Why did I used to fail in learning programming?
Tags: beginners, programming
Published: 2023-11-03 05:23:48

I failed at learning programming. 
The biggest mistake I made was thinking that watching tutorial videos would make me a programming master.


## Why did I have such a silly idea?

**Because I believed I could enhance my programming skills by doing so.** I also didn't have **anyone** to ask for advice. While it's true that you can create something by watching tutorial videos, I now realize it's not the right approach.
Even if you think you understand all the content while watching the video, you can't do anything when you try to create something on your own because you actually don't understand it. I didn't know what the codes meant without explanations, and I didn't bother to look them up.

**That's why I didn't gain enough knowledge.**

After finishing the videos, I didn't know how to create anything. I thought I was learning something, but I lacked the knowledge to create on my own. Despite my expectations that I could solve the problem by watching more tutorial videos, **it didn't work**. I kept trying various tutorial videos repeatedly, but I struggled to understand programming, which frustrated me.

My struggle continued until I joined a specific community. This community is for women and non-binary individuals aspiring to work in the tech industry overseas. I read stories shared by members about their experiences of becoming web developers to help others aiming to enter the field. 

**Finally, I figured out the right way to learn programming.**

To become a developer, it's crucial to know what materials to study and what is recommended. Learning from the opinions of people who have actually secured jobs as developers makes this clearer. 
**This has given me clear goals**, unlike the time when I was studying blindly without such insights. Particularly, having knowledge of tutorial videos and courses with good reputations helped me choose suitable ones from numerous options. 

The most helpful course was the one where you reproduce the projects they provide on your own. I could apply what I had learned and acquire skills I hadn't known by creating projects in the course. Even if the code I wrote wasn't perfect, creating something without explicit directions gave me a much greater sense of satisfaction than following a video.

**I realized that gaining satisfaction is one of the most important factors in sustaining learning.**

In the course, I wrote HTML, thought of class names, and applied CSS from scratch. This experience became one of the most valuable lessons in my programming journey. I understood the foundation of creating projects by thinking for myself and shaping the code, instead of following prepared exercises.

You might think you understand how to create something by watching videos, but you don't. It's better to consider that what you actually understand and memorize is **only 10%** of the content.
What you learn from tutorial videos is what you can do with the programming language, and you **shouldn't** assume that you will master the language just by watching the videos.
True learning comes from what you do after watching the videos. 

**You genuinely understand the content if you use what you have learned to create something.**

I learned that creating something is the most important aspect of learning programming. Although it may sound cliché, 

## simplicity is key.