The first thing you should realize is that there isn’t just one proper way of doing it! Sure, you have your coding bootcamp’s and your college degree’s, but the main thing those require (in most cases) is money! The internet has most, if not all, of the resources you need to be able to learn the basic and advanced aspects required to perform the job. I’d like to share some basic tips that got me started on mine.

Some time ago, I was in a well-paying job at a notable institution, living and working in one of the best cities in the world, and I was terribly depressed. The sound of my weekday alarms would fill me with dread! Because it meant I’d have to spend another day at work, performing tasks I had no interest in doing, then getting reprimanded for not doing them well enough.

During this time, I decided to tinker around with a programming language you might have heard about called Java. The first application I decided to create was one that would help me stay on top of some of the tasks I was getting yelled at for not performing. It looked horrible! Worse than garbage. But having enjoyed the process so much, I bought myself a book called “Heads First Java” by Kathy Sierra so that I could teach myself more. It was the best purchase I’ve ever made. Not only did I learn how to code in Java, but it also taught me the concept of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), foundationally essential to grasp for most languages. Which brings me to me first piece of advice…

Get comfortable with reading!

You must possess the discipline to read through an immense amount of instructions and technical information. Initially, a lot of it won’t make sense unless you read more than once. Don’t feel bad if you feel you don’t fully comprehend everything on the first shot. Heck, you might not even comprehend everything until re-reading a passage days later! I can’t count the many times that’s happened to me.

I found keeping notes extremely useful. Preferably written since it’s been proven to help commit things to memory much more easily. I found I could more easily recall information I’d previously covered. It’s also fun to look back on your notes and see how much you’ve improved over time.

Something else that helped immensely was making friends who were going through or learning the same thing! I was lucky I had my cousin so I didn’t have to look too far, but nonetheless I met other folks at my job whom I’d bother from time to time to ask those nagging questions that I couldn’t quite figure out on my own. Surrounding yourself with these individuals will keep propelling you forward on your quest!

Consistency is the name of this game. Soon enough, little-by-little, you’ll find that you grasp technical information more easily. At that point you’ll be able to skip ahead to only the important bits that you need to get things working. But none of that will happen if you give up! It’s important to remember that this is a skill you’re acquiring, and you need to make sure to sharpen it every day, otherwise you’ll lose it.

Set a schedule for yourself

For me it was every day as soon as I got home from work and ate dinner. I’d forego the most popular show on TV or hanging out with friends until I was satisfied I learned or was capable of doing something new. The crazy thing is that you won’t feel upset about missing out on such things because you’re looking forward to this every day, and more importantly it doesn’t feel like a chore.

You should find a nice setting to park yourself at, some place where you’re not very likely to get distracted. If possible, set your phone on Do Not Disturb and keep it far enough that you’d have to get up to reach it. Once you get into focus-mode, everything will be much easier to digest.

With all that said however, it is important to know when to take a break. Burnout is real, and you should try to avoid it as best you can. Lest you get so sick and tired of studying that you won’t want to continue ever again. Remember, consistency is key. So if you find that your mind keeps trailing off, or something doesn’t make sense despite reading it for the umpteenth time, then that’s a clear sign you should step away for a while and come back at a later time.

Watch Tutorials

There are TONS of videos on YouTube that will teach you how to do anything. One of the best ways to learn is by watching someone else. There are also a lot of established developers that do live code alongs (e.g. Twitch) which could be a great place to make new like-minded friends! Make sure you follow along as well, using the video to determine whether you’re on the right path.

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I don’t think there’s any single great place to start, but these tips will set you on the right path. I also think you should stumble around a bit, so that you eventually arrive at something you truly enjoy. It’s the process you should seek and be happy pursuing. Because it actually never ends. New software and technologies are constantly arriving, and it takes time (and everything I described above!) to become moderately good at it.

I plan to write about the resources I found most helpful in learning some of the languages and frameworks I currently work with. If you’d like to see those stories, make sure you follow me on Twitter!