Coding Was HARD Until I Learned These 5 Things...

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Hope this video helps you getting started on Software Engineering and learning how to code ✨

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[АлексейБраун-пу]

1. Learn by doing
2. Learn to program, not programming language
3. Create a roadmap for yourself
4. Prioritize understanding
5. Get use to failing

[DavidPressley]

The Algorithm recommended this video. The timing was impeccable. “You have to take the time to understand what you are doing”.

[kinsondigital]

"Learn by doing" is absolutely one of the biggest, if not the biggest, hurdles to overcome when you want to code. You have to commit to failing quickly and failing fast. You need to look forward to the problems and want to solve them. Failing is a "GOOD THING". This is not just something that only applies to programming. This applies to life as a whole!

Usually, the hardest things in life are very rewarding and worth the time. But that only holds if you interpret it that way with the right attitude.

Good advice Esla!

[Ciprian-Amarandei]

When I realized that I didn't have to learn an entire library but instead how to search on a documentation or resource a specific information, I managed to finish my projects faster.
I am not that good at memorizing exact technical stuff but instead I memorize concepts and abstract processes, so I give up forcing myself to memorize new functions with their exact implementation, instead I know at the higher level what tot do and where to find that information. I also have a file with code snippets for specific tasks. Coding now is a joy.
So my advice to my younger me would be:
1. Learn general stuff about what ALL programming languages have in common: (variables, functions, loops, conditions)
2. Don't worry to much if you can't memorizing the exact specific syntax for certain things, just write it down on a text file
3. Try to do the same thing in 3-4 different ways and see where it breaks the code, that way you learn what doesn't work and you figure out why it doesn't work.

[rolandparenteau]

This is the best lecture on introductory programming I've ever heard. Bravo!

[burrahobbithalf]

All so true. The only thing I'd add to this for beginner programmers is this: before you write a single line of code for a project, outline the entire program in comments in the same way you are taught to outline a paper. Amazing what a difference this makes.

[mk]

As someone with 30 years experience in programming, I 100% agree with this advice.
For me, 'prioritize understanding' is something I'm been guilty of skipping. I have deadlines, and I see an example that works, so I run with it, only to later realize it wasn't the best solution to the problem and may even end up being a bigger problem in the end!

[NDIDIAHIAKWO]

Straight on. You're a good coach.
Most people run away from the work input, yet expect a max output.

[uclassc]

What helps me is putting layman terms to names in software for example an array is a list, an entity is something you add fields to, etc

[Pikseller]

When you first start learning programming, it may seem like language proficiency is the most important thing. But over time, you realize that the key isn’t which language you use, but how you approach problems. This moment of realization is when you truly enter 'god mode.' Being able to analyze problems correctly and discover solutions gives you a power far greater than just knowing the language itself.

[pensularnaseeare]

🎯 Key points for quick navigation:

00:00:14 *💻 The speaker has been a software engineer at a FAANG company for almost four years, gaining confidence over time despite early struggles.*
00:00:43 *💡 The first lesson: "Learn by doing." You can't master coding by just watching videos; actual practice is essential.*
00:01:12 *🌐 Start by building something you want, like a website, to learn more effectively and create a portfolio piece.*
00:01:27 *🧠 The second lesson: "Learn to program, not just a programming language." Understanding concepts is more critical than memorizing syntax.*
00:02:39 *🔍 Focus on understanding the abstract concepts behind algorithms, which can be applied across any programming language.*
00:03:20 *🗺️ The third lesson: "Create a road map." Determine what you want to build, then learn the necessary technologies in a structured way.*
00:05:15 *🔧 The fourth lesson: "Prioritize understanding over everything." Take the time to understand why your code works, which will save time in the long run.*
00:07:06 *🔁 The fifth lesson: "Get used to failing." Failure is essential for learning and growth as a software engineer.*

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[bshmoove]

A lot of developers feel they don't have the luxury of understanding how every code fix works when they have deadlines, but I completely agree that they need to know how it works in order to improve.

[tomasslavik]

Absolutely valuable advices.
This is something I needed from beginning.
It took me ages running through tutorial hell and trying to make "todo lists" and such stuff, unable to work independently, because I sit and what now. So I sat again and ran again through tutorials.
This year's spring I finally got a project.
I am a bookworm and I often go through antique book shops searching for books no longer in sale in common book stores. I did it every day.
One day it clicked - yes, I will automatize it! I was familiar with Python enough to code but not familiar with building. It was pain. Confusion. Hardships. I struggled a lot.
But I finally learnt how to sit down, think of project, break into pieces, think of smaller pieces, implement pieces, test them, find flaws, take a day to think of this piece and redo it again and again.

My project can schedule scraping, scrape shops, compose mails and provide me a mail with results - book, edition, issue, price, link. It finally works! First version sucked. One big messy file.
Second version was more modular but with many mistakes and bad practices. This time I got feedback from experienced guys.
I am finishing third version. I am almost done. I learnt many principles in my journey. Something I can sell at interview because I can talk about my project, about design problems I faced and why I chose this solution over another.
I feel like I understand now.

Alongside my project I try to learn golang and when I said to it, I did one day syntax overview, some practice, and now I am sitting and trying make my own TUI game just using my experience with building. I feel the difference. I can build whole project in pseudocode and now I face just the fact golang forces me to think of "pieces" differently, less OOP, but okay.
But it is just fun for rest. I keep moving towards my main project.

[isman]

This is something that sould be at the beginning of every programming tutorial on youtube. Well said, Elsa.

[behcettolga]

do not memorize everything. understand the concepts and build a mental index/keywords, so you can search/find details of whatever you need whenever you need them. Good video!

[Kassandra-ctwl]

that first one is so true, i am now putting in the work and finally getting it, you have to get your hands dirty and just do it

[DaveDickens]

Great advice! I have been programming for 30+ years, and this is exactly what you need to do. Thank you! Cheers Dave

[matsfrommusic]

The hard part when learning to code is that it's catch 22 situation a little bit. When I first started I made the huge mistake in believing I had to understand every little piece and parts of the code, know what every little keyword meant etc, before I could move on to learning the next thing, and that made the learning process so much more difficult. Everything seemed very abstract because I couldn't relate to any of it, it's just gibberish at that point. Eventually I realized I had to take some time to just learn the syntax by writing various types of code over and over until I knew exactly _how_ to write a constructor class or a setter class or whatever it was, even though I didn't really understand how it worked or what these characters really meant. Just learning the syntax "upfront" like this, was a massive help to me.

[SeanCallahan]

Great video. Conceptualizing the problem is something I wish I could rewind and burn into my brain. For anyone out there just learning - a simple example would be something like, "Imagine you have 10 friends and you need to give each of them a high five. Think about this like what you would do as a human, go one by one and high five them". That’s a for loop. Obviously to anyone who knows what they’re doing they know they can high five all people at once in a lot of cases but for getting started, just think about these things the way you would think about them normally without programming. What would you do? That’s it. Everything else is just syntax and research on how people have figured out the optimal way to do that thing (or if you’re super smart you come up with your own way and people name it after you). :)

[DoomsdayGundam]

As one of those people that jumped right in to python learning syntax. This is exactly what I needed to hear! Thanks for the advice