Almost everyone blunders while learning a new skill. And any of them might stop you from progressing from a newbie to a professional.
But wait, let’s take a look at the mistakes that other people make on their way to professionalism.
If you analyze and keep them in mind, there’s a good chance you could turn a stranger’s experience into your benefit.
Based on article Common Programming Mistakes we’ve compiled a list of the most common mistakes made by newbie programmers along with helpful solutions to avoid any issues.
1. Doubting Your Skills and Capabilities
Comparing yourself to others is nothing out of the ordinary.
When you meet a competent coder who is efficient at fixing complications and finishing tasks quickly, you might question your own abilities.
And though it’s not unusual to compare and doubt your skills, it isn’t a good sign either.
Some will acquire this or that concept quickly, while others will take longer. But if you’re passionate about coding, steady and continuous practice will get you there eventually.
What Can You Do to Avoid It?
Specialists who are more skilled than you will always have the advantage of experience. And you know what’s the solution to that? – More practice.
And even if your doubt is more objective, because you literally don’t understand a concept.
That only means you need to go back to basics and practice something simpler. Ask the community for help, too.
No one’s born a coder. Everyone needs experience to work out the more complex issues.
2. Learning too Many Languages at Once
Among the biggest mistakes people make when learning programming is not sticking to one language.
Even if two languages have a similar syntax, you’re still likely to confuse concepts, principles, classes, etc.
Human brain is not good at multitasking when you need cognitive power for each task. And learning two or more languages simultaneously is certainly that.
What Can You Do to Avoid It?
Quite simply commit to one language and learn it well before progressing to another one.
This way, you will acquire a solid understanding of the app development process and will most likely find other languages easier to learn.
3. Trying to Memorize Algorithms or Code
Another mistake that many students make is trying to memorize code or a certain algorithm.
The problem is that programming is not a natural language where you can learn a few phrases and go traveling abroad.
And even then, you might run into a situation where your memorized sentences won’t help.
When writing code, you need to understand how that piece should work and how to apply the concepts you’ve learned to make it work.
What Can You Do to Avoid It?
First things first, if you forget a class or syntax, you can’t always google it or skim through your notes, or watch a video tutorial. There’s simply no need to memorize.
Then, it’s all down to practice, as usual. Take each new concept you understand into practice as soon as possible.
You will progressively learn complicated concepts without having to struggle with memorization.
4. Coding without a Plan
Yet another typical mistake made by new developers is going to start writing code as soon as they have an inspiration.
Of course, it may be thrilling to get a move on a task when all the creative ideas are swirling around in your mind.
But, you’ll frequently stumble into problems that may have been resolved if you had taken the time to prepare ahead correctly.
What Can You Do to Avoid It?
Programming is much more than just writing lines of code.
Therefore, the best ways to handle an issue is to think ahead, study it from different angles to understand how the solution should work, prepare a plan, execute it, verify it, and adjust if something doesn’t work.
5. Putting too Many Comments into the Code
Code that is overly commented is usually more complicated to interpret than one that is not.
The problem is that when there’s more comments than code, it’s likely that you’re trying to explain how it’s supposed to work or what a class means. Which begs a better strategy.
What can you do to avoid it?
The priority is always to leave clear and concise comments that support the code, not explain it.
If you’re trying to explain the name of a class, try finding a more descriptive word to call it. At the same time, don’t scrimp on data that later maintenance personnel will require.
6. Ignoring Debuggers
A lot of new developers overlook the importance of using a debugger. It allows you to go through your code gradually and see how each line works.
It’s a valuable resource that can assist you in not just fixing issues but also fully understanding what your code has been doing.
What Can You Do to Avoid It?
Use a debugger after completing a piece of code to verify that your programs perform as expected. You’ll often come into some intriguing instances and gain a better grasp of your software.
7. Avoiding Backups of Your Work
Storing pieces of practice code might not be that important. But, when you’re working on a project, having backups of work is essential.
Imagine that you change a piece of code and the entire program stops working. Sure you may be able to write it again, all the while wasting time.
What Can You Do to Avoid It?
Use version control tools, such as GitHub, Gitlab, and Bitbucket. This way, you can keep track of all the changes and roll them back if needed.
As a nice bonus, you can use them as a portfolio of code when applying for jobs.
Conclusion
Every mistake, whether yours or someone else’s, is a chance to educate and grow as a programmer.
Understanding the most common mistakes anyone could make when starting to code is a wonderful approach to prevent issues that might ruin your progress.
Staying vigilant in avoiding these errors would also assist in the development of a solid set of skills.
Using different sources and platforms to learn how to code is also a great approach.
Ultimately, the secret to thoroughly learning code is to continue no matter how difficult things become.