10 Tips for New Programmers
One of the most exciting and challenging aspects of a programming career is that technologies, languages and techniques are always changing. This can be intimidating for new programmers, but these tips can help you get started.
1. Develop a Strong Foundation
Programming languages come in and out of fashion and hardware is always changing, but having a strong grasp of fundamental principles will help you deal with the changes. Refresh your understanding of programming logic. If you haven’t taken a math class in a while, a basic Algebra class may be helpful because many of the concepts taught are the basis of much of computer programming. It is also a good idea to brush up on your programming terms, such as syntax tree.
2. Remember Why You Became a Programmer
There will be times when programming is frustrating. It helps to remind yourself why you started down this path. Do you love solving problems by writing computer programs? Were you a video game fanatic as a kid and now you want to make your own games? Was making more money your motivation? Consider making a note with your driving motivation and putting it somewhere you can see it when you need a mental boost.
3. Tap Into Community
The coding community can be a great resource for encouragement and help with tricky programming problems. Look for a meetup in your area. Seek out online forums, such as dev.to. Find community on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Slack. Listen to podcasts and read blogs.
4. Utilize Pseudocode
Some programmers like to jump straight to writing code, but it can be helpful to start by writing out what you plan to do in plain words before trying to write it in code. You may want to begin this process by writing out a step-by-step solution to the problem you are attempting to solve.
5. Take Advantage of Free Resources
There are thousands of books, websites, forums, videos and other resources out there about writing code. Some are free and others you have to pay for. Starting with free resources will give you a chance to settle into your role and start making some money before you start investing in paid resources.
6. Practice Pattern Recognition
Being able to recognize patterns in code is an important skill to develop. There are a variety of ways you can work on your pattern recognition skills, such as playing pattern recognition games online.
7. Figure Out Your Learning Style
Not everyone learns the same way. Some people are more visually oriented and learn well from videos or graphics-based presentations. Other people learn best by reading and may prefer books or documentation. Figure out what works best for you and seek out the resources that match your learning style.
8. Learn To Fail
Programming is a challenging profession and you are not always going to succeed. Learn to live with failing. Programming takes a lot of patience and willingness to keep trying until you get it right.
9. Start With Easier Languages
There is no one “best” language to start with, but languages, such as Ruby, JavaScript and Python, can be easier places to start for beginners than some other languages. These languages have large communities of programmers to tap into for help and the syntax is straightforward and doesn’t need to be compiled.
10. Focus on Quality Instead of Quantity
It can be tempting to try to learn a little bit of everything, but in general, it is more useful to have a deep understanding of a few languages than to know just a little bit about a bunch of languages. Most of the knowledge you pick up will be transferrable when you need to learn the next thing.
Programming can be frustrating at times, but it also can be rewarding. These tips will help you figure out which strategies to use to maximize your enjoyment of your new profession.
