There’s this beautiful moment every beginner goes through: the tutorial high. You follow along with someone on YouTube who writes perfect code, everything compiles, and by the end of the video, you’ve built a to-do list app that works flawlessly. You look at your screen and think, “Coding is easy. I’ve got this.”
I did too. For about five minutes.
Then I started coding on my own.
When Tutorials Lie by Omission
No one tells you that tutorials are basically the IKEA manuals of the coding world. They show you what to do but skip the part where you’re on the floor surrounded by errors, wondering if semicolons have feelings and whether your IDE is gaslighting you.
Everything works in tutorial land. The instructor’s code is bug-free, and they never seem to hit the wall of “Why is this not compiling when it’s the same code?!”
The real world, even when you’re not yet working in a dev team, is messier. It’s one thing to copy and paste your way to a working project. It’s another to write something from scratch, debug it, understand what you’re doing, and try not to spiral when nothing makes sense.
Welcome to the Solo Dev Zone
As someone learning to code outside a traditional dev team or tech job, the learning curve is steep and oddly personal. It’s just you, your code, and the occasional existential crisis.
There’s no one to nudge and say, “Hey, does this look right?” You end up talking to your action figure (or in my case, a stressed-out coffee mug) and hope your question makes sense when you read it out loud.
The smallest bugs feel like boss battles. You forget a bracket and Java punishes you like you’ve personally offended it. You fix one thing and suddenly ten other errors show up like they’ve been waiting backstage.
But eventually, something clicks. You understand encapsulation a little better. Your UML diagram starts to resemble less of an abstract painting. You stop avoiding the terminal. Well, mostly.
Not Just Code, But Feelings
Let’s talk about the emotional weight of it all. You scroll through job posts and see “Junior Developer... 3 years experience required” and laugh, but also cry (internally, of course). You open LinkedIn and see someone announcing they’ve built a mobile app, landed a job, took part in a triathlon and somehow also climbed Everest last weekend.
Meanwhile, you’re over here just proud you got your switch statement to behave.
And then there’s the silence. The solo learning journey is full of it. No peers to share victories with. No one to say “yeah, this part is confusing” in real time. Just you and your thoughts, and maybe an overloaded bookmarks folder filled with Stack Overflow threads or distant learning uni lessons to read and lean on.
But Still… Worth It
For all the confusion, the late nights, and the tabs that multiply like gremlins, there’s this undeniable spark when something finally works.
That program that wouldn’t compile for hours? It runs.
That concept that felt like reading ancient Greek? You understand it now.
That feature you thought was too advanced? It’s part of your project.
You realise you’re not stuck. You’re learning. Progress isn’t linear, but it’s happening.
And no, coding isn’t easy. But it gets easier the more you embrace the reality instead of the illusion.
Final Thoughts
Coding might be presented like a walk in the park, but in reality it’s a trek through a jungle with a half-charged phone, a map that updates inconsistently, and a compass that only works if you know trigonometry.
Still, I wouldn’t trade it. Because with each line of code, each bug fixed, and each meltdown survived, I’m getting closer to where I want to be.
Even if the IDE still occasionally tries to ruin the day.
Next week: who knows. Maybe I’ll get back to Java. Or maybe I’ll compare version control to parenting. Either way, bring snacks.
Top comments (2)
I like your style.
My tips are:
Thanks! And you're totally right. Late night coding usually ends up being me, some bugs, and a cup of cold coffee trapped in a toxic relationship. 😅
With family, work, studies, career changing, and everything else, the schedule doesn't always make sense. Sometimes my choice to learn is either at 11:30pm or the year 2037.
I do have a mentor (she's brilliant), but we check in every now and then, more like a software update than daily support. In between, it's mostly willpower, vibes, and the occasional Stack Overflow rabbit hole. As a distant learner, I also rely a lot on uni materials and whatever time I can steal from the day.
Thanks again for the great advice. Really appreciate it!