How to overcome challenges when learning to code as a beginner
Sigma School
20th August 2023
Learning to code can be challenging, especially if you are a beginner with no prior knowledge and experience. Understanding new concepts and learning syntaxes can get overwhelming. But here’s good news, it’s absolutely normal and common to face such challenges – every great developer out there has gone through them.
In this article we will look at the many challenges beginners face when learning to code, and how you can overcome them:
Many make the mistake of trying to learn how to code at an unrealistically fast rate. This can lead to you not being able to write code that runs because of a weak understanding in the fundamentals – facing a bigger roadblock than when you first started. Just like all things in life, you need to learn to crawl before you can learn to walk. To learn code, you absolutely need to do code – by constant practice, applying concepts that you have learnt, doing simple coding exercises and projects. Keep practicing and learning to code and you will eventually get there.
In our busy daily routines, dealing with work, family, or school – it can be challenging to find the time you need to learn how to code. This might lead you to putting off learning and only waiting until you have the time to do so to learn. However, even if you are not able to dedicate much of your time to learn coding, staying motivated and clear about the goals you want to achieve will act as your driving force to continue your learning journey. Another way to overcome this challenge is to set a schedule to learn coding into your daily routine. Always try to do it around the same time every day to keep your schedule consistent. You are also less likely not to have time every day that way as learning to code is what you should be doing at that specific time. You will have to take away certain things out of your schedule like watching TV or scrolling through social media. But if learning to code is something that you really want to do, prioritising should not be a problem.
When you struggle with learning to code, you might lose confidence in yourself and end up having intrusive thoughts that you might not be able to become a software developer – feeling like a fraud. This is called imposter syndrome and while it may not seem pleasant, these negative emotions are completely normal. Even the best developers out there have experienced this before. Lacking confidence is common especially for beginners who are just starting out. But the only way to overcome this is to keep going even in the face of roadblocks. Remember, failure is just another pathway to success. Keep going and celebrate the small wins and achievements along the way.
Self-learning can be a lonely and demotivating road when learning to code – especially if you are a beginner. If you get stuck with a problem and need help, we recommend joining a coding community. There are tons of them! Joining a community is a great way for you to connect with other developers and learn from them. You might even find developers that would be delighted to mentor you. An alternative is turning to StackOverflow – an online resource a lot of developers turn to when faced with problems.
In the vast realm of coding and development, you might be unsure of what to learn. Well you should be asking yourself what you are interested in. Are you interested in developing mobile applications? Do you want to create video games? Or would you be more interested in website development? Frontend or backend? These questions may seem overwhelming but it’s essential in order to identify what you should learn.
If you are specifically interested in pursuing coding as a career to becoming a software developer, we have just the solution for you! With our Complete Software Developer Programme, you will be equipped with all the knowledge and skills you need to become a software developer after you graduate.
Running into obstacles as you learn to code does not just happen to beginners. All programmers even those who have been coding for years still struggle from this time to time. Understand that it is completely normal and expected. The key to overcoming these struggles is to simply, stick with it. Learning to code is no different than learning other skills, it takes time and determination.
If self-learning is too difficult for you, we have got just the fix for you. Here at Sigma School, our course is designed specifically for beginners who want to break into the tech industry. We have mentors to help and guide you through your coding journey. You will also be able to get to learn with other beginner students who are in the same boat as you.
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