Long story short, I did my bachelor in Mechanical Engineering, during my bachelor, I got interested in programming. Now I work as a MERN Stack deve...
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I agree with your points, Abdul. With our industry, it's easy to get distracted by the next big thing and it becomes too easy to abandon what you're currently studying in pursuit of that hotter fresher thing. Mastery comes with depth, and having depth means investing a good amount of time in it.
Learn one thing at a time is hard if you are an independent Dev. To make even a basic site you need a decent level of html, CSS and native js. Anything more complex than a static site is likely to need middleware: node, python, PHP to handle requests and some sort of data store: mySql, postgres, mongo, firebase.
That is without understanding non functional requirements like Git, security, CICD deployment, testing, performance
I was just pondering on why I had not opened my computer to continue my js training throughout the whole of today (gmt +1 timezone) and refreshed my google feed and saw this article. As a self taught programmer (Bsc in industrial chemistry) I have to even the smallest capacity experienced most of the issues listed here.
I have designed a few landing pages with html and css and deployed them on my git page, but nothing really major. Been thinking of getting a full time internship but it's near impossible to find one.
Long story short, thank you for the advice I'll adhere to them.
Why the switch from Industrial Chemistry to Web Dev?
While I'm really good at chemistry, I have always loved tech, since I could remember, from smartphones to pc to softwares etc. As early as freshman year, my coursemates used to think I was a computer science undergrad, because all my friends were there. Had a chance to learn programming as early as 2017 but never acted, that was a terrible decision on my part, now I'm doing what I should've done years ago.
But why Web Dev?
I ask, because one of my best friend is a geologist and he started programming to solve problems of geologists. He mentioned that there are so much stuff that could be automated and improved in his field.
If you really love web development, than go for it. But if programming is your thing, then I would look into problems that chemists have to solve that could be made better with software.
Just my 2 cents.
Cheers
Thanks, I appreciate your inputs whole heartedly.
I don't think I want to get into that tho, I like front-end web development, I want to work in as a web developer, maybe over time switch into app development with react native, or backend with node.js.
Right now I'm just searching for remote internships to help further my progress.
You are unfortunately correct about the con of focusing on multiple technologies or stack in parallel. Everything takes time and unfortunately, companies expect much more than knowing how to print "Hello world". We need first to understand the scope of our role (e.g. Front-end vs. Back-end). Check most popular and widely used technology that companies looking for and then set yourself a target to learn as much as you can from it and never stop.
It is always a plus to be willing to learn something new as you did and companies do appreciate that but at the same time need to make set real goals for each that makes it worth time investment.
I agree with the points, and I'll recommend start applying once you get some JavaScript basics with some computer science thoughts starting to settle in your mind. Then you can learn a framework on the job or internship and grow from there. Great post
I liked Mistake#4. Also, one thing that I personally didn't knew and I think it is one of those things that I wish someone told me before is that you need to learn and have the ability to learn fast. In some way it goes along with the idea behind of Mistake#4 since learning fast + having time to learn =👩💻🧠💥
I love Game jams, they forces us to learn how to prioritize, keeping our eye on the birdie by limiting our resources.
The same goes for any project, sometimes we can postpone things, turn them into their own project (a new goal for later), or just skip them outright because they do not matter in terms of the goal.
I think the same can apply to learning.
Makes me wonder what the if there is a such a thing as learning jams, outside of desperate students cramming last minute for exams. :D
Thanks that was a great read. I to have falling to some of those mistakes.
I would add one more to that list: Remind yourself to recognize the first five and be ok if you make any mistakes along the journey. You’re still moving forward and to remember to re-adjust and follow the first five.
As a up and coming dev, this applies so many things to my own experience. I finished my bootcamp about a year ago at this point and have been derailed off track by multiple distractions but applying the principles you are talking about will definitely help me get to my goal, getting my first dev job!
"More time and fewer responsibilities are blessings. Use it properly otherwise you will regret"
Best !!!
Mistake #2 is what I made, now I'm much more focused on one thing only. Thanks for sharing dude.
same here. I jumped from JS to Python, from Python to PHP, from PHP to C++, again to Python, to React... countless circle. Trying to learn everything I learned nothing. I understanded my mistake, and now I only focused on JS.
Thanks for sharing your mistakes
Mistake #6 - watching youtube videos how to learn programming in 1 hour.
Wow, the things listed here are very relatable.
Hi there Basit Co-indecently, I am also a mechanical engineer and web dev. :P
Awesome to me what was biggest hurdle was tutorial hell
Mistake#2 it's a little bit true and false it's depends on the level of your knowledge cause I think that you can focus parallelely on related topics or semi-related cause rate of gaining knowledge increasing after your first steps
Thanks for sharing your experence and advice to people who start to learn development. I think the most important thing is that you didn't give up and you were successful in the end!
useful bro
adasdas
I think I have did it all. :)
Thank abdul, great post.
Cette histoire servirait plus d'un dans la vie des nouveaux développeurs.
thanks man, i found my self there too.
we think we are right but our mind always need external evidence.
Ya most of us share the same story...