Learn Programming The Correct Way
Start your journey to becoming a programmer the right way
Programming is an intimidating topic. It can be pretty difficult to find where to start. Should you start a project? Should you read books? Read the docs? There are so many ways to get started you can get overwhelmed by it all.
That’s why I’ve decided to write this article. There was a time when I was in the same position, and I know I would’ve benefitted from an article like this a lot.
Without wasting any more of your time, let’s get into this guide.
The fundamentals of learning
The truth is that programming is nothing special. It’s a skill like all others. There’s no secret method that will let you become a superstar in a few months. Instead, you should follow the same principles used in learning any other skills.
One of the most important things is to learn using many different methods. Three of these main methods can be applied to any skill. I’ll also include some extra methods you can try at the end of this article.
Method 1: Theory
There’s no getting around it. You can only program what you know. Learning what the code you’re writing does will make you a much more effective programmer. It’ll also allow you to develop your own work methods.
This is especially important if you’re considering a career in programming. If you have a strong theoretical understanding you can beat out a lot of programmers that just did simple projects.
There are a few different ways you can go about learning theory. A lot of people like to suggest reading documentation, often referred to as docs. I personally disagree with this, especially if you’re just starting out.
Docs are a great resource that can give you the exact working of any module you’re using. The problem is that they’re often not that clear and you’ll get a lot more out of them if you have some experience programming.
That’s why I recommend looking at programming books, youtube tutorials, or courses. The book I personally started out with was Automate the Boring Stuff with Python. It’s a great resource that also goes a little bit into our next method of learning
Obviously going to school for data science will trump most online resources, but that’s implied for all these sections.
Method 2: Practice
Understanding theory is great, but you also need to know how to apply it. Practicing how to write code is the best way to learn the practical skills you’ll need.
One of the best ways to practice coding is by making your own projects. Pick something that you could automate or an app idea you’ve had. Maybe you can as I did and write out a simple program that automatically transfers certain files to cloud storage after you’ve worked on them.
It might sound complicated, but especially with some googling, it’s not that hard of a project. Your own project is also a great way to learn some critical skills along the way. Things like version control using Git and deploying software using Docker are essential skills to learn.
There are also sites like LeetCode that offer programming “puzzles”. The puzzles are straightforward small-scale tasks. If you’re starting I recommend going with the easiest puzzles first.
Whatever method you end up going with this method might be the most critical out of any listed here. No matter how much theory you have, if you can’t write everything out you won’t get far.
Method 3: Studying
This method might sound strange. I mean, isn’t everything you’re doing the studying. To some extent, yes, but this method takes it to the next level.
Studying the combination of learning theory and practice with your own programs. Studying essentially means going through other people’s projects and using them as a way to learn. You’ll need at least a bit of theory to do this, but this can be extremely good for your development.
Looking at other people’s projects can teach you techniques and methods that might’ve taken you months to realize on your own. The internet is full of people who have studied programming for decades. It would be stupid not to use this to our own advantage.
Sites like GitHub have many very well-curated and professionally crafted projects you can take a look at. There are also many different sites you can use.
If you’re interested in data science I’d recommend checking out the top answers to some Kaggle competitions. They can teach you a lot about the methods and steps used in professional data analysis and prediction.
Method 4: The Other Stuff
This final method is actually a combination of some smaller things. Even if most of these only have a small effect they can be great supplements to your learning routine.
One of my favorite things to do was go back and look through my older projects. As I progressed looking back at my past mistakes and fixing them was a great way to make sure everything I learned actually stuck with me.
Joining open projects and working with others is one of the best things I’ve done. It’s such a good way to prepare yourself for the future and also looks great on a resume.
Podcasts are one of my favorite ways to keep up with what’s happening in the world of programming. You can listen to them anytime and it’s a lot less exhausting than reading all day.
The bottom line
There are a lot of ways to get into programming. Honestly, the first year was where I had some of the most fun I’ve had with programming. Those first few programs you write, that actually work, will be unforgettable.
Stick with your goals and no matter what you do, you’ll find success.
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