What I Wish I Knew Before I Started Learning to Code

I‘ve been a professional full-stack software engineer for over a decade now. When I first started out, I was excited to learn everything I could about programming. I stayed up late tinkering on side projects, devoured books and online tutorials, and couldn‘t wait to start my career as a coder.

Looking back, there are a number of things I wish I had known and fully appreciated before I wrote my first lines of code. Here are some of the most important lessons I‘ve learned over the years as a programmer.

It‘s About Problem Solving, Not Just Code

When you‘re new to programming, it‘s easy to get caught up in the code itself. You spend countless hours learning the intricacies of a language‘s syntax, debating spaces vs tabs, and get excited when your program finally runs without errors.

But over time, you come to realize that programming is not really about the code at all – it‘s about problem solving. The code is simply a means to an end, a tool we use to solve real-world challenges for users and businesses.

The most successful and impactful engineers are ultimately the best problem solvers. They know how to break down complex issues, design effective solutions, and pivot when needed. The languages and technologies will always evolve, but strong problem solving skills will serve you well throughout your entire career.

In fact, a study by the tech recruiting firm Triplebyte found that "problem solving ability" was the number one predictor of a candidate‘s technical interview performance, over and above their knowledge of specific languages or frameworks. Embrace the challenge of continuous problem solving.

Communication is Just as Important as Code

Another critical realization is that your ability to communicate and collaborate with others is just as important as your technical coding skills. Very few developers work in isolation. We work on teams, collaborating with other engineers, product managers, designers, and stakeholders.

Being able to clearly explain your ideas, document your code, write useful error messages, and give constructive feedback are all essential skills. Many a brilliant coder has limited their career growth due to subpar communication abilities.

I‘ve seen far too many projects go off the rails because of miscommunication rather than technical challenges. An ounce of clarity is worth a pound of clever code. Treat developing your communication skills as an essential part of your growth as an engineer.

Studies have shown that communication breakdowns are a leading cause of IT project failures. For example, a 2017 report from the Project Management Institute found that "inadequate communication" contributed to 29% of project failures. Don‘t let your hard technical work go to waste due to communication missteps.

Learning How to Learn is Critical

When you first start out, the sheer volume of things to learn can seem overwhelming. There are so many languages, frameworks, tools and concepts to wrap your head around. It can feel like you‘re drinking from a firehose.

But here‘s the key – learning how to learn effectively is more important than any one language or framework. Over your career, the specifics of what you need to know will change constantly. But if you can learn new concepts and skills quickly, you‘ll be able to adapt and thrive.

A few key learning strategies I wish I adopted earlier:

• Focus your learning on practical projects, not just passive tutorials
• Practice consistently and deliberately, with clear goals in mind
• Explain concepts to others to test your understanding
• Don‘t just read code, write it, and experiment with changes
• Find ways to get quick feedback on your work to accelerate growth

Your learning shouldn‘t stop when you land your first job. The best engineers continue to learn and evolve throughout their entire careers. Adopt a growth mindset and continually hone your meta-learning skills.

Research shows that active learning techniques like deliberate practice, teaching others, and drawing connections between concepts can dramatically improve learning outcomes. One study found that students who explained concepts to themselves while studying performed 28% better on tests than those who used passive review techniques. Always be sharpening your learning saw.

Avoid Impostor Syndrome

Many new coders fall victim to impostor syndrome, the crippling feeling that you‘re not good enough and have somehow fooled everyone into thinking you know what you‘re doing. It‘s extremely common, especially in an industry that idolizes the mythical "10x engineer" capable of herculean feats of brilliance.

Here‘s the truth – every coder has gaps in their knowledge, even the most respected, senior developers. Dan Abramov, the creator of Redux, openly talks about all the core skills he doesn‘t know. No one is expecting you to be an instant expert at everything.

Overcoming impostor syndrome takes time. But you can start by realizing you‘re not alone in feeling it, being okay with not knowing things, and not hesitating to ask for help. Be patient with yourself, track your progress to see how far you‘ve come, and know that while you‘ll always have more to learn, you have earned your place.

Stats show just how widespread impostor syndrome is in tech:

• 58% of tech professionals experience imposter syndrome according to a study by Blind
• 75% of female STEM students reported feeling like impostors in their field according to research published in Science Education

Remember, if you got the job, you deserve to be there. Don‘t let impostor syndrome hold you back from making your fullest contributions.

Version Control is Your Friend

When I was first learning to code, version control seemed like an annoying hassle. I didn‘t see the point of making all those commits, fighting with merge conflicts, and stressing over branching strategies. But now I can‘t imagine working on any serious codebase without solid version control practices in place.

Version control, and Git in particular, is an essential tool for any professional developer. It allows you to track changes, collaborate smoothly with a team, roll back to previous versions, and much more. Investing time to really understand Git pays major dividends.

I wish I had taken the time to really understand concepts like branching, merging, rebasing, and pull requests earlier on. It would have saved me a lot of headaches and lost work over the years.

According to the most recent Stack Overflow Developer Survey, over 93% of professional developers use Git for version control. If you want to collaborate effectively on a development team, being competent with Git is non-negotiable. Embrace the power of version control.

Testing is Not Optional

When you‘re racing to build features and make deadlines, testing often seems like the thing you can skip to save time. I certainly fell into this trap more than I‘d like to admit early in my career. But skimping on testing is the ultimate false economy in software development.

Automated testing, including unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests, are essential for maintaining a quality codebase that can be iterated on with confidence. Writing tests forces you to think through edge cases, design more modular interfaces, and serves as a safety net when refactoring.

I can‘t count the number of times a solid test suite has saved me from deploying embarrassing and costly bugs to production. It‘s far cheaper to catch bugs locally than in front of users.

Research from IBM found that fixing a bug in production is 30 times more expensive than fixing it in the design phase. Catching errors early with testing delivers massive ROI and helps you ship with confidence. Treat testing as an essential part of your development workflow.

Code is Read More Than It‘s Written

When you‘re deep in the flow of writing code, it‘s easy to neglect code readability in favor of just making the darn thing work. I know I churned out my share of clever, condensed, but totally inscrutable code when I was getting started.

But the reality is that over the life of a software project, code is read far more than it is written. Most of your time as a developer will be spent reading existing code – tracking down bugs, understanding what the code does so you can extend it, or doing code reviews for colleagues.

That‘s why investing in clean, readable code is so worthwhile. Well-structured, commented, and formatted code is a joy to read and maintain. It‘s far easier to reason about and safely change. Clever one-liners are not nearly as impressive as clean, well-organized code.

Studies show that developers spend up to 75% of their time reading and understanding existing code. Treat clear communication in your code as a top priority. Your future self and colleagues will thank you.

Never Stop Learning

The final and most important lesson I‘ve learned in my years as a developer is to never, ever stop learning. The technology world moves incredibly fast, and the pace is only accelerating. The tools, best practices, and in-demand skills are always evolving.

Adopting a mindset of continuous learning has been essential for staying relevant and hireable over the long arc of my career. I‘ve had to learn whole new languages, frameworks, and paradigms multiple times to keep up with the demands of the industry.

But beyond just learning new technical skills, I‘ve also had to work at expanding my soft skills, like communication, leadership, and stakeholder management. The further you progress in your career, the more these human skills matter.

Cultivating a deep curiosity and genuine passion for technology has helped me stay engaged when learning new things. Seeking out opportunities to learn, like taking on new projects at work, contributing to open source, and attending conferences, has exposed me to a wealth of new ideas.

The data proves that continuous learning is key for a successful technology career. The 2021 Open Source Jobs Report from the Linux Foundation found that 97% of hiring managers are prioritizing candidates who demonstrate a continuous learning mindset. Never stop growing and expanding your skill set.

In Summary

Embarking on a career as a professional developer is an exciting and rewarding journey. But it can also be challenging, with no shortage of lessons to be learned the hard way. If I could go back and give my younger self a heads up, these are the key things I‘d want me to know:

• Focus on problem solving skills, not just coding syntax
• Prioritize communication and collaboration, not just technical prowess
• Learn how to learn effectively, the tools will always change
• Fight impostor syndrome, everyone has knowledge gaps
• Embrace version control and testing best practices early
• Write clean, readable, maintainable code for your future self
• Never stop learning and expanding your skill set

Armed with these mindsets and strategies, you‘ll be well equipped to not just survive, but thrive in the demanding yet deeply fulfilling world of professional software development. The learning never stops in this field, so adopt a growth mindset, stay curious, and enjoy the lifelong adventure of coding mastery.