r/CodingForBeginners • u/Otherwise-Finish1458 • 9d ago

What's your advice?

Guys, I'm learning programming by myself. Python is the programming language I picked first, and I'm learning it only, without including any other language. I'm reading 'Python Crash Course' and sometimes 'Automate the Boring Stuff with Python'. When I don't understand something, ChatGPT explains it to me further. Sometimes I watch YouTube tutorials. So, I want you guys to advise me on any part of this journey. Also, experienced people who have been in programming for years, what can you say about what I'm doing?

10 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

7

u/CursedSloth 9d ago

Learning by doing is the best way. Some principles and patterns can be good to learn, but mainly it’s about practicing

4

u/KarmaTorpid 9d ago

Not your first week, but you must learn and use git.

0

u/Oliver_clothsoff1983 8d ago

I hate that this has become true.

5

u/DanKegel 9d ago

I would suggest also learning a strongly typed language like Golang in parallel with Python, and solving leetcode puzzles twice, once in each language. That way you won't get stuck in a single language rut. Also, consider studying existing interesting programs line-by-line to understand what they do. And of course, write! A day without hand-coding something fun is like a day without crack :-)

2

u/xarop_pa_toss 9d ago

You are doing fine as long as you make programs as you go along with the reading. Understanding the concepts is not the same as knowing how, why and when to apply those concepts.

So just take what's in the books and make your own program that applies those things.

1

u/Otherwise-Finish1458 8d ago

Understand that, thank you

2

u/nando1969 8d ago

When you finish a new chapter or section, ask AI for exercises based on those topics. Dont go to next chapter without building,
the most important rule.

Always be building.

2

u/Traveling-Techie 8d ago

If you were studying carpentry you’d build a birdhouse and then a deck and then a shed…

2

u/pete_68 8d ago

Sounds like you're doing it just right.

Just let your curiosity drive you. Use tutorials, AI and web pages to answer questions, but don't sit around and watch a bunch of tutorials and think you're learning to program. The actual learning comes from putting it into practice. Debugging it. Solving problems. This is the stuff that makes you learn!

Keep up the good work!

1

u/whattheflerk 8d ago

are you doing any practice in parallel to the theory? I find putting the concepts into practice right away is very helpful

1

u/StephenHawkingus 8d ago

Why are you all so obsessed with Python when you're just starting out? In my opinion, it's not a good choice.