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🕵️‍♂️ The Art of Self-Learning: How to Teach Yourself Any Programming Concept 🤓

Lucas Lima do Nascimento on April 16, 2024

Introduction to Self-Learning Firstly, let me paint you the scene. You’ve heard on the news or through a friend that the "job market for...
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vincanger

great advice. I always tell people "FIND SOMETHING THAT INTERESTS YOU AND GO TRY AND BUILD IT!" haha. But I like the way GeoHotz said it better :)

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Absolutely! GeoHotz has that knack for making everything sound cooler, doesn't he?

BTW, couldn't agree more with the mantra "FIND SOMETHING THAT INTERESTS YOU AND GO TRY AND BUILD IT!" hahaha!

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Mihovil Ilakovac

Noice!

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mastro profile image
Dimitrios Mastrogiannis

Top notch advice! The way to really learn is find a project that interests you. It's like building with LEGO, you can follow the instructions and build a copy or buy a bucket of them and build something that really interests you. The fun you have along the way will keep motivating you. It really helps to have the right tools too. For us Wasp was our first introduction with full stack, but it made everything 100 times easier!

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Absolutely! Building with LEGO is the perfect analogy. Following instructions can be fun, but the real magic happens when you let your imagination run wild and create something unique. Having the right tools, like Wasp for full stack, is like having that extra-special LEGO piece that makes your creation shine even brighter.

Really glad to see your comment @mastro!

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masonericd

It sounds easier than done. Sometimes you do not really know what projects you want to start with. You might think you have interest in a specific area and get started, after some progress, you will notice that you have started a new project and leaving the previous incomplete. Just keep pushing.

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento • Edited

You're absolutely right—it can definitely be challenging to choose the right project to start with, especially when your interests might shift along the way.
It's okay, though, to start projects and discover they're not the right fit for you — it's all part of the learning process. The key is to keep pushing forward, learning from each experience, and refining your goals and interests along the way. Eventually, you'll find projects that truly resonate with you. Stay persistent, stay curious, and keep pushing—you've got this! 💪

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Atai Barkai

Great article and couldn't agree more-
"the easiest way to learn is to find something that motivates you to do it."

From my past life doing physics, i can attest this holds true even outside of software. if you actually try to solve a problem you care about, you will naturally learn 20x faster

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Absolutely! That principle holds true across many disciplines, including physics and software development.

When you're genuinely interested in solving a problem or exploring a topic, learning becomes more engaging and effective.

It's all about finding that intrinsic motivation to drive your learning forward. Thanks for sharing your perspective! It was really enriching!

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Ruben Lozano

I really like this article. I agree on this. I am a marketer that I am trying to learn programming and data skills and the best way I found myself motivated and willing to keep every day is because I am a project in mind, there is something I want to build and I am want to do it. In marketing is the same, you don't know Google Analytics 4 by just checking the tutorials, you need to have your website and play with all the metrics and dimensions to understand how that works and the meaning of the numbers.

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Absolutely, I couldn't agree more!

Having a project in mind is such a powerful motivator when learning new skills, whether it's programming, data analysis, or marketing. It's through hands-on experience and experimentation that we truly grasp concepts and deepen our understanding. Just like in marketing, where diving into Google Analytics and tinkering with real data on your own website provides invaluable insights.

Keep up the great work with your learning journey, and never underestimate the power of hands-on projects! 🚀📈

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Silvester • Edited

Awesome. I have been teaching myself data analysis/science with the hope of starting a career in those areas but I always felt like I am not making any progress. I will definitely check out those GitHub links you shared and see if I'll find interesting project that can motivate me. Cheers

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

That's a great initiative! Don't be too hard on yourself—learning data analysis and science is challenging, but it's also incredibly rewarding.

Give a check on the projects on GitHub and try to find inspiration and motivation is a really good decision!

Remember, progress takes time, so keep pushing forward and celebrating your achievements along the way. If you ever need assistance or guidance, feel free to reach out. Cheers to your learning journey! 🌟🚀

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Mansour Malikzada

I found it very useful topic since i have finished a curriculum based course of full stack development and i had small projects in front end but i am always striving in time how much time we should give is 4 hours enough a day for beginners?
I really want to be a good programmer but i have some difficulties please motivate me.

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

It's fantastic that you found the topic useful!😊 Investing time in self-learning after completing a curriculum-based course shows dedication. Four hours a day is a great starting point for beginners, but finding a balance that works for you is essential.

Consistency is key, so focus on making steady progress and celebrating your achievements along the way. Keep in mind that difficulties are a natural part of the learning process.

Stay motivated by setting achievable goals (try to find more projects using the repo mentioned in the article and some real stuff too, like freelancing), finding support here in DEV.to or mentorship, and remembering your passion for programming.

You've got this! If you're stuck on creating small projects, I would also recommend reading Creating a more than minor side-project: From planning to release. 🚀

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Jack Bridger

very handy!

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Thanks a lot, Jack!

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Juraj

The best way to learn is by doing it yourself; great article!

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Glad you enjoyed the article! Dive in, get your hands dirty, and let the learning adventure begin. After all, there's no substitute for hands-on experience! Happy coding!

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Matija Sosic

I agree with the main point here - you can watch tutorials all you want, but getting your hands dirty is ultimately the only way to learn and understand things.

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Exactly! It's like watching cooking shows versus actually being in the kitchen. You've got to feel the ingredients and burn a few recipes to succeed and finally make some great dishes!

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Dev Sk

Thank you dude for your advice

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

You're very welcome! I'm glad I could offer some helpful advice. If you ever need more guidance or have any questions, feel free to reach out. Keep up the great work, and best of luck with your endeavors! 😊👍

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Tung Leo

Great post!

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the post. If you have any questions or if there's anything else you'd like to see covered in future articles, feel free to let me know! 😊📝

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Florian

Thanks for the great tips! Especially the fourth tip about reflecting on your own progress is something I hadn't paid much attention so far during my learning process.

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

You're welcome! I'm glad you found the tips helpful, especially the one about reflecting on your progress. It's often overlooked, but taking the time to assess how far you've come can be incredibly motivating and insightful. Feel free to reach out if you need more advice or have any questions. Keep up the great work! 😊👍

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Meli

Great advice thank you very much

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

You're very welcome! I'm glad the advice was helpful to you. If you need more assistance or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Keep up the great work! 👍

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Renan Ferro

Caraca, muito legal ver mais um Brazuca aqui pela comunidade!

Ótimo artigo man, amassou 😀🤘🏻

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Pô, massa demais ver outro brasileiro por aqui, também hahahah!

Fico feliz que tenha gostado do artigo e valeu pelo feedback mano! 😄👍
Se precisar de mais alguma coisa ou tiver alguma dúvida, é só chamar!

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Spandan Sehgal

Well explained! The advice to do it yourself and commit some mistakes is the best! You cant learn something until you do it and commit some mistakes and finally rectifiy them!

Thank you for sharing!

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Thank you for your kind words!

Learning often comes through trial and error. Embracing mistakes as part of the learning process is essential for growth. Keep exploring, and experimenting, and don't be afraid to make mistakes along the way.

Happy coding! 😊👍

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Alex

Great post! That’s how I always learn things and it never stops being fun!

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

That's fantastic to hear! Learning should indeed be an enjoyable and continuous journey. Keep up the great work!

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Borzoo Moazami

Nice post. Thank you for sharing, specially the repo you shared for getting idea.

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

You're welcome! I'm glad you found the post helpful, especially the repository for project ideas.

Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance!

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Madhu Saini

Great blog

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. If you have any more questions or topics you'd like to see covered, feel free to let me know. 😊

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cuongnp

Thanks for good article! Love it!

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

You're very welcome! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the article. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!

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Ebere Richard Emelike

Nice article

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Thanks🙌!

Keep crushing those learning goals!

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Rasel Mollik

Great article!

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

If you have any questions or topics you'd like to see covered in the future, feel free to let me know!

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Đoàn Trương Gia Bảo

Really quality topics !!! Respect <3

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Lucas Lima do Nascimento

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled that you found the topics valuable. If you have any questions or if there's anything else you'd like to see covered, feel free to let me know. Your feedback means a lot! 🙏

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Eri Irawan

Thanks for sharing!

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danibassprod

This helped me quite a lot, I've been learning programming self-taught for a year and sometimes I feel overwhelmed but focused no matter what!