Programming: from writing code itself to the many life challenges it can bring, can be difficult in a variety of aspects. Speaking personally, when I started my journey into the immersive world of coding, there were many things I didn’t understand or realize. Attending the coding bootcamp, FlatIron School, helped me realize aspects of how I think that I hadn’t recognized before. In that regard, I wanted to use this article as a medium to convey so tips I thought were helpful as well as general tips that might assist you in your journey.
To give a little background about myself, I recently graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Information, Sciences and Technology, with minors in Security and Risk Analysis and Chinese. With the degree I had obtained, I had a base foundation in multiple scripting languages with a primary focus on business aspect of IT which leads me into my first tip.
- Programming is a collaborative effort, communication is key
Programming is heavily logic based and fluid in achieving an expected end result. As a beginner or even veteran programmer, it can be pretty easy to get lost in your own headspace. While it is nice to immerse yourself in your code when you’re stuck, it’s helpful to have a different perspective. This is where the collaborative environment comes in handy.
Regardless of who you work with, everyone comes from a different background with numerous experiences. Everyone brings something to the table and it’s those contrasting viewpoints that can change the method (insert into article values blog_pun) in which you approach a problem.
To give an example, while working on a FlatIron project assignment, my teammate and I were stuck on the logical flow of a portion of our code. Even after a through discussion, we were both unable to come up with a solution to our problem. In desperation, we consulted our fellow classmates, allowing us to take a step back to consider a different approach.
In essence, the main takeaways are as following:
- Don’t get caught up in your own thoughts, collaborate with your team, share your thoughts
- Understanding that people come from different backgrounds and that communication is important
- Running your thoughts by people outside of your team can introduce a fresh approach to your problems
2. ALWAYS take breaks
Whether you’re frantically attempting to reach a deadline or just stuck on a problem, DON’T FORGET TO TAKE BREAKS!!! More often than not, spending countless hours modifying, debugging or creating code can actually be counterproductive. Referring back to the previous tip, when you’re aimlessly drifting through your own thoughts, there’s a tendency to think on a one-set mind-track.
Breaks offer that refresher for your brain, a way to take a step back and relax. From my personal experiences, I found that I’m able to code more effectively when I put my brain on pause. Something as simple as stepping out for coffee, or watching YouTube videos can pull you out of the rabbit hole and give you a fresh start. It’s important that you give your brain room to breath, because we all know that programming can be draining.
Find an activity that helps you relax and relieve stress. Everyone is unique, certain activities that work for some, may not work for others. Doing so will not only help you get to know yourself better, but also prevent you from burning yourself out over an issue as simple as a syntax error. ლ(ಠ_ಠ)ლ
3. TEST ANY CHANGES YOU MAKE AND DON’T FORGET TO SAVE THEM
While you might be saying, “Duh”, I’m sure we’ve all forgotten to save our work at least once in our life. When it comes to code, this can be especially troublesome if you’re writing a medium-large scale program. If you accidentally close your text editor and end up having to completely re-write your code you inadvertently may end up forgetting what you previously coded out.
Similarly, if you make changes to your program that change functionality or even something as small as cleaning up code to make it look cleaner, make sure you’re constantly testing your changes. Test-driven development is essential as each piece of your code will most likely build off of any previous piece. A single method or flaw in logic could end up breaking the entire program, even if every other piece functions.
On top of testing your changes, proof-reading your code can reduce some stress and frustration. I’ve encountered plenty of instances where I made multiple small mistakes because I either mistyped a letter or forgot to add an end. Instead of wasting time trying to debug code for a syntax error ლ(ಠ_ಠ)ლ , spend an minute or two proof-reading your code to make sure that syntax is consistent.
Depending on the text editor you use (I use Atom), they may have built-in features that you can install to make your life easier. One particular extension I found helpful when writing out my code is the Autosave Onchange extension within Atom. This is a great extension to use if you don’t want to have to manual save your code after every single change.
4. Take care of your own body
An apple a day keeps the doctor away! No, but seriously, maintaining your physical, emotional and mental health is always more important than anything else you could be doing in life. When you spend many hours slouched over with bad posture looking at a monitor, it can take a toll on your body. While we did touch on taking breaks in-between coding, this tip refers to your overall lifestyle. Don’t make your life an “Eat, Sleep, Code, Repeat” one where all you ever think about is coding.
In terms of physical health, make sure you’re stretching and getting up every once in a while throughout the day. As someone who loves physical fitness (weightlifting especially), going to the gym, and just generally being active, it feels great when you have that balance.
Regarding mental and emotional health, don’t be a hermit (unless you really do want to be)! Friends and family will always be that constant in your life where you should feel at relative ease. If you ever need someone to talk to or even just to hang out with, that’s what they’re there for.
I guarantee that if you maintain this balance within your lifestyle, you will be able to come back every week rested, refreshed and ready to tackle any coding challenge.
5. Don’t forget to love what you do
It’s easy to say, “I’m doing this because this job pays well” and that motivation is what bring you to work everyday. But if you’re constantly miserable and unhappy with what you do, is all that money you make really worth such a huge sacrifice?
ლ(ಠ_ಠლ )BUT THESE SYNTAX ERRORS ლ(ಠ_ಠლ)
All jokes aside, from my conversations with others in the same field, they’ve given me the exact same advice. Love what you do, especially if you’re going to be doing it every day. In the time I’ve spent at FlatIron School, I’ve met people from all walks of life who decided to make that change in their life. I myself used to absolutely hate coding. I didn’t think it was the right field, slowly but surely, I learned to enjoy it through my love for challenges.
At the end of the day, you want to be happy with what you do. All the little things in life add up collectively, so enjoy those littles things. But also, don’t forget…
ლ(ಠ_ಠლ) THOSE SYNTAX ERRORS THOUGH ლ(ಠ_ಠლ)
