Working in tech and learning to code may be a daunting task for beginners. Whereas in most courses there might be a higher ratio of knowledge compared to an application, that’s not the case with programming.
Here you need to focus more on the application than the theoretical knowledge. That’s why often graduates are more of a programming language expert but can’t solve a problem with the same. They understand theory and concepts but can’t offer a practical solution as real programmers do – because their programming skills are lacking.
So, how does one perfect their programming skills? Well, programming is easier said than done; even those with several years of experience sometimes fail to offers a solution. Being a better programmer, able to solve a problem with your skills quickly takes a lot of work. This article suggests tips to help you improve those skills:
Practice Daily
The number one secret to being better at anything is to practice daily. First, decide which language you want to work on, then make it a daily habit to practice. Learning code is comparable to learning sports; the more you practice, the more you become a better athlete/programmer.
Secondly, make sure to stick to the training regimen. Try to read daily, don’t just stick to your notes, read blogs, newsletter, and other articles for insights that can be incorporated into your daily practice. After all, practice makes perfect.
Work on a Project
With code, there are always bound to be local meetups. In such forums, there are often coding challenges by working on real projects that you create for a chance to win a prize. Such gatherings help you put your skill to the test by teaching others and, in turn, improve on a skill through comments and suggestions that you get from fellow programmers.
However, you don’t have to wait the whole year for a local meetup. You can use what you’ve already learned to come up with a project and then share it with the world. Maybe it’s a website or a mobile application. Seeing the reaction from people and comments will be a significant boost to your confidence.
Join the Community
For instance, when you are having trouble with math or any other assignment, you either join a discussion group or get learning help from a competent tutor. Similarly, with coding, you can join a discussion community or get help from experienced programmers, either as a paid tutorial or for free.
In such forums, you are likely to find someone who had a similar problem just like yours getting responses after requesting help via post. One thing to love about the coding community is the helpfulness of individual programmers in the forums. Programmers are always welcoming and ready to offer possible solutions to challenges one is facing as a student.
The responses are often tremendous, and one discovers that there are many ways to solve a coding problem. Also, don’t just be a spectator if you see a question, and you feel you can confidently answer it, go ahead, and share your knowledge.
Learn from Others
When you participate in local code meet-ups, contribute, and share your knowledge, you are likely o get a mentor. A mentor is a more experienced programmer who can help you navigate your way up the career ladder in tech.
No one has the monopoly of any coding language. Therefore, as a programmer, you need to be friendly and able to network with a lot of fellow programmers. You can also look at other people’s code in forums such as GitHub, and learn from it. You can also contribute, after all, GitHub is an open-source for all programmers.
