100 Days of Code
Tips and Review
Programming is a cognitively loaded task, be it solving algorithm problems or building an application. Notwithstanding all the skill and technological expertise required to become a good programmer, there is one essential element to make a difference — consistency.
To become consistent, programmers take up challenges like 100 Days of Code, and pledge to dedicate a certain amount of time each day, for a hundred days, to learning how to code.
I, too, took up this challenge on February 1st, 2022, and completed it on March 13th, 2022. Before I analyse the journey and describe my successes and mistakes, I must say that it was a wonderful learning experience, and now, at least one coding related task has become a part of my daily routine.
Analysis
I wish enlist what I have learnt from my mistakes during the challenge, and share the same with everyone so they can improve upon the same and do better on their challenge!
Regularity
Here, I wish to distinguish between the words ‘consistency’ and ‘regularity’. I have been consistent throughout the challenge, that is, I never missed a day; however, in retrospect, I believe I may not have been regular, that is, I never coded or studied at the same time everyday.
Regularity seems to be an integral part of the challenge as well, since often, I would start working at night, and by the time I was supposed to push my code on GitHub for the daily update, it was already past 12 O’Clock and my streak had broken despite having worked for the day. It would have been perfect if I worked at night every time, since the cascading night shifts would have cancelled out the effect; but I worked at noon on some days, and in the evening on others, which led to broken streaks.
Interaction Online
Despite having worked quite hard on the challenge, I believe I have missed out drastically on the social media reach element. In the beginning, I was quite active on Twitter, Discord, and LinkedIn about the challenge, but over time, as the coding became complex, I would end up forgetting to post about it online by the time I finished.
Also, my LinkedIn and Medium activity during this challenge dipped below average, and I wish to correct this as soon as possible and become active on both platforms once again.
Thus, just as important as it is to code, it is also essential to get in touch with an audience that will watch your growth.
Tips
To anyone who is either taking up the challenge, or is midway through it, or even is trying to inculcate consistency in general, here are a few tips to enhance your growth:
Documentation
It is of paramount importance to document everything you study, write, read, program or even think of. Documentation of your work not just allows you to have proof, but also helps others understand the work you have done, gives you something to refer to whenever you get stuck in the future, and often helps you yourself revise when you go through the code again.
Moreover, documentation is one of the most in-demand industry skills, as it helps communicate ideas that work, and those that don’t, so anyone who follows up will be able to work efficiently and avoid redundancy in their efforts.
Thus, make sure to document everything that you do during the challenge.
Clean Code
Often, we tend to write code while we think of a solution, and as soon as we crack the answer, we don’t bother making sure it looks clean and understandable, because it is probably just for us to look at later. Trust me, that extra five minutes of adding comments, properly naming variables and adding indentations will become essential when you read your own code 2 months later.
Even if your code is just for you, make a habit of writing clean, understandable and concise code which anyone will be able to understand when they have a look at it.
Choose Topics
Diving into the 100 Days challenge without knowing what you are going to do is not a wise decision. Gradually, your motivation to continue will wane away.
Instead of letting the spirit die, set goals for yourself before you begin the challenge. Select a few topics which you want to study during the challenge, and divide your time into sections (like weeks) for each topic. This way, your goals become more achievable, and your actions become more systematic and the drive to complete the challenge remains intact.
Conclusion
As the famous saying goes:
The end is just a new beginning!
I may have finished the 100 Days of Code challenge, but this is not where I stop, in fact, this is truly just the beginning of my journey of consistency and growth.
I officially take up the 30 Days of Streamlit challenge and will keep everyone posted with updates regarding the same as part of my effort in correcting my mistakes from last time.
I hope this article has been an interesting read!
Thank you for your patience!
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