Things I wish I knew as a beginner programmer
I’m Alex. 23 Y.O. and still counting. I read somewhere that shorter sentences are better for conveying complex information, but…there is nothing complex goin’ on here. Also, I’m not good at writing, this being my first post. So bear with me 😅
I’m just an ordinary person with an extraordinary dream: expressing myself.
I’ve been working as a software developer for 2 years now. Objectively, I would be placed somewhere around high-junior / low-mid, so I have a long way down this path of learning.
But there are some things that I personally learned. Things that I would’ve LOVED to know before getting more and more into this dark abyss called programming, before getting a job and stuff.
Things that I want to share with YOU, the beginner, the Highschool or University student, maybe the person that’s making a career change, or simply you, the reader of any kind :)
1. YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW EVERY PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
There are literally HUNDREDS of programming languages.
For example, I personally was sooo confused on which programming language I should pick. I knew I liked back-end more, so I started to eliminate them 1 by 1, until I had to choose between Java and C#, and in the end…well…☕🤭
The most important thing is to find a language that you enjoy coding in. Or at least find the one you dislike the least (although this might be a problem😅). Once you find that language, focus on becoming the best at it. Don’t try to be the best at everything, because you’ll never be able to learn every language and every tool and every whatsoever out there.
Just focus on becoming the best at something, and you’ll be a great programmer!
2. LEARN TO USE GIT
You will use this thing…literally everywhere…
You need to learn what is a version control system (VCS) and how to use Git.
Maybe you only have heard few stuff about it, or you have even used it for some extremely boring project at that boring class with that boring teacher blah blah blah, but for real now, everyone uses it, and you will too.😉
Every project out there is in a way or another, versioned. Git is the most commonly used version control system. Git tracks the changes you make to files, so you have a record of what has been done, and you can revert to specific versions in case you ever need to, and it makes it possible for multiple people to work on the same project, efficiently.
You will use Git with some sort of web-based platform used for version control, like GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or something else. The repository platform doesn’t really matter.
So after you finish reading this, git commit to it!
3. LEARN TO DEBUG YOUR CODE
and most importantly…other’s code…
One of the things I really wished I knew before getting into learning more and more about programming, is how to use the debugger. Depending on the programming language and more importantly, on the integrated development environment (IDE) you are using, debug mode can come with different functionalities.
Without the debugger, programming would be a lot like driving with your eyes closed. You might be able to make it to your destination, but you’re likely to run into a few roadblocks along the way.
The debugger is an essential tool for finding and fixing errors in your code. It allows you to see exactly what is happening as your program runs, and identify where things are going wrong. By using the debugger, you can save yourself a lot of time and frustration. So next time you’re staring at a pile of broken code, remember that the debugger is your friend.
To put it simple, if you want to be a better programmer, MASTER the debugger!
4. BEING A PROGRAMMER IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
What did I think being a programmer would be like? To be honest, I thought it would be pretty cool. I mean, you get to sit in front of a computer all day, typing away at code. And when you’re done, you have this amazing program that you created! It’s like magic.
But truthfully, it’s not always like that. Sometimes, you sit in front of the computer for hours, and nothing seems to work. The code just won’t compile, or there’s a bug that you can’t figure out how to fix. And when you finally have an idea that may work…whoops, you’re being late at an important meeting with the client. And after that meeting, you have a call with your manager…and another meeting pops up, and another one…aaand…you get the idea.
(*inserting curse words targeting corporations *)
Sometimes the tasks you have are not particularly about programming stuff, but rather doing some configs, writing some documentation on Confluence…and I’m not even going to mention the whole Agile ceremonies.
All of a sudden, out of 8 hours of work, you are probably writing code for 2-3 hours and your calendar looks something like this:
But it really depends on the company you’re working at, or the project you’re working on. Maybe you are employed at a very cool and fancy start-up with some sort of a “bro manager”, and you’re coding all day at a very interesting app that you really like, and not some boring legacy banking 95' windows application.
So if you’re thinking of becoming a programmer, just know that it’s not always easy. But it’s definitely worth it when you have that feeling of accomplishment after your program works smoothly. 💯
5. TRUST THE PROCESS
Consistency is the key
Besides learning any programming language, using any tool or coding the best algorithm for shortest path between nodes in a graph (spoiler alert its Dijkstra’s algorithm), you need to be consistent and believe in yourself.
I’m a strong believer of this idea of quality and consistency. You have to trust the process, even when it doesn’t seem like anything is happening. And it’s natural to want to see results immediately. But often, the best thing we can do is step back, take a deep breath, and trust that the process will take care of itself.
Like going to the gym, editing videos or getting that rank in your favorite video game, programming is exactly the same. Of course it will be difficult sometimes, no one said it’s gonna be easy. But enjoy the ride and make it fun. You’ll be surprised at how much more successful you can be.
I want to end this post, quoting a fictional character from a show I loved watching, BoJack Horseman:
It gets easier. Every day it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day — that’s the hard part. But it does get easier.
