If you looked at my laptop's file history, you'd see a tragedy in three parts.
There's a folder from 2023 named "Learn to Code." There's another from early 2024 named "Web Dev Authentic." And there's a third one, created just a few months ago, named "Final Attempt."
Inside every single one of them is the same file: index.html. And inside that file is the same line of code:
Hello World
.For the longest time, I was stuck in the "Tutorial Hell" loop. I would start learning with high motivation, watch three hours of videos, and feel like a hacker. Then, reality would hit. Midterms would arrive, university assignments would pile up, or I'd just get tired. I'd take a two-week break.
When I came back, I would feel like I had forgotten everything. Panic would set in. "I can't remember the difference between a div and a span. I better start over to make sure I get the basics right."
So, I would delete the folder. I would restart the course. I would type "Hello World" again.
This is the confession of a serial restarter. But this post is different because, for the first time in two years, I didn't hit delete. I finished HTML
Being a university student learning to code on the side is a specific kind of difficult. We aren't just battling laziness; we are battling cognitive load.
When you spend all day studying for a Calculus or Literature exam, your brain is fried. The idea of sitting down to learn the syntax of an ordered list feels impossible.
My mistake was trying to treat coding like a university cram session. I would try to study it for four hours on a Saturday. Then, when exams hit, I did zero hours for a month. That gap is what killed my progress. It created the "amnesia" that made me want to restart.
How I Finally Finished HTML
I stopped trying to memorize every tag. In my previous attempts, I thought I was a "fake" developer if I had to Google how to make a table. This time, I accepted that even seniors Google things.
I focused on the structure, not the syntax. I learned that HTML is just a skeleton. It's the bones of the house. Once I understood the parent-child relationship of elements, I stopped worrying about memorizing the specific spelling of every attribute.
I built a messy, ugly, unstyled webpage. It had no colors. The font was Times New Roman. But it was done. And I didn't delete it.
My Advice to Fellow Students
If you are a student stuck in the same restart loop, here is what I've learned:
Don't "Clean Slate": If you take a break for exams, don't start over when you come back. Pick up exactly where you left off, even if you feel lost. The confusion will clear up in 20 minutes.
Build, Don't Watch: You can't learn to ride a bike by watching YouTube videos of people riding bikes. You have to type the code.
20 Minutes is Enough: You don't need 4 hours. 20 minutes of coding between classes keeps the memory fresh.
My journey isn't over. In fact, the hard part is just starting. But the folder on my desktop isn't called "Final Attempt" anymore. It's just called "My Projects."
And that's enough for me.
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