The Fastest Way to Learn Coding: My Personal Journey

Introduction

Let’s face it: Learning how to code can be challenging. It’s a skill set that requires breaking down complex problems into smaller pieces while also keeping track of programming concepts, algorithms and data structures.

I’ve come a long way from when I started my programming journey to now working in tech. To keep up with the latest trends and practices, I have continuously improved myself by deliberate practising and evaluating where I fall short. In this blog post, I’ll be writing about what I would do if I were to restart my journey and for many of you, the start of your programming journey.

Learn the basics.

As you learn the basics of programming, your brain will start to take in more information at once. You’ll be able to see how the language works in your mind and you’ll be able to create new code without thinking about it. Just like learning how to do additions and subtractions, you don’t have to think about it, you’d just do it. This is called “learning by doing” or “experiential learning”.

By learning how things work from scratch rather than from examples (such as tutorials), you can avoid getting stuck on one part of coding for too long and quickly move forward with your project instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the possible ways things could go wrong if you make a mistake!

Learn the concepts.

You need to understand the basics of programming languages, data structures and algorithms, computer science, computer architecture and networks, as well as security. If you don’t know these things already then it will be hard for you to learn how they work together in real life.

Here are some resources that I recommend:

• CS50: Computer Science Courses and Programs from Harvard This series of introductory courses provide an introduction to many different aspects of computer science such as abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development.
• Stanford Engineering Everywhere | CS106A - Programming Methodology Introductory course focused on the engineering of computer applications emphasising modern software engineering principles: object-oriented design, decomposition, encapsulation, abstraction, and testing.

Practice, Fail (often), Repeat

I can’t tell you how many times I tried to learn something and failed but then kept at it. I would get discouraged and want to give up, but then my fear of failure would overcome me and motivate me to keep going.

It’s easy to get frustrated when you’re trying something new or are having trouble with a certain skill. But don’t give up! Keep practising until the frustration goes away because that means that your brain has learned something new! If you stop trying new things or ask for help when things aren’t going well (and they probably won’t), then all those hours spent practising will be wasted—and worse still: You might not even know why they weren’t helpful in the first place!

Build some hands-on projects.

I learned to code by building small projects. This is the best way to get started because you’ll be able to see how your code works and make progress on something real.

If you’re still new to coding, try building something that has been on your mind recently—like an idea for an app or website. The project should be something that interests you enough that it makes sense for something in the long run (not just now), which means it shouldn’t be too big or detailed so as not to overwhelm yourself with work; but also not too small either!

Teach other people the things you have learned.

Learning to code is a journey, and there’s no better way to learn than by teaching others. You’ll get better at it, they’ll get better at it, and when you’re the one doing the teaching, you’ll be putting a greater effort to learn the material. It will create room for discussion and a bidirectional learning process. This is called the Protégé Effect.

”When we teach, we learn.” - Seneca

See how others do it.

You will be able to understand how to write code better once you have seen how others code. Look for source codes relating to what you are learning and try to understand why they did it. If you’re learning how to build a website, look for website projects on Github and try to understand how it is structured and how it works.

• Are there any common patterns that apply across many different projects?
• Do these patterns make sense from a design perspective if we were writing our software from scratch (or even building something from scratch)?
• How would our own project compare to theirs and how can we improve better?

Get your code reviewed by someone more experienced.

Code reviews are a great way to learn and improve as a developer. You can also build valuable relationships with other developers, which is especially important if you’re just starting or don’t have much experience yet. There are lots of developers communities on Twitter and Discord that will happily volunteer to review your codes (there’s no shortage of people trying to rope you further into the programming world 😂)

In addition, code reviews help build your reputation as a programmer because they show that others see value in what you do—and this is key when seeking employment or joining an existing team!

Although programming is a difficult skill to acquire, take baby steps and remain patient and motivated as you go through the process of learning to code.

Although programming is a difficult skill to acquire, take baby steps and remain patient as you go through the process of learning to code. In order to be successful at getting started with programming, it’s important to set goals for yourself. You should have some idea of what you want or need in your life before starting out on this journey. Without goals, you’d easily get lost in the vast information you’re trying to digest and an easy way to set yourself up to become demotivated.

Once you’ve determined what those goals are, then it’s time for action! Set small goals that are achievable but still challenging enough so that they motivate you into doing them well (and don’t give up).

For example: “I’m going to learn how to build a website by next month”. Then break it down further into: “I’m going to learn how to display texts and images on a website today and learn how to theme the website tomorrow”. This might not seem very exciting at first glance but little by little it adds up to your end goal: building a website. When looking back, you would already have tracked your own journey and compared yourself to when you started the journey and continue with another one.

Conclusion

I can’t tell you how many times I tried to learn something and failed but then kept at it. I would get discouraged and want to give up, but then my fear of failure would overcome me and motivate me to keep going.

Learning to code is a difficult journey, but it’s also an exciting one. If you follow these steps and keep motivation high, you will get there in no time!