0In this lesson, I will teach you the step by step process to becoming a self-taught programmer by learning all the programming concepts by yourself with the help of online resources.
Step 1: Choose your goal
First of all, you must always have a clear goal in your mind and know the reason why you want to learn a programming language in the first place. Have a clear vision of where you will be using a programming language and what you will be doing after knowing to programme. Have a clear plan in mind and march forward towards your career goals by learning to programme by yourself.
Remember: "If you fail to plan then you plan to fail"
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Why are you learning a programming language?
- Which programming languages should you learn to achieve your goal?
- Is programming what you like to do for the rest of your life?
- Do you really see yourself programming for the next 10 years?
There are many programming languages and thus it is very important to wisely choose what to learn and what not to learn before you start your career as a programmer.
Step 2: Learn the programming language perfectly
Learn all the basic principles of the programming language including the syntax and rules of the programming language. Learn to programme by doing and not by simply reading the code.
Read all possible books or articles which are written for learning that programming language.
Step 3: Learn Data Structures and Algorithms
As you have learnt all the important programming concepts perfectly it is now time to learn the concepts of Data Structures and Algorithms which are extensively used in solving real problems using programming. Data Structures and Algorithms is one of the most important concepts in programming and you will be using it very often in programming. You will be using data structures
Step 4: Write code every day
If you don't program every single day then you are by definition not a programmer.
You have to program at least one hour every day and improve your programming skills through rigorous practice. To become a good programmer you need to be consistent and regular in programming.
Writing code every day is very important part of any programmer and it helps you to stay up to date in programming.
Step 5: Build Projects
Now it's time to solve some real-world problems with the help of your programming skills.
There are plenty of programs which people face in their day to day life and thus grab this opportunity to solve every problem with your own idea using your programming skills. For Example, WhatsApp was developed to solve the problem of sharing information with the world and it succeeded, Facebook was developed to connect people from all around the globe and it was successful. Similarly, you can come up with your own idea to solve some day to day problems and impact the lives of millions of people.
So get your hands dirty by writing some real code which would actually do something to solve a real-world problem.
Step 6: Gain Work Experience
It is very important to gain work experience by putting your programming knowledge into realm use.
If you know a programming language but don't know how to where to apply it then what's the use?
Hence it is very important to learn real work skills by using your programming knowledge.
Step 7: Contribute to the Programming Community
Now that you know programming and can build real-world projects by yourself, it is time to contribute to the programming community. Share your programming knowledge with your family members and friends. Organise hack-a-thons and programming meetups in and around your locality and start contributing to the programming community.
You can teach and share your programming knowledge in online platforms like UrbanPro and help many students learn programming.
Conclusion
I hope you now got an idea on how to become a self-taught programmer by learning to program by yourself and also use your programming skills to help other people.
