3 stages to improve the learning of programming languages

If you do not know where to start, it would be worthwhile to read these guidelines and build your own way of learning. No one will say that it comes easily, but the satisfaction that this experience gives will surely compensate for all the hours spent during this process.

There is no denying that in the contemporary world the level of knowledge and skills of programmers is very important and we are constantly required to improve our qualifications because practically every day something is changing in the IT industry. New programming languages, new upgrades and programs are constantly being developed, and also, somewhere at the back of our minds, we must remember that artificial intelligence chases us inexorably. Expanding our knowledge and constant improvement makes us develop very fast as programmers as well as people. Besides, gaining knowledge drives us to action, it does not bore us and push us not acting like a robot constantly doing the same things. The fact that we have the opportunity for continuous development gives us not only more opportunities for better work or earnings but also is our passion, which does not allow us to be left behind. The IT industry requires you to learn something new all the time and it is a pleasant and exciting process. If you are not on the same page as we are, explore our ways to make learning fun and challenging.

 

Stage 1

It all comes to the basic

You can use several paths to learn a new programming language. You can choose a longer and more difficult one which means you learn everything by yourself. For this, you need not only determination but also a basic knowledge of the IT industry. Choosing your own learning path you can base your search for the fundamentals of a particular programming language on immeasurable online resources, through search sites using google, blogs, youtube tutorials or IT industry platforms with Q&A sections. There are many possibilities, however, you should know what to look for and how to look for it and that is a completely different matter. Therefore, when you are completely new to IT it is worth to start your journey with a reliable course in which experienced teachers will introduce you to an unknown world.

Knowledge of the basics is crucial because it is on them that all your knowledge and further development will be based. It is worth reading books and articles about a specific programming language as well as the codes created in that language. At this stage, it is very important to be systematic and to contribute to the action. There may be moments when you will no longer know anything, that nothing will be clear, but it is worth going through this stage to get to the situation where everything will clarify and you will be enlightened metaphorically. This “ah-ha” moment must come at some point and it gives a lot of satisfaction so it is worth to wait for it.

Each of us knows that it is easy to give up when everything around us seems difficult and incomprehensible, but it is not worth giving up on the path towards development and a better future. Spend 30 minutes or an hour staring at the code written in the programming language you are interested in or reading about the language and you will notice that the results will be obvious in a very short time.

 

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Stage 2

Those who don’t try don’t make mistakes

Once you’ve learned the basics of a programming language, it’s a good idea to play with it a little. So it would be worthwhile to take a look at sites such as:

  • HackerRank,
  • LeetCode,
  • Project Euler,

where you can gain additional knowledge and solve many challenging coding tasks, which will only improve your use of the programming language.

At this point, we can’t help but mention StackOverflow, where you can contact experienced users of a certain programming language and ask them for advice or help in solving your problems. This community is made up of fantastic people who are very willing and committed to help those inexperienced users.

But that’s not all! Have you ever heard of Codewars? If not, it’s worth shot. It is a place where programming enthusiasts from all over the world solve coding puzzles and with the solution of some problems, you can advance in the ranking, which in a way gives similar satisfaction as playing games and at the same time you learn a lot.

When you are at a standstill and your learning curve isn’t rising even a millimetre, try to find inspiration and new challenges on the Github. This platform really gives you a lot of possibilities when you learn a new programming language, and when you feel up to it you can also become a part of something bigger and that can lead to completely new possibilities.

 

Stage 3

Show the world what you’ve learned

Once you have acquired basic knowledge, practice and your brain start to get used to what you want to do, your fingers will help you to write your codes faster and more efficiently. This is the moment when you feel enormous satisfaction and this is the moment when you still have a lot to learn! Don’t forget that particular programming languages can be learned for years and you still can’t learn everything about them because it’s changing all the time.

However, since you have already gained mysterious knowledge, use it by taking part in numerous projects on Github, collect opinions and evaluations of other users and thus learn to discover something new and interesting every day. Don’t rest in constant inquiring why and how something was done, analyse and study the codes of other users and constantly improve your own because each code can be better than its original version.

Additionally, when you think you know a certain programming language well enough to use it, create something from it, a blog, an App or whatever comes to your mind. This way, not only will you be able to test yourself in a specific task, but also you can boast of your achievements by creating your new portfolio so essential in the search for a new, better job.

Learning and retraining in the field of new programming languages is a key element of work in the IT industry. You have to follow constantly changing trends and requirements to be able to develop. As a result, you will not be able to complain about boredom at work and your knowledge and experience will bring you more and more benefits.

It is also worth considering the way you want to learn. Of course, it is obvious that there is no way of achieving your goals without your involvement, exercise and trying and retraining, but maybe it is worth taking your first steps in favourable circumstances, i.e., during courses specially prepared for this purpose. Consider these options but most importantly realise that there is no such thing as stagnation in the IT industry! There are constantly changing fascinating things and give great motivation to action. So learn new programming languages and focus on yourself!