To the Newbie Programmer [Part I]

If you’re reading this, you’re most likely new to the programming world, so, WELCOME!!!!! We’re glad to have you here.

Let me guess, it’s not as easy as you thought it was before you started, right? 😅
Well, that realization is essential in your coding journey, as it helps you really decide whether or not this is the path you want to take.

I’m certain that you have had challenges, ranging from simple ones to those challenges that made you shutdown your device to take a break. We all went through them, and we’re still going through them. So, brace up, challenges are not going away anytime soon, take solace in the fact that we’re all in this together 😁😁.

Here are a few tips that should be of help to you:

• DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF WITH ANYONE!!

Many of the folks you may want to compare yourself with have been coding for years. So, except you’re some weird genius with god-like learning and retention abilities, do yourself a favor and learn at your own pace. Rather than being pressured, allow the progress of others inspire you. One day, someone will look up to you too.

• BE CONSISTENT!!

Do not,
I repeat,
Do not, for any reason, halt your learning process.

Just like many other things in life, consistency is key in making progress as a programmer in any field at all.

Practice daily!!

Sometimes you really do not feel like sitting down to code, I know that all too well.
In times like that, you have two options:

a. Drag yourself to that laptop or desktop and keep practicing.

b. Read some articles that may be of help. In this field, reading is very essential. Many people have passed the stage you have found yourself in right now, so there’s a lot of wisdom available for you to feed on. You can’t walk this path alone, take advantage of the wealth of information online.

• USING GOOGLE IS NOT A CRIME!!

Pretty sure this is self explanatory.
You cannot store everything in your head, so stop trying. Google is always there when you’re in need, Google always has your back, trust Google (LoL, sounds like an Ad for Google).

• CONSCIOUSLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU’RE MAKING PROGRESS

Learn to celebrate the small wins.
Sometime ago, you only knew “python” to be a snake, now you can use the “print” feature in the python language.

Until you started frontend web development, you had no idea what HTML or CSS were, but now you can use them to make good-looking web pages.

You’re making progress, so appreciate your own growth. Growth does not happen overnight, it takes time, and at the end it’ll be worth the time spent.

Keep practicing
Keep learning from other people
Keep reading
Keep making progress
Bit by bit, you’re getting better!!