How to Learn Programming?

How to Learn Programming?

Programming is the most in-demand skill today. This skill is highly paid in freelancing as well as software houses. When hiring comes, the most searched for term in candidate’s resumes are “Software Engineering”. The demand for high skilled programmers is growing with every coming day. In this epidemic of COVID -19, this is the skill that is still in demand and kept people employed. Considering the importance of the huge demand of programmers, it is high time for jobless people to ask the question, how to learn programming. 

If you have basic knowledge of computer and can operate it, then you can search the term how to learn computer programming and start right away learning it. Many people find learning programming difficult and even impossible for them. The reason is that they are learning programming with the wrong approach. You cannot attempt to build a software or application without grasping the basic concepts of programming. I remember the time when I learned the concept of arrays without knowing the structure of the main memory and how it works.  Once I learned about it, arrays also made sense. There are many people who face the same problem. But with the right approach, the frustration can be decreased.

In this article, I would share some points if you are new and planning on learning computer programming. these tips can be helpful to students and job seekers. After reading this article you would feel confident about the path you have to follow during the journey of how to learn computer programming.

What is programming?

Asking and understanding the basic questions can be helpful. Firstly, you need to know what is programming and why is it important that we learn it.

We, humans, talk with each other in a language whether local or international. We get things from one another by communicating with each other. Just like this, the computer can do things, but we have to tell it what to do. We write in notepad which is a software developed in some language. We see a window and interface with different options through which we interact with it and write in it. The notepad is made with some language that tells the computer what to show to user and what actions the user can make.

So programming is a language which tells computer what to do.

Select a simple language and Learn Basics

It is very important to select a simple and basic programming language to start learning it. You have to get yourself familiar with the working pattern of a program. So selecting a basic and simple language can pace your learning faster. C is the first language on which I learned programming. C++ is advanced than C. if you learn one, the other is easy to follow. So I recommend to choose C++ for a beginner.  It is neither too simple nor difficult and also competitive in today’s world.

The choice of programming language can also vary with the goal and job that you are targeting. The chosen language should not obsolete and must be in demand at the time you learn it. Always start with the basic syntax, make yourself familiar with the correct way of writing programs. Don’t just go through the syntax, practice small examples by implementing it. 

Learn Algorithms and Data Structures

            

Once you are comfortable with the syntax and writing programs, you can move forward to learning data structures. Learning the data structure will increase your problem-solving ability. You will achieve the right aptitude which is required for programming. having the basic knowledge of data structures and algorithms, you would be more confident when given a problem to solve. You will know the working of many library functions and use it where needed.

Code by Hand

Always practice new topics and play around the code given as an example and observe the results. Make changes and dry run it. When you write code by hand and trace the output, you understand the working and flow of the program. Your mind becomes a compiler. If you want to know how to learn programming faster, this is the most important tip. By dry running code, you become a master of understanding the coding just by watching it. If you practice enough by hand in the beginning, your mind becomes compiler.

Move steadily

Don’t skip the topics in the beginning. If you find the topic easy, cover more material in a day and practice it. But if you skip any topic, later in an advanced topic you might face problems understanding the topic which is built on simple topics.  So always move step by step by practicing every new topic. This would make you more confident in advance application.

Take breaks

While debugging a program, don’t stick to one problem if it’s not working out. Take a small break, refresh your mind, and then try it again. A fresh watch will detect a fault that could not be seen by an exhausted mind. It’s also very important to seek help from a person or online. There many sources on the internet. If one source is not working out for you, search for another. Spend 30 minutes on a source. If it’s not making sense to you, look for another. This way your time would be saved and you would know at least more options to solve a problem.

Go with the flow

The final tip is to keep calm and keep on coding. There would be times when you are stuck at one topic and cannot clear it in your mind. You would feel frustrated and exhausted. But the solution is to seek assistance from someone you can reach. Refresh your mind and try it again. You must not feel hopeless that you are not able to understand it ever. Everything will make sense with time and your determination.

Once you study something, you should try to develop a project related to it. In this way, you can make the concepts strong that you have learned by their practical application. You can also add them to your portfolio which makes a good impression in your resume.

In this article, I shared an approach with which I learned to code. If you are reading this article it means you are interested in learning programming. I hope these tips will prove helpful in your journey of learning programming. You can leave any questions and suggestions in the comments section below.