Finding the way

Continuing the story of how I always studied the wrong way, in this part I’ll talk about how I improved my studies and my performance as a programmer. As I mentioned in the previous post, I started to improve after the DesenvolvendoMe mentorship.

There I learned new software development techniques and what it takes to get better as a programmer.

Studying the right way.

Let’s say you’re excited about tech. There are many languages, many frameworks, many influencers. You start studying a technology that’s hyped in the market and that people are talking about. You spend a week or more studying it without really understanding what you’re doing. Then you see a new framework being released and think it must be easier to learn, so you switch and start studying it, again without understanding anything.

At some point you ask yourself why you’re not understanding anything and can’t learn.

You know why? Your logic may have gaps, but you read somewhere that you don’t need programming logic to learn how to program. I always think of it like this: to fry an egg, you need to understand the process and follow it step by step until the egg is ready. Programming is no different. You’ll need to understand the process, the business rules, and the business itself, and logic will make that process easier.

What you need to make your studies stick

Besides studying the basics of the language, I recommend using programming challenge sites to start practicing ways to solve problems, such as URI and HackerRank. These sites help a lot: they offer exercises from basic to advanced for every level. It’s worth setting aside an hour a day to practice.

I recommend setting aside 30 minutes a day to practice the basics of the language.

And most importantly, read the documentation. That’s where you’ll understand everything about the language.

Planning a project and building it will also help you grow.

Well, that was the hard skills part. Just understand this: learning takes determination and focus, and without them you’ll keep going in circles. Use the Pomodoro technique to help you focus, and set whatever time works best for you to practice focus. I usually do one hour of focused work with no distractions.

Now for the soft skills part.

Soft skills include the art of knowing how to ask. When you’re starting out in programming, you have to ask a lot. It may seem funny, but if you don’t understand how something works, don’t be embarrassed to ask, even if the person who will explain it is rude and arrogant.

I knew someone who was very arrogant. Every time I asked a simple question, he answered rudely, but he did answer. Still, don’t be a pest: learn to ask smart questions. What do I mean by smart questions? Before asking someone, search on Google. There will be something explaining it, maybe in a way you won’t understand right away. So write down the main points and what you didn’t understand, and try to summarize it objectively so the person who hears or reads your question understands it. Why do I say this? Because that person will stop what they’re doing to help you, so break it down as much as you can to make answering easier, or even to look for a solution together.

In your conversations, learn to be objective. Beating around the bush, even when you know what you’re talking about, can be tiring for the listener. When a question comes up, write it down. I usually write everything down in Google Keep, then go back and organize my doubts and questions. Before asking, I review them and try to summarize and be very objective. If the person listening doesn’t understand, I explain in more detail.

Always stay focused and determined. Think of it like this: your studies are like building a skyscraper. If you don’t build a strong foundation, it will always shake.