Many times in my life I've sat down and tried to learn to code on my own. I've watched hours-long YouTube courses, followed self-paced curriculums, and even tried just experimenting on my own. I don't know if it's an issue of self-discipline or just the way I learn, but I could never get it. It always seemed like the tutorials I watched would only tell me about what a coding language could do, but never how I could actually make something useful with it.
The first language I tried to learn was Python. I understood a lot of the core concepts like variables and loops, and even built a couple small desktop apps like a calculator and a basic pong game. The problem was that I didn’t know how to transfer those skills to an actual useful project. The tutorials only told me what to type, rather than actually teaching me how each part of the code worked and how it could be used in a real-world project.
For a while, I had pretty much given up on learning how to code, assuming that I just wasn’t cut out for it. Then, a friend of mine told me about a local coding bootcamp that teaches practical coding skills and actually helps their graduates get good jobs. I was a little hesitant, but decided to take their aptitude test and, to my surprise, I got a pretty high score. After talking to the founder, I was accepted into the bootcamp and started the course at the beginning of 2023.
I feel like I’ve learned more about coding in this first month than I could’ve possibly learned on my own in a whole year. I cannot overstate how helpful it is to have someone with actual experience explain in detail how to write code for practical, useful projects. Being able to ask questions whenever I’m struggling with a concept and getting feedback on my code are the crucial pieces that are missing from online and self-paced courses.
If you’re struggling to learn something on your own, don’t underestimate the difference having an experienced instructor or mentor can make. It took me from completely giving up on my passion, to being a couple months away from my dream career.
In other words, don’t give up!
Check out my portfolio to see what I’ve built in only one month!
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