What Programming taught me about life
Being a programmer is definitely a challenging yet very rewarding career. It enables you to solve real-life world problems through coding and leads you to better opportunities for growth. No wonder, there is a high demand for qualified and certified developers around the world and a bunch of resources and tutorials are easily available for those who want to get started in their careers in the IT industry.
Admit it or not, this field is not for the faint-hearted. The frustration of debugging your code, the pressure of meeting the deadlines, and dealing with the inconsistent requests of the client, to name a few, are not easy. Most of the time, you will have sleepless nights. Stress builds up and before you know it, your personal relationships — family, friends, etc. — are suffering. In extreme cases, you’ll burnout. I’ve been there.
Thankfully, I still have time to rest. During those hours, I find myself reflecting on how programming helps me to become a better person and those are the things I want to share.
Continuous Learning
The only permanent thing in this world is change. This makes the IT industry a very dynamic and constantly growing field. New technologies and software are being created every single day. To catch up, you need an attitude of continuous learning.
Resourcefulness
It is the ability to make new things out of the materials that you have. I learned this as I gather different references and tutorials around the web. I also looked for code examples on GitHub and try to apply what I learned.
Think outside of the box
Most of us encountered an error or a bug that seems to be unresolvable. We didn’t even know why or how the bug existed after long hours of coding and testing. Until we take a break and realize that it’s only a misspelled variable or a missing semicolon. Such events require the ability to think outside of the box.
Plan ahead
Of course, before we start to develop something, we need to plan our ways to accomplish it. I’ve learned that it really helps to make and understand flowcharts, UMLs, and ERDs to guide us about the details of the software during development.
Keep asking questions
It’s alright to ask questions or clarifications whenever you are confused or stuck in your code or task. It only means that you accept your shortcomings and you are willing to learn and grow. Listening to those people who have more knowledge and experience than you is very essential.
Invest in yourself
Learning something new requires time, effort, consistency, and sometimes money. Your skills are your capital in this industry. Attending various developer conferences, events, or seminars to learn are a means of investing in yourself.
Time Management
This is the key to successfully meet those dreading deadlines. I’m constantly learning this by tracking my tasks on Trello. Though I admit there are times that I failed, I make sure I could get back on track in a short span of time.
Take a rest
As I’ve told earlier, stress and burnout can’t be avoided in this industry. Having time away from your computer gives you a chance to reconnect to your relationships and even to yourself. It may also spark your creativity and somehow as you get back to work, you now have the solution to fix your code.
Conclusion
Overall, I am happy that I choose this career. It enables me to live outside of my comfort zone and gain knowledge that will be beneficial for me as I go further in my journey as a software developer.
