DEV Community: Cishahayo Songa Achille

The first time I printed "Hello, world!"

Cishahayo Songa Achille — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:30:47 +0000

It was 2017, when I started using a computer for the first time in my life. That was the first time I found out what is internet and how it works. And the only website I knew was Google, lol.

"HOW DID PEOPLE MAKE GOOGLE?", I used to ask myself this always.

My curiosity started then. I had no computer, no smartphone, I was just there. I only accessed computer using my school computers. It was also too hard because there was many students who needed to use the computers as I was doing. I used to go there in computer lab, and sat looking at other people watching videos on YouTube, doing their stuffs on Facebook, and I could not believe my eyes, because before that I didn't know any of that websites or even what website was.

And after a few days, I started using the computer myself, by looking at how others are doing, I could also navigate the internet and type in some keywords in Google and click "Enter". This is when my life changed in a way that I could not even remember who I was.

After a few days, I started searching, "How can I make my own website?" And that day, I printed my first "Hello, World!" I was like, "Wow, now I can make a website myself," with a big smile on my face "I can even make Google."

<html>
<head>
<title>My Website</title>
</head>
<body>
      <p>Hello, World!</p>
</body>
</html>

So funny, right? I thought so.

I started teaching myself about the web development using HTML and CSS. It was going so smooth and after a few days, one month, I was fluent with HTML and I could make a simple HTML static websites.

I didn't know about JavaScript or PHP, I thought I had learnt it all. I let my guard down, and I passed more than one year without doing anything else.

In 2020, I started again, I became a JavaScript developer, and now I use React JS, Node JS, React Native and PostgreSQL. Today, I was sharing my beginning journey, how I learnt JavaScript will be a story for next time.

Let me know what you think in the comment and share this article. I hope my story can help anyone else who is want to code. If you need any help, text me on Twitter @achille_songa or check out my Github at @songa1 to checkout my projects so far.

My Success as a developer

Cishahayo Songa Achille — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 07:48:53 +0000

I am a Javascript developer, using different Javascript frameworks, and honestly, I started writing codes 6 months ago. Before that, I only knew how to write HTML tags, CSS properties, and I thought that that was everything I needed.
As I started exploring and using other different technologies, I can see there are a lot that I don't know.

These are the lessons, that I learned and that will help anyone succeed in a software development carrier.

1. Learn Everyday

There are many things you don't know. Even though you may be proud of the things you have done, but programming has many things, one can't know. There are many languages, many algorithms, and many books to read. If you sit and think that you know everything, my friend, you are wrong.

2. Don't work alone

I think many developers, like being alone in front of their computers. They can even spend the week, months, or even a longer time, without physical interaction with other people.
But I tell you, find other people to work with like classmates, friends, or other developers, that is going to motivate you and keep you on right track of wanting to know more. Because even if being alone seemed fun and fair to you, it is not good for your health and you get discouraged easily.

Coding is fun with friends.

3. Practice and practice

There is an English proved that says "Practice makes perfect". That is not different in programming, practicing every day will make you good and teach you many new things.
When you are a developer and you don't practice, eventually you will forget even simple tags or simple syntax.

4. Solve problem

In my previous article, I talked about what the programmer should do. Solving problems. And you need to start doing that if you want to apply your programming skills. You don't need to wait for anyone to give you a task to practice. Start with simple problems in your society and find their solutions. You will be getting experience and at the same time, make use of your codes.

5. Learn from others

Like I told you to work with others, you need to learn from them. Know that no one knows everything. So anyone can teach you something. Collect different ideas, knowledge from different people. That way, you will be improving yourself.

6. Ask for help

As people we tend to protect our pride, and think that if we ask for help, people will laugh, or question our abilities. But that's not true. Asking for help is not an act of cowardness, it's a sign and proof that you understand the nature of life. People are happy to help you when you ask for help because that's the respect you are showing them too.

Those were some tips to help you succeed as a developer, but that's not all. You might have your own from your experience. Feel free to share it with us.

Why Programmers don't make money?

Cishahayo Songa Achille — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 06:49:48 +0000

I am not aware of anything in your mind, but if you are reading this post, you probably don’t agree with me. Right? And I know that it would be hard for many people to believe this but if you’re going to read this to the end, you will understand what I mean.

When I started programming, I was very curious. I knew nothing about programming. All I wanted to know how systems work and how people create applications. I also wondered how the richest people are programmers. How do they make money? Is programming really the way to becoming the richest person?

As I went deep in learning different programming languages, I started to understand that programmers don’t just make money. Programming is not about making money and becoming a programmer is not a way to becoming rich, even though it may lead you to that.

As days passed, I understood that programmers solve problems. They identify challenges and develop solutions for that problem identified. And what about making money?

Let me get to that.

When you develop solutions, you are solving some problem, but also at the same time, you can make money from it. And many people are wrong when they think that money comes first. When you put money on the front, you are not only poisoning your mind, you are also limiting the level of what you can achieve. I am not ignoring the fact that many new programmers join programming clubs or communities because they are thirsty for money.

Because they have heard someone saying that programmers make a lot of money, they think that they will also make a great amount of money. I can understand them. But let me ask you something, what causes most people to give up?

Well, for some it’s because they are not aware of what they need, for others it’s because of society and current environmental influences, and for others, it’s because they didn’t get what they thought they would get or because they got it and they think they don’t need to work anymore.
I am now talking about those who give up because they think they have found what they wanted.

Let’s take an example for someone who came in Programming looking for money, he will develop some kind of an application and luckily make a lot of money, and then after that, because he thinks he has found what he wanted, he may even forget that he is a programmer. That’s like students, many of them learn for an exam, but they don’t actually know when the real exam will start.

But when your commitment is to solve problems, you will always solve problems because there is always a new problem. And if you are to make money, you will make money constantly.

I am not telling you to leave programming if you are looking for money. Actually, you have a point too, but your goals should be clear. Making money is not a goal, it may be an outcome of your achievements towards your goal, or even an award to consistently achieving your goal.

So, keep this in mind, Programmers don’t make money, they solve problems. And before deciding to become one, make your goals clear.