Don't get discouraged. There's a lot out there, yes. But as many of these fine folks have said, you will not attain mastery in a day, a month, or a year. True mastery is to be able to pass on what you have learned to others while still continuing to learn and improve.
Anyone who sits back on their laurels and says "I am a master" without constant nurturing of their skills and craft is someone you don't want to stick too closely to. I'm on my way to being 51 years old and I've been in the business since 1992. I have a lot of experience, but I also have enough perspective to realize I still have a lot to learn.
With the right attitude, this is a challenge that will open up a careerlong/lifelong journey for you. There will be ups and downs like anything, but it will be rewarding.
If I have any "real" advice for you, it's this:
Learn the basics. Frameworks and paradigms come and go (especially in UI).
Learn how computers work. The C programming language is great for that. This will help you understand why some things work better than others and when to use which.
Do some soul-searching about what type of work fires you up. Is it data analysis? Mathematics? Game programming? Networking or OS components? Distributed applications? This will definitely help you narrow down the types of study, language tools, concepts, and companies you should be studying.
Once you figure out these types of things, the last thing I heartily recommend is to get internships or network with programmers and user groups. Seek advice and knowledge wherever you can.
This can get all-consuming, if you're not too careful. Be sure to take time for yourself and personal interests. People who code all the time can burn out and eventually hate what they are doing. Don't fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others based on time spent coding.
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Don't get discouraged. There's a lot out there, yes. But as many of these fine folks have said, you will not attain mastery in a day, a month, or a year. True mastery is to be able to pass on what you have learned to others while still continuing to learn and improve.
Anyone who sits back on their laurels and says "I am a master" without constant nurturing of their skills and craft is someone you don't want to stick too closely to. I'm on my way to being 51 years old and I've been in the business since 1992. I have a lot of experience, but I also have enough perspective to realize I still have a lot to learn.
With the right attitude, this is a challenge that will open up a careerlong/lifelong journey for you. There will be ups and downs like anything, but it will be rewarding.
If I have any "real" advice for you, it's this: