How to move on from the tutorial phase as a beginner?
Tags: webdev, programming, codenewbie, beginners
Published: 2021-12-31 12:36:53

If you are new to programming, one of the first things that probably aids you in your self-learning process is the many resources and tutorials that are available. A quick google search can be both a blessing as well as an overwhelming experience thanks to the digital connectivity we have today. After going through multiple suggestions on various portals, I found these to be most commonly listed to help a budding programmer.

####1. Build Projects

Ask someone who codes for a living how to get better at coding, I can guarantee you that they will all tell you: _build projects, start working on something you feel invested in, it doesn’t have to be a huge project!_ You will probably be left wondering what falls under a project? How do I build one? Where do I start? Firstly, take a step back and breathe. Then, break down your idea into multiple sub tasks, write down what all you want to achieve and begin. Also, it’s perfectly all right if what you want to do isn’t unique at all. The point is to build something on your own.

####2. Practice, practice, practice! 

As with many other skills, your programming gets better only with time and dedication from your end. Make sure to spend an hour a day or so working on the concepts you struggle with, most often used modules in the language you’re learning, get your basics correct by working on exercises - I personally find exercise problems at the end of textbook chapters quite helpful to develop logical skills; there are a few websites like [Edabit](https://edabit.com/) dedicated for that purpose alone. These problems could comprise a small program using multiple methods or just a single method.

####3. Read Code!

You know how something clicks simply by looking at it repeatedly? Read it once and you have no idea what it means but give it a few more tries and the brain fog gets clearer? Well, I feel it’s like that with code too. Not only will you get familiar with the language but you will also get an idea on how a particular problem is solved or what course another coder has taken. Basically, you will be learning from their thought process. At the end of the day, code is a structured write up telling you what exactly is being done.

####4. Go through the tutorial again

Once you feel like you have gotten better than you were before, go back to the basics. I know this particular point feels like you will be kept in the loop instead of breaking out of it, but give it a try if the course you initially started with was a detailed one and you might not have grasped its concepts better back then. The purpose is to strengthen your basics, it is a major plus if the course is more hands-on. This time you can actually pause, attempt a problem on your own and take help from the tutorial if you feel the need to.

####5. Read technical articles, follow other developers and their work

There’s a ton of programmers out there producing quality work every single day. Ranging from keeping you up-to-date with here-to-stay technologies like no-code/low-code platforms to covering concepts through detailed code, you will learn a lot and can decide the extent of programming you wish to add to your portfolio. Follow them on blogging websites or their social media, I promise you will get a little bit of technical exposure every day! This will make you feel like a part of the developer’s community and sometimes that might be the push you need to stay consistent. 

####6. Teach - and finally, teach!

If you really want to learn something and be good at it, you have to attempt to teach it. Not only do you feel confident at your skills by doing this, but there’s also more clarity that comes along with it. You can either blog about what you’ve learnt or teach it to someone else. Find any means which work for you. If you aren't sure where to begin, start with teaching yourself: write down what you’ve learnt and explain that certain bit that confused you earlier and how you arrived at a solution. Just like building your first projects, this doesn't have to be spectacularly grand either - keep it simple and short and grow from there. 

So, this is it then! I'm going to conclude my first technical blog post here. These tips are more of a continual reminder for me and anyone who's feeling lost and unready out there. If you have any more suggestions or would like to add onto these points, do let me know below.