Girl in TECH – How to get started
Coding is not for everyone, but you can decide if it is for you.
1. LOVE WHAT YOU DO
There is no better thing than waking up and spending time on things that you like. Is not necessary to strain yourself, thus you need to think if you like programming or developing, if you enjoy learning and coding, if you are interested in problem solving, if you find yourself through lines of code and if you can vision this as part of your future. Computer Science is one of the well-payed jobs today, but there will be no sense and excitement for you if you are not thrilled by this field.
2. START FOLLOWING
You should create the perfect environment that will not only inform, but also inspire you. Start following different pages on social media, like ProgrammerPlus, inside.code, techcrunch etc. There are variety of pages you can follow depending on your interest. Also, following and practicing YouTube tutorials are a great way to learn programming. This can help your academic performance, but also develop individual skills. A lot of YouTube channels or coding websites offer even source codes. You can take this to your advantage to understand the program and modify it as you wish.
3. KNOW WHAT YOU LEARN
It is very easy to learn a new
programming language, but the problem is that with time new technologies will
be used and it makes it harder for one individual to learn each of the
programming language in the world. It is important that you gain and understand
the essence of programming, so the logic behind it. Get to know the rules and
also the mathematical background, which will later help you fit another
programming language. Do not focus on learning as many programming languages as
you can. Language is just the tool that help us implement the specified tasks,
thus it will be a waste of time if you start dedicating yourself in this
aspect. By doing some research you can easily detect which is the best
alternative for you. Start by learning Java. It is class-based, object-oriented programming language and a lot of
its syntax is based on C++/C programming language. If you are a beginner in
Java you will find it entertaining and challenging as well as it will make you
to think like programmer and understand how ours PCs/laptops processes data.
Python and Ruby are other
languages that you should have knowledge of. Not
to mention the fact that as a beginner it will be very easy to learn Python and
Ruby. They are very dynamic, flexible and functional languages. You will have
the ability to make readable program in lesser lines of code. So simple and
readable, exactly what you need!
Next will be JavaScript, as a client-side scripting language. This is a widely popular programming language and not that difficult to learn. A great goal would be learning PHP as one of the most popular server-side programming language in the word, and it is used a lot.
4. CHOOSE THE BEST ENVIRONMENT
Even though you are in the beginning of programming, is a good idea to adapt yourself with a good environment to program. There is nothing more annoying than a software that doesn't respond to you correctly. I have started Java using NetBeans, which is a good IDE and it is actually one of the 3 biggest and most popular IDE's in the world, but now I have discovered much better IDE's that are more practical and offer more efficiency. Those are Eclipse and IntelliJ. These three are the best IDEs you can find when it comes to Java programming, still they support more languages:
NETBEANS: Java, C/C++, XML & HTML to PHP, Javadoc, JavaScript, JSP, etc. ECLIPSE: Java, C/C++, JavaScript, PHP, etc. IntelliJ: Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, PHP, Python, etc.
Eclipse offers powerful tools for various processes and IntelliJ has many features that makes programming simpler in terms of debugging, code refactoring, code completion, XML editing support, unit testing, etc. Eclipse and Netbeans can be used on Linux, macOS, Solaris and Windows. IntelliJ supports platforms like Linux, macOS, and Windows.
The best IDE for C# programming is Visual Studio, which makes developing web apps, mobile apps, etc much much easier and practical. Its features (code editor, breakpoints, ectend capability, built-in-languages)help in this aspect too. Visual Studio supports Mac, Linux and Windows.
5. STAY ORGANIZED
There is no wonder why most people have the stereotype about programmers as they are out of this world and enjoy to stay alone. In fact, this can be true in some cases, but this doesn’t mean you should follow this path too. Make time for your activities and organize your day. If you are at school, take time to rest, do your homework and make an agenda on how much time you are going to code for one day. Even put special alarms on your phone if needed. Do not overload yourself with tasks that you will not be capable to understand later; if you feel tired, make the day off, but do not forget to catch up with programming the other day. Do not eliminate your everyday activities for coding, so go for a walk, go out with friends or play a game if these are things that you like to do. After sometime you will start noticing that it will become a habit for you to code on e specific time of the day, as you are going to learn yourself with that schedule and it will not impress you even if you stay awake until 3 am.
6. ASK FOR HELP
Even most experienced programmers need help in certain situations/scenarios. As a beginner, is important to consult with others, friends, professors or even online tutors. This will help you grow your skills and have a much better understanding on problems that you can have later. You can also join forums, like StackOverflow, where you can ask questions or find your solution on others posting. There is no need to be shy when asking for help. When you ask, it means that you are interested. When you are interested, you will have more motivation to go on.
7. CHALLENGE YOURSELF
After you feel that you are doing well at school, that your programming level is going up, start making your own projects. Search online and get inspired on things that you have the ability to do. It does not matter how small it can be, as long as you are dedicated to learn and to perfect your skills. Your knowledge should not be framed by only the information that you get at school. Explore, find yourself and be original on what you do. Try making your first GUI program or start making your first web application. This will be beneficial for you as you own your projects and it will help you later when getting a job. Practice is valuable, and you should use every opportunity you have to expand it.
8. STAY MOTIVATED
There will be moments when you will get tired or something will not work properly, but that does not make your skills/knowledge weak. For every problem there is a solution, you just need to stay focused and passionate about it. Programming is not easy, and the truth is that is not for everyone. It depends on you how you are going to stay on work mode and how you are going to cope such situations. Even large companies can fail project; you are just a beginner, and having difficulties is very normal. Read and learn new things, practice, ask for help and the most important, enjoy programming.
“Testing leads to failure, and failure leads to understanding.” — Burt Rutan