Steps to become a self-taught programmer

June 23, 2021

Programming and Coding have gained so much popularity because of the large scope of career options and resources to learn various programming languages for free and easily.

Whether you are learning programming as a career option or as a hobby this post will help you. So here are some steps to learn programming on your own or Steps to become a self-taught programmer.

1. Where to start

The first step of programming is to decide on which language to learn first. And that is the most common problem that occurs to anyone who wants to learn programming.

There are so many programming languages and technologies that are famous and widely used nowadays. But rather than selecting the one which is famous, you should focus on the technology you are interested in working with.

There are so many language options and technologies, to begin with. And if you are learning programming as a career option carefully choose a path. because it takes time to learn a language or technology and you won’t like to drop it in between.

So choose your field wisely.

2. Finding Perfect Resources

After choosing the language you want to work on you have to find perfect resources to learn the language. There is a vast ocean of information and knowledge on the internet. But to find the perfect resource to begin is difficult.

There are websites that offer courses in various languages. YouTubers have whole playlists for various topics related to programming, blogs, online books.

You have to choose the best one for you among them. So that you can not just remember things but also understand every topic.

3. Acquire Basic knowledge

If you want to learn programming on your own you have to be familiar with some basics of computer and programming. For example, if you want to start a business you have to gather all the information related to the field you want to work on.

If you’re familiar with the computer and it’s working then it’s okay. But if you come from a different field it is better to gain some knowledge about computer basic terminologies.

It will help you to understand how the code works on your computer. And will make your learning process easier.

4. Time Management

The most important question after starting to learn programming is how much time should I spend on it daily. And it really becomes a problem if you don’t manage your time appropriately.

When you start any new thing you will spend more time on it if you are passionate about it. But as time goes you’ll give it less time. And to learn programming we have to be patient and consistent.

It is neither rocket science that you’ll have to spend 20 out of 24 hours for it nor it is a simple essay with some sentences that you can memorize in an hour or two. You have to devote your time and interest to become a good programmer.

5. Debugging

Like love comes with pain, Code comes with bugs. Solving bugs and errors is the most difficult and frustrating task for programmers.

Sometimes your several lines of code would run without errors and sometimes you will get errors in a few lines of code. To debug the code it is important to have basic knowledge of syntax.

In the earlier stages, there are usually syntax errors. If you have proper knowledge of the rules, structure, and syntax of that language, debugging will not big problem for you.

6. Keeping up the pace

As I mentioned earlier, starting something is easy but it is difficult to move forward in the path you’ve chosen. That too when you are learning programming.

Try to write the algorithm first and then the program. Writing step by step solution is a good practice to improve logic and reasoning.

As the saying goes “Practice makes you perfect” you have to keep practicing to become a good programmer. It is okay to take a break but you will have to keep the consistency.

Here are some tips from me :

when you’re learning from youtube, don’t just watch the videos. Keep practicing the topics you learn.
find a perfect IDE to code efficiently.
Keep notes so if you forget any topic you can recall from the notes. And writing makes you remember that thing.
If you started to learn one language, learn it completely. Don’t leave in between.
Don’t jump to advanced topics after learning some basics. Learn step by step first basics then move to advance level.
If you don’t understand anything, find every resource and information about it. Never leave any topic until you understand it (Especially the basics).
The debugging process can be frustrating sometimes. No matter how much time it takes to solve a bug, never give up. Keep trying.
Try to keep notes on the errors you solve on your own.
Keep practicing along with learning. Work on small projects.

“In some ways, programming is like painting. You start with a blank canvas and certain basic raw materials. You use a combination of science, art, and craft to determine what to do with them.”

~ Andrew Hunt

I hope it will help. Share with your friends who are thinking to learn programming :-)