I am new here. I am Italian but I live and work (as a personal trainer) in the UK. I am 28 and I have no previous experience with tech or coding, I have Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
I have recently decided I want to learn how to code, for multiple reasons: first of all, it’s creative and it keeps my brain fit, and also it can lead to new job opportunity and career paths that I can see myself interested in.
I have somewhat of an obsessive personality, and when I decide I want to learn something, I like to spend 100% of my free time learning that thing, and also I like to optimize my time, I like to know I am doing all I can to be the best I can be.
So my question to you is:
If you could go back to square 1 (to when you started coding) what advice would you give to your younger-self?
If I could do it over? The advice I would give is the same I give to everyone. Code every day. Keep learning and building things. Don’t get frustrated - coding is a humbling experience.
There is no benefit to rushing through this stuff because then you will have serious holes in your education.
Don’t compare your progress with anyone else.
Some people will grasp certains concepts faster than you while others might struggle more than you.
You should focus all of your energy on you and not worry about what everyone else is doing.
Remove set expectations of how you think this will go
So many people come to the forum making all of these grand plans of how long it will take and when they will get that first job.
But then they are disappointed when their strict timeline doesn’t work the way it is supposed.
The reality is, you don’t know what you don’t know yet.
Making hard and fast rules right out of the gate before you even get started is just going to lead to disappointment.
Just focus on the learning.
Build tons of projects
The best way to truly learn this stuff is to constantly build projects.
Don’t worry about perfection. Just build stuff that works and try your best.
Take an idea and try to code it out.
You will learn a lot like how to read error messages, and how to google for answers.
Be active in a community
Get involved in a developer community.
It will help you stay motivated and help you when you are struggling.
Also, attend meetups and meet other developers online like on twitter.
I have attended a few meetups and I have learned a lot from other developers.
It is ok if you are not good at this stuff right off the bat
So many people, expect total understanding when they first start learning.
But this stuff is hard and it is completely fine if you aren’t great in the beginning.
Every day you practice you will get a little bit better.
i know a lot of people seem to think it’s “too late” for them to start learning how to code, but i promise it isn’t. if it’s something you’re interested in and want to pursue, then i’d say go for it! most people don’t have linear lives when it comes to jobs and careers, so it’s completely valid to have a career change or meddle in different fields.
don’t get me wrong, this is a very helpful trait to have when it comes to learning new things, but make sure you don’t push yourself so hard that it causes a premature burnout or anything like that. i’m also obsessive (especially when it comes to learning new things) and i’ve realized that the reason why i have a tendency to jump from one interest to another is because i devote so much time and energy to one interest that i burn myself out and need to move on to something else. it’s like listening to the same song on repeat for days on end: it’s fun at first, but eventually you never want to hear that song again.
i’m a beginner to coding myself so i can’t really answer this, but something i’ve realized along the way is it’s important to be proud of yourself for all of your accomplishments (no matter how “small” or “insignificant” they may seem). sometimes we get so caught up that we don’t take the time to look at what we’ve accomplished and say “hey, i did that.” it sounds cliche, and it is, but it really is important to recognize your achievements
i hope this helps!! i wish you the best of luck on your coding journey : )