3 Things Every Newbie Must Know About Coding

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Introduction 

Officially on July 17th, 2015, was the day I decided to take coding seriously and started the journey to become a web developer. Learning to code is like riding a rollercoaster: there will be times that you will be climbing up the track and will feel like you are “on top of the world”. Then there will be other times that you will be plummeting feeling sick and this disorientated!

In honour of my first year anniversary, he is free critical lessons that I discovered and it will hopefully hope you have a smoother ride!

1.Coding Is Hard… But That’s Good.

The Internet has millions of fantastic resources that will help you learn to code. But as fantastic as they are, you must be aware of some of the “mistruths” out there. Websites and books that say “learn JavaScript in one hour “or “learn python in one minute” tempt us newbies into thinking we can book on the next mark Zuckerberg in the same time it takes to make your instant coffee!

But what I have found was that although I was making functioning website or programs, I still lacked the understanding why it works. As soon as I came across a bug or a glitch, I had no idea how to even begin to fix it and that’s where my greatest frustration would lie.

But slowly I discovered the best coders do 2 things:

1. The best coders are excellent at troubleshooting and debugging the code.
2. The best coders use code to solve other people’s problems

That’s also what makes coding so satisfying. Your ability to overcome these obstacles, whether in your code or solving a need, is what makes you valuable. Don’t shy away from problems – embrace them! This takes time and effort. Expect that coding is hard and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t feel you’re making fast enough progress. Be kind to yourself.

2. Coding Takes Time & Effort

Some resources will convince you that with “as little as five minutes a day, you would be able to code like a professional in one month”– unlikely. To be a good coder need to significant investment of considerable time and effort.

Let us take it from another angle: as you know, great relationships need time and presence to make them grow. Going on the dates, the phone calls, the walks in the park, the ‘cards and the candy’ light that spark and keep the flame alive hopefully for a lifetime.

Likewise I have learned that you need to buy the books, attend the talks, go to the workshops and chill at the hangouts to become a better coder. Just one resource is not enough, otherwise you will plateau. Carve out one hour of your day at least: skip that reality TV show, wake up slightly earlier, reach out to people on Twitter/LinkedIn/Facebook and network of people in the field. If you get stuck with one resorts, switch gears and try something else – it will be pay off!

3. Coding Is Totally Worth It.

Coding is hard and takes time and effort but it’s a wonderful and enjoyable skill to learn. To me, coding is as close to magic as I’ll get on this side of Hogwarts.

Despite all the frustrations and days of confusion that I inevitably get while learning, when I write a piece of code and it renders correctly or I fix that bug, there is no feeling in the world like it.

The reason why I feel so deeply in love with music was the idea that I could create something from my imagination and present it to the world. Coding allows you to do the same thing and once you get the bug (pun intended) you won’t stop.

I’ve come to realise that coding is not a sprint nor a marathon – it’s more like a really long steeplechase.

Will be times that you will be gliding on the track, then your find yourself jumping over hurdles face first and some ditch water – to get up and do it over and over again. Code is everywhere and even if you don’t take it as a career, learning to code will gives you the passport to see how technology is changing the way that we live, way beyond what our grandparents physically thought was possible. There are still days I want to give up, but it’s the lightbulb moments that makes the struggle worthwhile.

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