How do I make progress learning to program? I make a little progress every day, with a little help from my friends.
A member of my Scrimba study group asked a question that I believe many people have.
The overall question is about time management.
Learn a little every day
There are plenty of days where "everyday life" prevents me from coding. Also, coding all of the time does become tiresome for me.
So I keep the learning momentum going by "Switching it up" and learning a little every day.
Switch it up
What do I mean by "Switching it up?"
I do not limit my learning to just coding. I also learn programming by watching tutorials, listening to podcasts and audiobooks, researching online, and engaging on Discord.
Since front-end web development has "many moving parts," I will also change my study topics to prevent fatigue.
Study Topics
- HTML, CSS, JavaScript,
- Bash, Git, GitHub
- Libraries, Supersets, Frameworks
Right now, I am taking a break from coding by writing this blog post!
Avoid long breaks
Even though I find it productive to "switch it up," I advise against taking long breaks from coding.
After taking long breaks from coding, I do find it more challenging to come back to it. I will have to start researching syntax, lookup methods to get them to work correctly, and it takes some time to "get back" into the overall groove of coding daily.
You are not alone
There is a thriving online community that you can reach out to for "help" and support.
You do not have to limit your questions to just technical issues.
Sometimes "all you need is encouragement," and the encouragement you receive can give you the endurance to continue your learning journey.
You may find out that there are others in your situation, and you may find comfort in that fact.
Scrimba's Discord community
What is Discord? Discord is an application that provides voice, video, and text for its users to communicate. People use it to chat, hang out, and stay close with their friends and communities.
Those who know me know that I am a proud advocate for Scrimba's Discord channel. I can not speak highly enough about it.
The Scrimba staff members, including their CEO Per Borgen, are very attentive and regularly engage with their Scrimba Discord members.
Scrimba's Discord channels and groups are thriving with like-minded students eager to learn and help their classmates.
Learning to code with Scrimba's Discord community for me has been life-changing, and if you give them a chance, you may also have an experience that is greatly beneficial to you.
I'm having a wonderful experience with Scrimba's Discord community, and I can highly recommend it! You can read my full Scrimba review on my 12/13/2020 post.
"That's one of the best Scrimba reviews I've ever read, @MikeJudeLarocca. Thank you! 🙏 "
— Per Harald Borgen, CEO of Scrimba December 14, 2020
Key Points
- Learn a little every day
- Switch up your study topics
- Avoid extended breaks from coding
- Know that you are not alone
- Scrimba's Discord channel is engaging and encouraging
Conclusion
There is a lot to cover when learning to program. I find it most productive to learn a little daily and to alternate my study topics.
When learning to program, the "online community" is a great friend to have! The "online community" consists of services like Discord, forums, YouTube, podcasts, and coding schools, to name a few.
So how do I get by, learning to program a little every day? "I get by with a little help from my friends!"
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