extract from this page: https://medium.com/javascript-in-plain-english/7-mistakes-i-made-and-regret-as-javascript-developer-a7e80098e363
I made lots of mistakes while learning to code, actually terrible ones. I thought, why not warn everyone before they make the same. I am sure this will help you get on the fast track towards success.
- Learning it all at once
When I started to learn to program, I spent too much time learning different programming languages and frameworks at once. I spent a week with one technology and language, learning its basics and another the next week. I just kept on jumping from one thing to another. I bet many have and will commit this same mistake. Now I realise that was a dumb idea. I was learning multiple things at once, but I had no clear direction about what type of developer role I wanted to have. I was becoming general of everything instead of specialising, focusing my energy and time on one thing. Programming languages are just tools, and tools come with various shapes and sizes. It is the underlying understanding and concepts of programming that is more important. The concepts are almost the same for every computer programming languages. Stick with a single language and learn everything about it. And no language is better than the other, and each one has its cons and pros, you need to choose just one and stick to it.
- No direction
I realised I learnt programming in a very inefficient way. I had not a goal or direction in mind when I started to learn how to program. I spent too much time on dozens of tutorials and online courses. I knew the syntax, but not how to apply the newly acquired knowledge I have learnt. It is like you know a lot of things and at the same time, you don’t know anything. I decided to change my learning approach. Instead of learning everything at once, I decided to pick one language and learn the fundamentals as best as I can. That was one of my best decisions. I decided to focus on web development and to spend my time learning JavaScript. No frameworks, no libraries or other languages. Just JavaScript and its concepts.
- Not designing the programme
Coding is easy. It is just like learning the rules and syntax. But designing the programme is not easy; it comes with months and years of making mistakes. It requires lots of careful planning. We often get to the coding part of the project, while it works for small applications, but with more extensive applications, it becomes a nightmare. I learned the hard way. But there is another evil, and that is overplanning. That is as bad as no planning. When I came to know about the importance of planning, I did start planning, but excessively. Dumb act! Planning is good, and so is exercise, but too much workout will injure you. And so do overplanning. Don't wait to devise the perfect plan that does not exist, in the programming world, at least. Programming is a responsive activity. You will add features on the go and also remove many features on the go. The key takeaway is that, plan the outline of the programme, keeping the goal intact. But don't sit and design all the small features or the entire program in one go. You cant plan each and everything about the programme. You will know on the go what needs to get added and removed.
- Quality of code
Unclear code is absolute trash. Even you won't understand it a week later. And it abusive for someone who gets the job to maintain the code you wrote. Technology changes rapidly, which require code maintenance. Somebody cannot maintain poor-quality code. Always write good quality code that is easy to read and maintain. Following acceptable practices will get you to the next level. I have an article on how to improve code quality. Do check it out.
- Best friend- Google
Google is the best and loyal friend of programmer, just like Jarvis of Iron-Man. I could save plenty of time if I just googled the problem. Often, someone has solved the problem or something similar. And usually the method you found to solve the problem might be inefficient. Your knowledge even might be outdated in the fast-paced technological world.
- Risking my health
Our brain needs a break, our eyes need rest, and our body requires exercise. Programming is kind of against all of these. When programming, we are drowned into this our world that we forget our physical presence. Hours of sitting on one go is no good. Health is something you cant compromise. Take a short break, go for a walk, drink coffee, go for a walk or even chat with your loved ones. Once with fresh eyes, come back and starting coding. Many of my favourite youtube programmers are suffering from health issues due to prolonged sitting. And now they are doing their best to warn the new programmers. I can't emphasise enough the importance of this mistake which I have been making.
- Overlooking debugging
A terrible mistake. When I started to learn how to program, I completely ignored debugging. It is one of the most common mistakes. We are so eager and focussed on learning the coding part that we neglect how to fix errors and bugs in our program. I spent hours trying to fix bugs and errors with no result, but I realised how deprived I was once I improved my debugging skills.
- Feeling inferior
When you enter an industry that is brand new for you, it can be overwhelming, especially if you have little to zero programming background. You feel that you’re lacking while others seem to know what they are doing. You think your code is not good enough and that you cannot contribute to the code. Self-doubt is a very negative thing that can completely mess with you. It is okay to not to know everything. Low self-esteem and depression are common when you see others better than you. Comparing yourself with others is bullshit. No one is perfect and never will be. Always there will be people better than you and the people inferior to you in programming perspective. That's how the world works. Don't let this get depressed instead of using it as your motivation; use it at your advantage. Let people better than you be an inspiration.
If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room. ― Confucius
Whether you have just written a hello world programme or built large systems, you are valuable and unique. Never let self-doubt overwhelm you. You are still way ahead of everyone else who is not trying. Give a pat on your shoulder and keep learning. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this and have added value to your life. Good luck!