25 Tips I Wish I Knew Before I Started to Code
Tags: productivity, career, beginners, webdev
Published: 2022-01-16 05:51:50

Starting on the journey of coding can be **extremely daunting**. Some tips can **ease your path** _at the beginning of the journey_. Here are **25 tips** _I wish someone told me when I was starting out_

### 1. You don't need a _super computer_ to start coding

At the start of the journey, often beginners _put starting off learning_ till they have a _"good enough computer"_. But in actuality, _it is an excuse to avoid dragging yourself to the computer/laptop and start coding_.

### 2. `Googling` is the most important skill

We live in a world of **information abundance**. Nowadays information is _cheap_ and _often free_, so gone are the days where _information was the currency_. Now people are more interested in hiring people who can use the **information constructively**.

![Searching](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/vt3y2yhy1iufpk6cu48x.jpg)

### 3. A _Math Nerd_ is not required

In movies, Computer Science is always depicted to be a subject for people with **200+ IQ** with **extensive Maths skills**. But in reality, all you need is the knowledge of **the basics operations** for most niches of Computer Science.

### 4. **Version Control** is a must

**Version Control** is probably the _most important tool for a software developer_. It **saves**, **backs up your codebase**, and also **enables you to collaborate with other developers**.

### 5. **Done** is Better than **perfect**

People judge you based on what **you've done**, not what **you plan to do**. **Perfect** is just another term for never. Let me tell you the **highly guarded secret of Mount Olympus**: _Every pro you meet, once started as a noob_! The noob _who keeps working on his craft_ becomes a **pro over time**

### 6. **Work Hard**, but **Smartly**

**Hard Work** is what gets you _closer to your goal_, **Smart Work** is what makes you _complete tasks faster_. Combining both, **you become unstoppable**.

**Warning:** _Shameless self-promotion_ ahead!

A client gave me a task of converting _1.5k_ `.svg`s to `.tsx`s, instead of **converting them manually** (ETA: _30 to 50 hours_), I **wrote a script** (_took less than 2 hours_) that **automatically converts** them.

![work hard smartly](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/sd2hnts40ixa61q5ous6.jpg)

### 7. **Tools** unlock your **productivity**

Tools can be thought of _cheat codes of life_, they help you **get things done** _faster_ and _more efficiently_. If you cannot find a tool that _fits your needs_, you can always **build out one** (_Heck Yeah! perks of being a developer!_).

### 8. One Completed Project **>>** 100 Incomplete Ones

As mentioned previously, people judge you based on what **you've done**, not what **you plan to do**. So put your _best foot forward_ and have a few deployed projects, _to ease up the process for the viewer_, as nobody will download your _code_ and _run it_.

### 9. Where you end up in **5 years** is determined by what you do NOW

**Reality is negotiable**, _where you are currently in life, is a direct result of what you had been doing in the past 5 - 10 years_. Don't like it? Strive to change it, and _in 5 - 10 years you will find yourself somewhere you are proud to be_.

![take action now](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/qjzyhs90w6apbmmy3t7g.jpeg)

### 10. Self-taught Programmers have the **best debugging skills**

**Self-taught Programmers** lack the _opportunity of having someone help out whenever they face a problem_, so _after 100s of trial and error_, they develop **a feel** for _efficient ways to squash a bug_.

### 11. You don't need the **right answer**, just a **less wrong one**

People are so **afraid of failing** that _they don't even give things a shot_, not realizing that _you might not be successful if you try, but you definitely won't be successful if you don't try_. A failure is truly a failure, only if you **don't learn from it** and **keep repeating the same mistakes**.

![failure](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/f3msik7icynglxgsnn2o.jpg)

### 12. It's a **Marathon**, not a **Sprint**

The development space is **constantly evolving**, so prepare yourself for _lifelong learning_. By putting **100-hour week**, _you will just get tired quickly_.

### 13. Don't reinvent the **Wheel**

If there is a library to **solve a problem** you are working on, there is _no harm in utilizing it_ (unless you are actually trying to build a similar library).

### 14. **Tutorials** fail to teach you _the most important skill_

The most crucial skill **problem-solving**, which comes only through **trial and error**. Tutorials give you a _highly refactored final version of the code_, so you miss out on seeing the skill in action.

### 15. No Technology is **perfect**

In this world, everything has its **pros and cons**. So don't waste time, fighting the battle _Tech X_ is better than _Tech Y_, in some niches _Tech X_ will dominate _Tech Y_ and vice versa.

### 16. A project is **never complete**

Learn the **Pareto Principle** (_Law of disproportionate results_). **80%** of the results come from **20%** of the inputs. _Find out the 20% in your case and focus on those_!

![working on a project](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zv3oha0s3b1otx8kafg5.jpg)

### 17. The **hype train** is real, but _take it with a grain of salt_

> New players are where the puck was, good players are where the puck is, great players are where the puck will be.

The **hype** around a technology tells you where the `puck` is heading, but always _take it with a grain of salt_, because _new technologies have high chances of failure_.

### 18. Learn what _NOT to learn_

Learning every is _simply not humanely possible_. First _test out the waters by trying out everything_, then _choose the technology that **resonates the best with you**_

### 19. Humility is your **superpower**

Cherish your **achievements from inside**, but be **humble about them from outside**. _Bragging won't get you far._

### 20. Consistency: **Secret sauce** to achieve _outstanding outputs_ with _average inputs_

Nobody became a pro by putting in **20 hours in a day**, but a lot of people did it by putting in **1 hour for 20 days**. _Your brain needs time to digest the information, you feed it_.

### 21. Open Source can help you **level up**

**Open Source** is a great way to learn by building _amazing Softwares and tools_. But be prepared to be _constantly learning as you would be required to be constantly adapting to new technologies_. It is a great way to **up your game**.

![open source](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/etvmjn6h4zbswf3z3jmt.jpeg)

### 22. **The More you learn, the more you Earn**

The _amount of money you earn is directly proportional to the amount of knowledge you possess_. Not happy with what you are making? _Pick up a new skill that is in higher demand_, **Reality is Negotiable** remember?

### 23. Soft Skills _pay the bills_

**Hard Skills** get you in the room, but **Soft Skills** get selected. _People hire they enjoy interacting with._

### 24. Online Presence is **crucial**

You can offer the **best product in the world**, but _if nobody knows about it, no one will buy from you_.

![Online Presence](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/tu753b98z0sbq0wu84q3.jpg)

### 25. _Jack of all Trades Master of None..._

_...is still better than the Master of One_ (Yep, that's the complete quote). But know what's **the best**? _Jack of all Trades, Master of One._

# Wrapping Up

That's all folk! Do you have any tips to add to the list? **Share them in the comments below 👇**

Finding **personal finance** too intimidating? Checkout my **Instagram** to become a [**Dollar Ninja**](https://www.instagram.com/the.dollar.ninja/)

# Thanks for reading

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Want to see what I am working on? Check out my [Personal Website](https://tapajyoti-bose.vercel.app) and [GitHub](https://github.com/ruppysuppy)

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**FAQ**

These are a few commonly asked questions I get. So, I hope this **FAQ** section solves your issues.

1. **I am a beginner, how should I learn Front-End Web Dev?**
   Look into the following articles:

    1. [Front End Development Roadmap](https://dev.to/ruppysuppy/front-end-developer-roadmap-zero-to-hero-4pkf)
    2. [Front End Project Ideas](https://dev.to/ruppysuppy/5-projects-to-master-front-end-development-57p)

2. **Would you mentor me?**
   Sorry, I am already under a lot of workload and would not have the time to mentor anyone.

3. **Would you like to collaborate on our site?**
   As mentioned in the _previous question_, I am in a time crunch, so I would have to pass on such opportunities.