How To Learn Coding Fast: Tips From A Software Engineering Student.

Motivation

I thought of coding as a cool thing back when I started gaining an interest in computers (and still do). Being able to write code and see the computer run it and give an output is very rewarding. Learning to code in today’s world is one of the best decisions you can make. There is an ever-growing market in programming jobs, and it is a very high-paying skill to have. Whatever your reason to start coding, I’ll share some tips that I have learnt over the past 3 years so that you can learn coding faster.

Choose A Domain

I started off coding by doing a free Khan Academy course, then did some C#, and then I did some Unity game development. Hopefully, you see how messy and scattered this is. Before you start coding, you’re going to have to pick a domain. The primary ones are mobile app development, desktop app development, web development, game development and artificial intelligence. Pick whichever sounds most fun to you. No point in doing something you don’t enjoy.

Online Tutorials

Once you’ve picked a domain, look for online tutorials that seem interesting. Do not buy any courses – free materials have much more to offer. The approach I tend to take is to start by learning a language and building projects with it. I prefer looking for crash courses on YouTube. I recommend looking for tutorials that are less than 2 hours. After understanding the language, move to project-based tutorials. Here, you will learn how to implement what you have learnt into finished products.

You Are Trapped

So was I. Kind of. When you start watching tutorial after tutorial and build projects mindlessly, you fall into what’s called tutorial hell. THAT’S OKAY. What’s important is that you realize that you have fallen into tutorial hell, acknowledge it, and take steps to get out. I personally think tutorial hell is important for every developer and is a cannon event. For me, I was watching YouTube non-stop. I reached a point where I was doing 9–11-hour long courses. Was this unhealthy? Maybe. Did I become a better developer – both technically and mentally after that? Definitely.

Challenge Yourself

At this point, you should have a solid understanding of the primary languages and tools used in your domain. Once you make it out of tutorial hell, you should move on to building more complex projects with that knowledge. Along with complex, they should be real-world projects. Try to find a problem that you, your family or your friends are facing. Take time out to plan for a solution and then code it out. I was building personal projects for a long time, and I recently built a real-world project. The problem I saw was a technologically poor peer mentoring system at my university and built Online PASS to solve it.

It’s Okay To Suck

Just as with life, you will have ups and downs in your coding journey. Sometimes, you will feel like a genius after adding certain features or completing certain projects. Sometimes, you will feel horrible. Maybe it’s because you can’t find the solution to something or feel like you’re not good enough. That’s also normal. If you are new to the coding space, then this can be because you’re still developing your skills or haven’t found a good mindset. If you’ve been coding for a while (like me), then it may just be burnout. Take a break. Touch some grass. Continue coding after you have mentally recovered.

Bonus Resources

Now let’s get into the good stuff. Here is a list of resources that I think will help you learn coding faster and make you a better developer.

Monkey Type - to code fast you need to type fast. Increase your wpm and learn to type without looking at your keyboard. This will help you long term.

Git & GitHub - a developer without Git is like a chef without a knife. If you plan to take coding seriously, go learn Git and GitHub.

Awesome - these are lists about all kinds of interesting topics. They span across all primary domains and are a great way to discover new tools.

Roadmap.sh - this is a collection of roadmaps based on various domains. It’s a massive help as it guides you without holding your hand.

Documentation - normalize reading docs. It is the fastest way to fix bugs and learn tools. Reading docs is a sign you’re growing as a developer.

Final Thoughts

Learning to code fast is what everyone wants. Learning to be a good developer is what is actually important. While it is important to learn this new skill efficiently, you should not rush through it. Take your time and learn the ins and outs of a language. Learn the tools that make it better and learn what the ecosystem has to offer. With that being said, I wish you best of luck!

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour”