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My tips on learning how to code.

Stephan Nijman on July 19, 2020

Originally posted on my website on July 18th 2020 Some techniques to strengthen your learning path. In this article i want to try and s...
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andrematias profile image
André Matias

Hi @vanaf1979 ,

You can solely concentrate on this new material without the clutter of other code that could impact and confuse what you are learning.

Really, that is my currently problem, because I've used Docker and sometime is hard to make some containers to learn a simple subject that I want get. So your clue about Cloud IDE could help me.

No matter how hard you try you will never know everything and you are going to run into problems and bugs.

Yeah, it's true. I always have issues, does not matter which language or tecnology I've used. Most of programmers have problems psychological like Impostor syndrome because they think that it is not normal, but it is.

Besides practice, trying to explain something to others is the second best way i can think of to solidify your newly found knowledge

It will be my next step. I'm making a blog, I guess that this will be funny.

About enjoy what I do, articles like this help me a lot to enjoy my journey.

Thanks for this post, are subjects that we cannot leave die.
:)

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vanaf1979 profile image
Stephan Nijman

Thanks André for your reply. I'm glad you liked the article. let me know when you have your blog up so i can read some of your stuff! :)

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ilhamday profile image
Ferry

Something that you will learn very quickly is that there is a insane amount of things you can explore in tech, and it is very tempting to want to know it all. But that will lead you onto a path of feeling overwhelmed and that you will never be good enough.

Always have this problem.
Now I am a beginner and start to learn Django. When I go to Django documentation website there are many links in one article that provide more detailed information. So I'm afraid if I don't open the link, I can't understand the 'thing'. And boooom, now I'm in a whole new article, still not done read the previous one.

That pattern I always do it again and again. Sometimes I'll stop learning because of overwhelmed and feel I can't grasp all of that information.


Instead try to stay focused and spend your valuable time on the things that enable you to build the things that you, and your clients, need.

I still in the learning phase and don't have a client to limit what I have to do, and yeah my habits of doing that pattern will come again.

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vanaf1979 profile image
Stephan Nijman

Thanks Ferry for your reply and for sharing your experience.

"So I'm afraid if I don't open the link, I can't understand the 'thing'"

I'm not familiar with the Django docs myself, but in most documentations these links lead to more indepth information within the docs themself that you will eventually get to if you just continue reading. If not i would suggest that you first finish the chapter/topic and then go back to the extra stuff.

A second piece of advice (Maybe you are already doing this) is to not just read the docs, but to experiment with what you are learning. Actually writing and playing with code will teach you a lot more then just reading. Maybe those more info links can help you if you get stuck and if you don't get stuck, maybe you don't need those more info links after all! :p

"I still in the learning phase and don't have a client to limit what I have to do"

My advice would be to start being your own client. Think about what you want to build, and come up with a project (or a couple of projects) that can be your goal for learning. Maybe you want to build a personal blog!? Focus your learning on that.

I hope this can help you.

Cheers

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ilhamday profile image
Ferry

I never thought about that, being the client for myself. And I will do it when I want to create some projects for my portfolio.

Thanks for the advice, sir. Will take not from it. :D

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calacly profile image
Calacly

Great article Stephan!

I have not been on this journey very long, but am along for the long ride. Hmm, that was not supposed to come out so poetic 🤔. Anyway, great stuff. I look foward to reading more of your posts :))

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vanaf1979 profile image
Stephan Nijman

Hay calacly,

Thanks for the kind words. There is nothing wrong with a little poetry now and then! 😜

I hope you are having fun learning!

Cheers

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agatamaria profile image
Agata Maria

'tutorial hell' - I needed to hear this.
I realised after binging on tutorials that, actually, I don't know where to start. I was just blinking for a few minutes after opening the text editor. Of course, I did learn something, I had some invisible structures that wouldn't be there if I didn't do the tutorials, but I not taking running with it as soon as I could have meant that the first steps were really awkward and I kept having to go back to the first lessons. I may as well have done this when I first started the lessons. I will know better next time.
Thanks for this. The title totally sounded like 'another one of these', but you cut to the chase pretty quickly, this is pretty useful.
Happy coding!

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vanaf1979 profile image
Stephan Nijman

Hey Ageta,

Thanks for your reply. It is really hard to find some form of structure that works, but it sounds like you are not giving up, and i trust you will get there! :)

Happy coding as well

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mahmoudjajah profile image
Mahmoud Jajah

Thanks for this piece. I just started my journey less than a week now, and I find your piece very useful. Thanks once again.

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vanaf1979 profile image
Stephan Nijman

Hey Mahmoud,

You started on a amazing journey, and i'm glad to hear that my article helped you in some way. Keep up the great work. :)

Cheers