Making the decision to become a programmer is undoubtedly one of the most tasking challenges you’ll ever embark on, but it promises to be worth it in the long run. An often-underestimated aspect of a challenge is the process. The nitty-gritty bits, the staying-up-at night, sacrifices, tutorials, team efforts, which is why you might as well condition your mind to trust the process and have fun learning.
Here are a few mistakes you’ve probably encountered and laughed at when you discovered how totally avoidable and silly it was.
1. Self-doubt: This is the number one mistake you could possibly make, thinking you’re neither good nor smart enough. You will learn, if you stick with it, and with time, you’ll see that it’s not so scary. When you take it bit-by-bit, you’ll see that it’s all logical, and you’ll be communicating with machines in no time.
2. Trying to learn/use multiple languages/frameworks/IDEs: Tech discovery and its endless possibilities get really exciting and you’ll want a piece of it all. Take it slow and work with a directory. Let your project decide your trajectory and the best framework. If you need to pick up a whole new framework, take your time mastering it and seek a mentor’s help. Also, stick to one IDE, Visual Studio Code is a great option, and you could code various languages on it.
3. My Code has to be perfect: Clean code, unit tests and documentation are important. One necessary skill to adopt is patience; learning is a lifelong process, the amount of effort applied is directly proportional to the result. Writing excellent code is not a day’s job, a lot of mistakes will be made, and a lot of clunky code will be written, but it’s all part of the process. With adequate guidance and practice, it’s sure to get better.
4. My Mentor/Supervisor/Product Manager is wrong, I could do it better: When a project or part of a project is assigned to you, carry it out judiciously within the stipulated time, seek assistance from the internet and senior developers if necessary. Years of experience come into play when deciding an authority, so you should respect yours. A lot of time and effort is usually expended arguing with a superior over tasks, and if every member of the team decides to tread that same route, disaster looms ahead.
During ideation and brainstorming sessions, table your concerns respectfully, and they will be dealt with accordingly. Planning every detail of a project is challenging, and one has to take into account, the limitations, timeframe, and budget, you cannot forget about the business requirements, even as a developer. A lot of things could change mid-way and agility comes in, supervisors make mistakes as well, and it will be in everyone’s interest to work together, and not forget that you’re working towards the same goal.
5. Not backing up your work: There are so many automated and version control tools, so there’s really no excuse to lose anything, even in the case of a computer malfunction. Save your code and upload to Github or Bitbucket, whichever you prefer, these tools have free-to-use options. Work hard and work even smarter!
Working with a great, organized, agile team with an excellent leader will only be possible if each individual plays his/her part. Becoming a better programmer is not only about technical skills, you also need to deliver value to a company and best practices of doing so.
