, this may seem like a waste of time, but trust me: it is not. Pay attention to all the details and in the future you will be grateful to yourself!
If you find it difficult to understand the basics, relax! Everything will be OK. The way you are now hard, does not affect how good you will be afterwards.
Every 10 minutes or after every paragraph you read, explain in your own words what you just learned. It may be hard enough, but soon you will understand which parts you have learned not fully. The best way to learn something is to explain it to someone else, even if no one is around!
Imagine that you are explaining this topic to someone else, and as soon as you realize that you don’t assimilate any part, sort it out and write down the answer! While you write, you will once again carefully consider the information, and then it will be easier to remember.
Do not just listen to the courses and read the documentation: actively use the new information in your projects. Embed all that you have learned, even if it seems insignificant to you! This is not as simple as it may seem, and sometimes quite unpleasant, but only this way you will understand that you are doing everything correctly. It is necessary to pump over the skills including in practice! Believe me, you will get better with every attempt, even if you are not aware of it!
I am often asked how I forced myself to write so much every day. I must say that it took me some time to formulate what was going on then in my head.
We all love to play, no matter what games. Games bring instant satisfaction, make you feel successful from minor achievements. This is the perfect formula for motivation! I was able to get it in the programming process. And it is much easier than you think.
Set yourself small goals. Not because you do not aspire to develop, on the contrary - because you aspire to develop. Make a list of things you want to complete today. Maybe read one page, view one course, or write 10 lines of code. Having completed your list, you will feel satisfied and confident in your success. What sounds better: “I did everything I planned for today” or “today I have only completed 2% of the course”? In addition, even if you just read one page or made one input field, it is still incredibly important to realize. Instant promotion!
Constantly remind yourself how far you have come. This may seem rather difficult, because progress often goes unnoticed. You cannot constantly see your height, but believe me, if you write code every day (at least a little), it gets better.
A good way is to keep a diary. Describe in one sentence what problem you have encountered today, and re-read after a month. There is a very, very high probability that such a problem will no longer exist for you! You will see how much has grown over this time.
Work on a personal project in which you are really interested! Not one of the million on the to-do list, but one you really would like to do. I do not mean a car with an autopilot or a personal robot-cook, choose something smaller. Refresh the site layout or write a little game. You will notice that the motivation to finish these cases will be much higher. And when the project is completed, you will have something to show, because you have already done something!
Understand that you are much better than you think. This is called impostor syndrome. It may seem to you that the people around know and know much more than you, but this is not true. I will not tire of repeating: you will become a good developer if you continue to work intensively. You have already proven that you can code, because you are motivated enough to learn this, everything is fine with you.
If you have the opportunity, try to find a mentor . I had a mentor I could only dream about, and I’m ready to be yours if you wish. Well, when you can quickly ask someone and feed on motivation, it will certainly help to overcome the first obstacles.
After I published my previous article about how I became a developer at the age of 19, hundreds of people wrote to me about the same thing:
“Excellent article. I really want to learn programming, but I just don’t know where to start. It is so frustrating and depressing that I lose my motivation. ”My task is to involve as many people as possible into the world of technology, so it is very important to focus on those who are truly motivated, but simply do not know where to start.
')
Today there are many resources that "teach you how to program." However, this is not the most important thing, and the article is not about that. Crucial is how you build your life, process new information, retain motivation and focus on the essentials.
“It all sounds good, Lydia,” you tell me, “but I feel this is another article that motivates me for 10 minutes until I return to Netflix!” Before I begin, I want you to understand that you are already cool, if only because you decided to learn how to program. This means that you can think a few steps forward and are able to get out of your comfort zone, even if you have not done it yet!
If you like to learn something new and complex, you will definitely become a good developer.
For many years I was a mentor and often heard from my players that they lacked motivation. They focused on a major goal, ignoring their small, but still very important improvements. Therefore, it seemed to them that they were not moving anywhere.
Although I knew how important it is to keep this in mind when acquiring some new skill, I myself fell into this trap when I started. I did not feel any progress and thought that everything around me would still be a cut above. It seemed to me that I would never reach their level.
These thoughts prevented me from realizing how many important steps I had already taken. At the same time I wrote the code from the first time, and created more and more complex applications. Continuing to compare myself with other, more experienced people, I could not see my progress. And all I could think about was: “I am still so far from my goal.”
The critical moment in programming training is real, and you need to make an effort to cope with it. This is more or less common to all novice programmers, and I really want to help you overcome this critical moment. This does not mean that everything is in fact the way you think - it is possible that everything happens only in your head. But it is easier said than understood.
Everyone overcomes this in their own way, but I will elaborate on the most common problems of all novice programmers: how to work with new information as efficiently as possible and how to keep motivated . I'm not going to stop searching for the best sites, because it is very subjective.
Finishing even a relatively small project, I felt such happiness! I learned a lot in the process and had the opportunity to work with technologies with which I had never worked before.
Effective work with new information
We are all different, and we assimilate information in different ways. Yes, I speak as Captain Obvious, but this is not as obvious as it may seem. Before you learn to code, you have to learn to learn.
Soon you will learn (or perhaps already learned) that there are two types of publicly available information resources: online courses and documentation. However, if you are not a superman, then just don’t remember all the information when looking at courses (not even because of difficulty concentrating, but because they are frankly boring) or reading a text.
Feeling lost and confused while watching courses or reading documentation is normal, everyone overcomes this at the beginning of their journey. Developers can hardly teach people who don’t understand this much, without resorting to boring vague terms (yes, yes, I’m talking about you, Stack Overflow!).
No matter how cool you think you are, don't skip the basics. Always start learning a language from the very beginning and do not miss anything. The base is very important, and you will definitely regret not paying enough attention to it! Of course, you can always google, but this will only slow down your work. When reading the documentation, start from the first page (or from 1.1 in some cases). To some, this may seem like a waste of time, but trust me: it is not. Pay attention to all the details and in the future you will be grateful to yourself!
If you find it difficult to understand the basics, relax! Everything will be OK. The way you are now hard, does not affect how good you will be afterwards.
Every 10 minutes or after every paragraph you read, explain in your own words what you just learned. It may be hard enough, but soon you will understand which parts you have learned not fully. The best way to learn something is to explain it to someone else, even if no one is around!
Imagine that you are explaining this topic to someone else, and as soon as you realize that you don’t assimilate any part, sort it out and write down the answer! While you write, you will once again carefully consider the information, and then it will be easier to remember.
Do not just listen to the courses and read the documentation: actively use the new information in your projects. Embed all that you have learned, even if it seems insignificant to you! This is not as simple as it may seem, and sometimes quite unpleasant, but only this way you will understand that you are doing everything correctly. It is necessary to pump over the skills including in practice! Believe me, you will get better with every attempt, even if you are not aware of it!
Saving motivation
I am often asked how I forced myself to write so much every day. I must say that it took me some time to formulate what was going on then in my head.
We all love to play, no matter what games. Games bring instant satisfaction, make you feel successful from minor achievements. This is the perfect formula for motivation! I was able to get it in the programming process. And it is much easier than you think.
Set yourself small goals. Not because you do not aspire to develop, on the contrary - because you aspire to develop. Make a list of things you want to complete today. Maybe read one page, view one course, or write 10 lines of code. Having completed your list, you will feel satisfied and confident in your success. What sounds better: “I did everything I planned for today” or “today I have only completed 2% of the course”? In addition, even if you just read one page or made one input field, it is still incredibly important to realize. Instant promotion!
Constantly remind yourself how far you have come. This may seem rather difficult, because progress often goes unnoticed. You cannot constantly see your height, but believe me, if you write code every day (at least a little), it gets better.
A good way is to keep a diary. Describe in one sentence what problem you have encountered today, and re-read after a month. There is a very, very high probability that such a problem will no longer exist for you! You will see how much has grown over this time.
Work on a personal project in which you are really interested! Not one of the million on the to-do list, but one you really would like to do. I do not mean a car with an autopilot or a personal robot-cook, choose something smaller. Refresh the site layout or write a little game. You will notice that the motivation to finish these cases will be much higher. And when the project is completed, you will have something to show, because you have already done something!
Understand that you are much better than you think. This is called impostor syndrome. It may seem to you that the people around know and know much more than you, but this is not true. I will not tire of repeating: you will become a good developer if you continue to work intensively. You have already proven that you can code, because you are motivated enough to learn this, everything is fine with you.
Things you should always remember
- Never compare yourself with other developers. Quite banal, but very important advice. Do not compare your version of the first level with someone's version of the twentieth level. You will reach them much faster than you think! I put this photo above because I know that I would be scared when I saw it 4 months ago. Today I just laugh at her and I can even notice some mistakes that I made!
- You are much more successful than you think. You grow every time you study or practice. Just accept it (I know it is difficult).
- You are not alone, everyone overcomes difficulties at the beginning, and this does not mean that you are a bad programmer. What you feel right now is normal, it's just part of the learning process. Soon you will be able to look back on this period and agree with me!
If you have the opportunity, try to find a mentor . I had a mentor I could only dream about, and I’m ready to be yours if you wish. Well, when you can quickly ask someone and feed on motivation, it will certainly help to overcome the first obstacles.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/345046/
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