If you could go back and give advice to your younger self when you were just starting out as a developer, what would you say?
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Top comments (28)
There are many things i would say. But first of all it would probably be this: focus on one language to start, learn it master it. There will be ton of time to experiment with other languages and framework, but in the beginning stick on one to learn also the dev mindset.
At the same time, remember to keep a flexible mind, especially when you learned your way on the first language or framework, don't stick to it that much that you are not anymore able to change.
So, start focused, grow flexible
Precisely this is why I decided to go for JavaScript entirely for the next months/years to come.
I guess, looking back at the year behind me, the boot camp was too much info crammed in too little time, focussing too much on frameworks.
Learning JavaScript with React and Java with Spring Boot in less than a year is just way too much for me.
After having spent quite some time building my personal website from scratch with only html/css and a little bit of JavaScript was really helpful. Now it's time to focus on JavaScript and Node.js
Yes, rushing in learning many different things in short times has no point, just risks to confuse you. Development is not a race, but a path, a marathon, one has to look for the long run not the sprint :) Everyone has got its own time and way of learning and it's important to listent to yourself when you're doing it :D
There is word going around that it helps to learn another language that is different from the number one language; Which one is learning to help with the learning of the number one language by seeing the commonalities or contrasts of it and language number two.
In my opinion, a junior just learning its first languge risk very much to get confused between the two languages instead. Many languages share common things like logical pattern or most of data types; but since one must also get confident with te syntax, i really think that in the beginning it really helps to stick with one, well-done thing, then, when you're confortable, you can study whatever.
Hey tell me; how would you differentiate esteem a junior intermediate and senior ??
Jus my curiosity
Thank you
I don't know, never really thought about it, but years of experience could be a good start; then i would say there are some soft and hard skills that should be acquired to get to the next level, like some programming patterns, code cleanse, better problem solvings better failure handling, and work management.
In the end i guess an intermediate should be more independent and reliable than a junior, so he/she can handle more responsibilities :)
nice thanks.
So there is no scale as in. One must know this and that and so on and so on.?
nice thanks.
So there is no scale as in. One must know this and that and so on and so on to be a a junior and know this up to here to be an intermmediate.?
Yeah it si more experience related than some specific knowledge related. You could also learn all the design patterns as a junior, but when facing a problem you panic or when there is an error you aren't able to debug it. In my opionion it is more approach and attitude related, so even if non directly but experience related
this is very great advice. some people thinks learn many language would be good for them, but they didn't realize that mastering 1 thing would be better than knows everything
I will advise Yonger self that there is a world outside the computer programming. Don't forget you have a life.
Absolutely
I respect and love that!! Do you have a story to tell why you would say that ?
Keep doing what you're doing... you're already on the right path!
Keep treating programming as a toy to be played with and discovered, not as a defined skill with concrete steps to master.
Don't set goals, just play! Go where you curiosity takes you.
Build your own understanding from your play, trust your gut, and don't ever blindly follow courses or tutorials without questioning everything. Better still, aim to avoid tutorials and courses entirely. Find your own answers when you get stuck - this will help build your resourcefulness.
But I don't need to tell you any of this, as I know you will do these things anyway, because I already did.
I liked that, treat programming as a toy, not a skill.
Most of the time I will supress my curiosity because I am particularly studying somethings that I must learn to keep up with others.
But yeah I think this advice is best for post college era where you're somehow free on what to learn.
It was pre-college for me. I started to learn aged 7 (teaching myself). I was ahead of the teacher by the time any formal programming education was available.
I think it's best to start as young as possible. A child's mind is more playful and less constrained. It's the best time to learn.
There are many but there's this one thing that I learnt very late. always focus on one thing at a time. Give it 3-4 months then hop on to other. Be it any language, tech stack, etc anything you want to learn.
I'd advise reading this book: Range
Keep focusing on what you desire to achieve and never back down no matter what. It's a process and it takes time, Enjoy the journey, and seek help when need be.
Good advice
As a younger engineer I struggled a lot (more) with imposter syndrome, and found it difficult to ask for help "because I should know better". The advice I would therefore give my younger self is to not be afraid to ask for assistance sooner, especially if you can phrase it "X isn't working as expected, this is what I've tried so far..." - more senior engineers are (usually) always happy to help, especially if they've seen that the person hasn't just given up at the first sign of resistance.
Start by choosing specialization and mastering the fundamentals of programming, then practice consistently and build projects to gain practical experience.
Embrace problem-solving challenges, study others' code, and stay updated with the latest trends while also developing soft skills, networking, and learning from failures. Prioritize clean code, continuous learning, and mentorship to navigate the ever-evolving tech landscape successfully.
I would look back my student aged self and say...
"Take the opportunities to learn new languages, and find a way to enjoy it! Because that SQL course you're finding really boring is going to be super useful, that group project to build a dynamic website is the kind of programming you'll go on to love, and even that pointless language haskell you'll look back on as something which should have been interesting"
Making it more fun would've been effective for me as a student. I wish I'd known/discovered more about the communities and even London tech-scene drinking opportunities that tech topics can come with!
A few people have mentioned the thing of focussing on one language versus trying a few different ones. I think the balance between learning deep versus learning broad is really tricky. It's still tricky for me decades later, and I've repeatedly made the mistake of sticking with a language/approach too long when I should've been learning new tricks. Maybe I still need to tell myself "don't be grumpy about it. Take the opportunities to learn, and enjoy it!"
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