In the early stage of learning programming, the fact remains that, everyone sucks. Mastering the concept of programming is a perpetual struggle. However, to help your learning journey, below are 7 tips on how you can become a good programmer.

1. Learn by doing – don’t run away, play with code.

Feel free to interact with the new environment. No one ever learns to program and became good at it without going through experiential learning. Getting your hand on the project put you in a better positing to adapt faster. It might not look nicer now, but just build something!

2. Don’t skip the fundamental for the future benefit

If anyone says you can run without crawling, tell the person “it is not true”. If you do not learn to crawl, then you won’t know how to strategically fall to the front when starting to walk. In everything we do, understanding the fundamentals is key.

It is through fundamental that you will gain the experience needed to become topnotch. If there’s something you should take seriously while learning, it should be the foundation of programming languages or frameworks.

Time invested in learning fundamentals always worth it. Whatever programming language you’re interested in, let your initial focus be on the fundamentals.

3 Learn to code by hand; this will help improve proficiency

Though our electronic devices have become more user friendly and programming languages have been made more powerful, it doesn’t still eliminate coding-by-hand (without auto-completion) which is one of the most effective methods in learning how to program.

This may seem more time-consuming and stressful, however, you need to consider the long-lasting effect and how much you would grow and understand the fundamentals of being a programmer. Also, for interviews or exams, you will need to code-by-hand, so it is best to start it now and get used to this practice.

4 You should learn to ask for help

It may seem nice and exciting to do things by yourself but everyone needs guidance, correction and input from mentors once in a while. When it seems something is too difficult for you or you get stuck at a point, a view from another side can give a new perspective.

It may be online or in-person, just don’t be afraid to ask for help. There is the need to, first of all, try things on your own for as long as you can, before seeking external assistance.

5 Seek out online resources; you never know what you may find there

There are different ways by which people can learn, you just need to find out what works for you and run with it. Sticking to one source of information (textbooks, lecture time or podcasts) may not work for everyone, there are many online resources through which you can learn programming, search out these resources and make the best out of them.

6 Don’t just read the sample code, play with it.

Reading alone may not guarantee a complete understanding of how coding works, you may need to run the code and play with it; this would help promote the learning process.

7 Take breaks when debugging

When debugging, it is likely you may get stuck and not be able to fix the problem. this can be avoided by taking little breaks and clearing your head, allowing yourself to think through the process and develop the right mindset to carry on.

You can also consider seeking help from others and if this isn’t available, try to put your mind to rest for a while, do some other activity and get back to it when you feel calm enough; do this and see how your productivity would improve.