When I started my tech journey, I was overwhelmed (I still am) and I faced a lot of difficulties. I am still finding my feet in tech but with the benefit of some hindsight, I’d like to share some challenges I faced and hacks I’ve discovered along the way that might make your journey into tech a bit easier than mine.
1. Finding the Right Resources as a Self Taught Developer.
At the beginning of my journey, I spent so much time researching, trying to find the right resources. I spent about 6 months in the research phase and looking back, that time could have been better spent. I felt like I was consuming a lot of information but at the end of the day, I felt like I was not getting closer to becoming a programmer. You will never run out of articles to read so don't waste so much time researching. Pick a course that you like and Start!
Here are some resources that worked for me and should for you too:
Coursera (coursera.org) - Their Introduction to Programming course was the first course I took. At the time, I felt it was not so useful because we learned how to code with Scratch but looking back, it was a great foundation for me. The course is very interactive and you will build a lot of games that will help you understand the basic concepts of programming. If you are like me and you get lost in too many words, then this course is great for you.
Frontend masters (frontendmasters.com) - If you are new to front-end development, then their Bootcamp is a great place to start.
Traversy on YouTube (youtube.com/traversymedia) - Brad is great when it comes to explaining programming topics. There is a playlist for whatever you need to learn on his channel.
Free code camp (freecodecamp.org) - This website is great because of how well they break down topics and teach them. You get to write your code as you learn also, which is the best way to learn.
CS50 - Introduction to computer science: Even though I could not finish this course for some reason, I will recommend it if you are just starting.
W3Schools (w3schools.com) - This is another great website for young coders. They have so many materials to learn from and they teach in-depth.
MDN (developer.mozilla.org/en-US) - Not going to lie, I found this site a bit confusing when I started but it has now become a great reference point for me. So if you are like me, you might have to ease into this one.
Stack Overflow (stackoverflow.com) - This is a platform where thousands of developers come together to learn and share their programming knowledge. If you are facing a challenge, trust me someone has faced it too.
(These are the platforms I have used to learn software development. There are a ton of other great resources, including books, out there)
2. Learning many technologies at once.
A major mistake I made while starting was biting more than I could chew. After many months of research, and many bookmarked and saved pages, I registered for so many free courses online and started what I thought was learning but in fact, I was not making any progress. I took courses on Python, PHP before I made it to JavaScript. I was taking in so much information but was not coding and that cost me a few extra wasted months.
So, here’s a tip for you: Start with a language, stick with it, and practice. You will make more progress in a short period this way. Coding is hands-on, learning it should be also.
3. Joining a Tech Community.
No, you don’t need to be a lone ranger taking on the world of tech all on your own. So, I’ll advise that you join a tech community as soon as you can. Being self-taught is good but working and learning alone can be harmful to your growth. Asking for help can be hard, I still struggle with it myself, especially if you have in the past and were ghosted but you know what you want from this journey and you shouldn’t get discouraged.
I recently joined ‘She Codes Africa’, which amongst many other things, propelled me to start my writing blog. There are tons of communities out there for you so do your research and join whichever aligns with your goal as a developer.
4. Be social in your niche.
I never knew tech-Twitter existed until a few months ago. This can be helpful because even when you're taking a break from coding and are on social media you can still find something new and helpful for your journey. This part is still a work in progress for me also but the truth is you will network with really cool people and get exposed to many opportunities.
Here are some of the people I follow on Twitter that I find their content helpful
- Marko Denic @denicmarko / denic.hasnode.dev
- Florin pop @florinpop1705
- Hashnode @hashnode
- Francesco Ciulla @FrancescoCiull4
- Catlin Pit @catalinmpit
- Danny Thompson @DThompsonDev
- Brad Traversy @traversymedia
- Pratham @Prathkum
- Nirbhay Vashisht @nirbhayvashisht
- Ravin @ravinwashere
I'd keep updating this list as I discover more great content creators.
5. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
This is something I feel there isn’t much you can do to prevent. It is when you feel you are not good enough to be a developer. Trust me, I am right there with you. Learning to code can be overwhelming, hard, and confusing especially if you don’t have any background in computer science.
I can't give an expert opinion about how to overcome it but I am slowly learning that it is okay to not know everything and each person is unique and has a different journey so I can’t compare myself to them. I am not perfect nor will I ever be but through constant learning and building projects, I will be more confident in what I do.
Also, know that hundreds of people feel this way and you are not alone. Speaking to someone about how you feel and what you are struggling with will go a long way.
Learning is a process that takes forever and you will never be done with it. No one will. The most important step is starting and creating small milestones for yourself. I wish you all the best in your journey.
Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Photo credit - Unsplash