Programming is already intimidating, so shut out the noise
Starting something new can be a daunting, but it can be a little less painful if you are efficient, prioritize your objectives, and set milestones and goals and be ready to pivot along the way. You will never know everything there is to know, and there will always be topics that come up that you’ve never heard of. So be patient, be resilient, and don’t get bogged down by the stress of not knowing something. I’ve found it helpful to channel the frustration into a craving for learning, because you’ll look forward to solving new problems that come your way.
What language should I learn? Should I learn how to make a website or a mobile app? What is a hash table? What is an algorithm? What is SQL? Ugh how the hell do I use Github?! I’ll never get a job at Google… An infinite parade of questions and thoughts will inevitably occupy your mind when you are new to programming, as they did for me. This is expected, but these thoughts can keep you from making any actual progress, so be wary of overthinking and more specifically, over-reading.
Research the essentials, make a game plan, and keep it simple, because you will learn in time. Stop thinking, start coding! Most importantly, stay on track and don’t get discouraged.
Listen to a few smart people, don’t be influenced by everything and everyone you read. An inescapable truth about this industry is that it is rampant with highly opinionated people. I made the mistake of wasting my time trying out different languages just because one had the perception of being “cooler”, or because I read that it can help me get certain niche jobs.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, chances are, you won’t be able to take advantage of the specific nuances and advantages that each language and framework has to offer.
As a noobie, you will likely not be working on any Machine Learning or AI applications that require a specialized technology. They’ll all serve your purpose equally, which is to learn.
Pick one language, preferably a high level Object Oriented language such as Java or C#. Once you get more knowledgeable and comfortable, you will easily pick up other languages in mere days(if not hours). You’ll hear people say this often, and I used to be skeptical as well, but I must say that I agree now that I’ve worked with a few different technologies.
Take what people say on the internet with a grain of salt. They can be very great resources for figuring out how to get a piece of code to work, but try not to let them influence your learning track or make you feel that what you are learning is outdated.
Each language and framework has its own strengths and weaknesses. Your goal should be to find the right tool for the job.
This is #2 in a series of articles intended to document my self-taught journey into the world of computer science. I’ll be sharing my experiences and tips that I’ve learned over the past couple of years. Check out #3, tips on being resourceful, or have a look at all of my posts!
