Finding time to study

Hello i’m new here, and I’m just wondering about peoples backgrounds.
Im 31 have a full time job as a roofer which i’ve started to really dislike, so jumped into the coding journey.
I have a one year old daughter and studying around caring for her and working is really hard.
Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat :slight_smile:

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You are welcome here.

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Thank you Helives, finding it hard to get organised at the moment, feel like I need direction.

Can your daughter be kept in creche for sizable number of hours so you can have time for life. Probably check on her also as the day goes by and before finally pick her up at close of the day.
I think this may be worth a trial.

Regards

Hello and welcome. I would say, 1 or 2 hours of uniterupted focus per day is worth a lot more than 5 or 6 hours of beeing constantly distracted. Can you schedule study hours around when your daughter sleeps?

Please! I am having challenges with my Phone using to study. What should I do?

First of all you might wanna think about this: what exactly is your source of distraction?

If it’s really just your phone, then the solution is dead simple: turn it off/use screen time limiting apps/put it somewhere you can’t access immediately. Note that you still need to have the self discipline not to actively reach for it when you’re supposed to be coding.

If you tend to just wander off to fb/reddit/twitter/imgur/[insert source of internet distraction here] and lost track of what you’re supposed to do (read: procrastinate), then simply getting rid of the device won’t cut it. You just need to be strict to yourself, there’s no ‘just 5 minutes…’. When it’s time to code, that’s the only thing you should be doing.

Saw something interesting while reading Stackoverflow posts or documentation online? Save it and check them out later. You gotta text sb back? A text can wait; if it’s sth truly urgent, they would call. You get the gist.

And when you’re done, you can browse the internet/be on your phone/or really just do whatever all you want.

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Mate, I am in the same boat. 32yo, and twins 3yo, going to nursery i Sept. 2019. I am the main carer for them from 6am until 1pm.
I will finally find some quality time to create projects from September.

First of all, if you have read at least one book about JavaScript and know basics of HTML and CSS - START BUILDING THINGS.

At the moment I spend around 1-2 hrs every other day on coding small useless apps, but it helps me learn more than by reading books or watching tutorials on YouTube.

I have spent hundreds of hours reading and watching tutorials when my kids were younger - waste of time. Grab the basics and start building things using Google and a notebook (for planning).

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Ive been, 4 years ago. But I was working and taking a full time degree besides caring for my child.

If it is really important for you, the time is the easiest to get. Prioritize time at night or early mornings (one hour daily will do) while your child sleeps and stay over a bit later at weekends.

Never underestimate how this can cause a stress on your relationship. Don’t take it as your decision. Talk with your partner, ask for her support and make sure you’re both together on this. Remember family comes first. Aim to ensure they feel cared and have enough attention. Reserve at least a day a week for going out and doing something fun with your child and partner.

Good luck!

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I agree with @anon96529406. Analyze how you are spending your time when you are not at work. You might want to cut out time sucking activities. I know a few people that stopped watching TV, social media, video game playing, and movies to code because the learning to program was more important/exciting/fun.
You may want to bring a light-weight laptop with you where ever you go so you can code whenever you get the chance or bring a programming book.

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Hello bro, the best time you can study with more energy is the early morning, you get up 3 hours before your work and go straight to learn the language or gain progress in the project, that’s how I when I worked in a bank, I learned , c ++, python and now I am dedicated to programming as a profession :call_me_hand:

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Welcome, I was 30 when I switched to the IT field and started teaching myself to code. The best thing I can tell you is to find an entry level job and hopefully you can use time at work, otherwise you just have take every opportunity you have at home, even if it’s only an hour.

I don’t think you realize how early roofers wake up lol.

If it’s anything like other construction workers, it’s way early. I know my partner, who is an electrician, is already on the road by 6 a.m.

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You can do it.

I am literally with my kids right now at a climb-a-lot club house (it is kind of like chuck-e-cheese), studying Js and DOM manipulation as I write this.

I am in a similar boat. I am 31. I work overnights. 2 kids (6 and 9). 10 hour shifts. The overnights thing is definitely helpful as on my days off, everyone is sleeping so I tend to just stick to my normal work-shift and spend 10 hours studying. On my days that I am working, if we aren’t doing something specifically related to the family (scouts, lacrosse, baseball, going out to dinner).

If the kids are doing homework, I am working next to them. If the kids are in the pool, i’m outside with the laptop. If the kids are playing video games, Im watching them while I code. I take breaks here and there to make sure I don’t miss them growing up, but it really comes down to the drive of wanting to know what’s next, having a project that you really want to create and you are willing to split your free time between the family and the learning process (and family that supports this decision).

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Man I am loving all these responses from fathers spending time with their kids, and trying to better their families lives. Dads do not get enough positive reinforcement these days. Keep up the good work bro!

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I think breaking it up in shorter more focused slots might help a lot . I study in two hour slots then break to deal with a household of 4 teenagers … and they are crazy times 10 :slightly_smiling_face:. For Charlie break it up into 2 hour slots don’t rush just enjoy the journey and before you know it you will have this skill down and be able to build .

Well not quite the very same boat but I have empathy with your challenge! Consider your being a provider and care giver to your toddler as building your personal growth platform unto more well rounded person ( soft skill ) than very needed even with all coding jobs! Cheers. ( I do not have the precious privilege like your though.) Best regards. Buonar.

Very well testimony, well tested gem. Bravo. Buonar.

I am 34 and I studied 5-8 morning, 8-10 evening. 5 hrs daily is more than enough.
But use pomodoro timer, so you can track how many FOCUSED hours did you study, without touching your phone or checking instagram:)

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