5 Tips for Code Mastery
By Mohamedamin
Why learn how to code?
The digital world is ever-growing, and learning to code allows you to shape and understand it. By acquiring this skill, you enable yourself to innovate and solve problems using technology. Even if you’re not interested in the field of tech, it still fosters critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities in all fields.
Tip One: START WITH THE BASICS
Rust, Java, C++, Python... You don’t know which to pick? Forbes has a list of the 7 easiest programming languages. Our recommendation is Python, with a syntax similar to the English language, making it much easier to understand—but don’t rush yourself; you can’t tell a computer to “make a game” and expect it to do it for you. You must specify every little operation that could ever occur to make that game work, as computers will follow exactly what you tell them to do. This goes for all programming languages.
Tip Two: WORK ON REAL PROJECTS
Now you’re lost. What do you do with this skill you’ve achieved? How about... make a calculator? Too easy? A searching algorithm. Perhaps use Unity to develop a game! The possibilities are endless, and you will always learn new things.
Tip Three: DEBUG
Now you’ve made a project. It’s great... if it worked. You have something called bugs in your program. Your software will point out that issue, and it is now up to you to use your critical thinking skills to solve it! Maybe your calculator is dividing by zero? Or you are using the wrong data type in an operation! Research and apply, and you will be able to easily identify and tackle the same problems that later come up.
Tip Four: PRACTICE REGULARLY
Consistency is key in coding. You don’t have to practice every day, but make sure to integrate code as a hobby in your life. You can’t get anywhere watching a single video, nor can you get much done by burning yourself out one day and giving up on the rest. A few hours a week can seriously upgrade your coding skills.
Tip Five: MAKE MISTAKES. DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS
This is the most important tip in my opinion. No programmer has ever made progress without making mistakes and finding help. If you find yourself stuck, use StackOverflow or Reddit to find help—and it does not matter how often you need help. If no one has your question, ask it! After all, coding is a journey and requires trial and error. In your journey, you will come across an error or situation where you need help—even the most proficient of hackers and programmers search simple solutions to issues on Google.
I hope these tips helped. Good luck on your code journey!
