Hi!!👋🏾

Hi guys and girls. This is my first ever article and I wanted to write on some tips that are super helpful when learning how to code.

I believe this topic is very necessary for beginners whom are just diving into the coding arena.

I'm going to list a couple of tips that have helped me a lot during my 6 months (I know I'm still a baby dev 😅) journey in learning how to code.

Tip #1 - Have a plan

Before jumping into any video or online tutorials on coding, I find it best to do some research first. Research about tech and all its different paths. Find out which track you want to get into and what steps you have to take and languages you need to learn to excel in that track. You should also research on where you want to start learning: online platforms, bootcamps, etc

When I first started, I remember going on a deep dive and watching various YouTube videos discussing what tech was really about and the tracks it consists of (technical and non-technical). This really helped me in knowing what I was interested in learning and how to pursue my coding interest.

I also watched videos that showed me where I could start learning code without breaking bank (I love free stuff btw 😏). A good video I recommend is this. I was looking for a very economical text-based place where I could learn how to code. freeCodeCamp was the place for me and it was ❤️ at first site (get it?).

When I realized I wanted to go into front-end web development, this site also helped me by providing developer roadmaps on what to learn. Check it out!!!

Tip #2 - Baby Steps 👶🏾

Now that you've got a plan on where your heading in your coding journey, the next step is to not rush everything all at once.

Give yourself time to acclimate to this new learning phase. Don't try to learn 2 languages at the same time just so you can skip ahead and start getting jobs. Take your time with whatever you're learning and give yourself time to understand properly.

Take it from someone who tried her hardest to swallow more than she could chew ( me🤦🏾‍♀️). I tried embarking on 2 tech tracks at the same time (front-end and data science) and I burnt out on both. Then I finally dumped one for the other and I never looked back.

As the saying goes:

Slow and steady wins the race!

Tip #3 - Rest

This tip is one that I believe every developer (beginner and intermediate) should incorporate in their lives. Rest, rest and more rest!!!! 💤 It's very easy to fall in love with coding and just stare at lines of code all day but be wary not to compromise your health for your new found love. Make time to rest by just chilling or partaking in one of your favorite hobbies.

For me, whenever I feel a headache coming or my eyes hurting from staring at my laptop for so long, I just watch a movie or listen to music or go for a walk. It helps my brain and body to relax so that I can comprehend what I'm learning and understand better.

Tip #4 - Join a Community

It's very easy to lose motivation when learning how to code; asking yourself questions like: Is it even worth it? or Why am I even doing this?.

A good way to eradicate such questions is by joining a community of coders, developers and the like. Surrounding yourself with people who are on the same journey as you are and being able to share your mutual struggles really helps in alleviating such struggles.

Some good communities to join are : She Code Africa, Women Who Code, Google Developers Group, Code Newbies and of course Hashnode.

Tip #5 - Just Do It!

Like the famous Nike slogan says:

Just do it!

It might be scary at times when delving into something new like coding, but you have to be bold and just take the first step into learning.

Before I started coding, I remember how long I postponed the idea of actually learning how to code. I was scared that I would give up halfway and never go back. Now, 6 months into my coding journey I wonder what took me so long 🤓. Although its hard at times to keep learning, one thing I don't regret is taking that first step in learning how to code.

So be bold and just do it.