The focus of today's post is on the well-known concept in the developers' world: Pair Programming.
When I initially began learning coding, I discovered the concept of Pair Programming from my mentor, who also happens to be my husband. I realised how it aids in enhancing one's programming skills, although I naturally had doubts at first.
Given my introverted personality and struggle with imposter syndrome, it took me some time to gather the courage to actively approach my engineer colleagues and propose pairing sessions. Typically, I aimed to initiate such sessions at least once every sprint, occasionally even more frequently depending on the number of programming tasks relevant to the current sprint.
So what is Pair Programming about?
The name itself is self-explanatory. When practicing Pair Programming, you collaborate with a team member who ideally possesses seniority or more experience either in the programming language or the project you'll be working on.
What are the benefits of this method?
I was honestly surprised at how quickly my programming skills improved after just a few pairing sessions. It got me wondering, why did that happen?
One of the coolest things about pair programming is the interaction between you and your colleague during the session. In my limited experience with pairing, usually, one person takes the lead while the other follows along, providing comments and insights along the way. This collaboration generates new ideas and leads to better problem-solving (after all, two brains are better than one!). It's like having a study buddy, but for coding.
Pairing also serves as a way to reinforce the knowledge you gain from observing your teammate's approach to problem-solving. Instead of talking to a rubber duck (yes, some programmers do that), you're discussing your thoughts and explanations with an actual person. And let's be honest, bouncing ideas off a real person should yield better results than talking to an inanimate object.
What's next?
If you're a junior developer like me and still getting acquainted with the team, don't hesitate to suggest a pairing session with someone you feel comfortable with. Chances are, they'll be more than willing to join you.
Don't worry about potentially slowing down your colleague's workflow due to your limited knowledge and experience. Remember, for you, it's a valuable learning experience, and for your colleague, it's an excellent opportunity to practice mentoring and enhance their communication skills.
Happy pairing!
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