How to Learn to Code - 8 Hard Truths
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- Опубліковано 17 тра 2024
- Learning to code can open many doors in life, but it's NOT easy and NOT for everybody. Let's take a look at 8 different techniques supported by science that can help you become a programmer faster. fireship.io/pro
#learntocode #tech #programming
🔗 Resources
Feynman Technique / learning-from-the-feyn...
How to Get a Tech Job • How to Land a 100K/yr ...
Spacing Effect en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacing...
Don't Learn to Code techcrunch.com/2016/05/10/ple...
📚 Chapters
00:00 Learn to Code
00:43 1. Hard Work
01:29 2. Patterns over Syntax
02:38 3. Stop Watching
03:22 4. Stay Healthy
03:47 5. Feynman Technique
05:00 6. Dopamine Hits
05:47 7. Not Too Hard tho
06:27 8. Learn Like a Pro
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🎨 My Editor Settings
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🔖 Topics Covered
Is Learning to Code hard?
Can anybody learn to code?
Tips for learning programming
Staying healthy while coding
Is coding the new literacy?
How to use the Feynman technique
What is the best programming language to start with? Python, JS, Go, Swift, or Kotlin - Наука та технологія
Waking up the next day and solving the problem immediately after having spent the night trying to solve it, is the most relatable thing I’ve ever heard.
literally me
Same here
As a person who did struggle for 1 year to learn my first programming language, the most important thing is this:
Avoid complicated tutorials for now. Focus on learning through beginner friendly books that have interactive content. You need to know how to walk before you can run. And after you get the basics of a programming language, everything else becomes much easier.
Edit: For those asking, the books that made me learn were a) Javascript In Less Than 50 Pages and b) Head First Javascript Programming.
how did you know people were asking? there are no other comments on your comment before mine
@@justageekygamer they probably just told before anyone asking. I was about to ask for it. Now i don't have to.
Thanks for the book recommendations, will check them out 👍.
So you learned JavaScript first?..
@@justageekygamermaybe they deleted
The way I like to implement the “teach it to a 12 year old” learning method is to write notes for myself with enough detail that I can understand them long after I stopped using the knowledge. This forces me to understand the topic in the same way that’s required for teaching it to someone else (since I’m essentially teaching future me), and of course also gives me a great resource for when I want to relearn the topic
Reminds me when I accidentally gave a kid the middle finger sign and I said "this is g chord in guitar" even tho im not actually a professional at guitars so now Im learning and teaching him guitar
I'm currently learning python in 3 days now and this is basically what i did
I just speak to myself as I write the code, I found that it helps me as it feels that I'm actually explaining the code to someone. Sounds weird but it works.
@@DynastySheep have you heard about the Blahaj method? It is essentially the same thing
@@DynastySheepSame heree
Self-made coder, learned with youtube and experimentation, I'd add to this that you don't need education to code, if anything, education funnels you into coding styles and projects that don't necessarily appeal to you. Coding is a form of communication, and every human being communicates differently. I started with an obscure, simple language in an environment I was already invested in (code within a game), and it gave me the tools I needed to move to javascript and the transition was natural and easy once I had learned one language. Fireship here even nailed that "I want to solve that error before I go to bed", realizing you just can't at 4am, and instantly solving the issue after a good night's sleep. Am sure every coder on earth faced that at least once.
I'm a self-made coder at highschool, then I got my master's degree in computer science.
IMHO, coding and experimenting alone are NOT enough to learn how to write proper robust big software.
@@Kaizzer you don't need to write "proper robust big software" for a tech firm to make a career out of this though. If that's your thing, cool man! :D
@ghost mall I mean, I make music and there's many more ways to learn music theory than going to get a master's at university ? Aren't you ignoring that ?
@ghost mall Yes, if John Lennon and Paul McCartney hadn't studied music theory at university, they would've gone nowhere. You can pick up theory as you practice and seek, if you're truly interested in the subject. Especially as Open Source defeats the gatekeepers.
100% agree, hard work is more valuable than talent.
Just watch out for people who work hard AND have talent...
@@KingUnKaged I found most of the talented people are hard workers.
@@gameblock9853 or they look like s talented person because they are working hard ? Thing is if you get things done you get things done doesn't matter how can you get things done.
As a lazy person I can say I agree
Hard work is really valuable but iq is the biggest predictor of success, and iq is genetic so its basically a form of talent.
Nailed it. All points on here, just so spot on. Even down to not grinding too hard. I did that on a 2 week game jam one time where I was getting awful sleep because my mind was just constantly racing. Do 8 hours of work and then do another 8 of just working on my game. I was spiraling and near the end of it I was panicking on everything that still needed to be done.
I am going to participate in brackeys game jam which will be my first and this scares me. I thought 1 week is more than enough
@@stickguy9109 You'll be good. They're great experiences! I've done 2 so far and it's a lot of fun. Especially seeing people's reaction to your game and playing other's at the end. Biggest tip I've seen and I would say the same: make your game easy, like stupid easy. People don't play game jam games but 5 minutes tops, and if they die they will be done. That's what hurt mine. People did'nt see more than 10% of the game because first level was confusing and hard.
@@jamesbest3347 Yeah I played jam games before and I myself quit the game if I die or if it is too complicated cuz there are lots of games to play. I will try to make either an endless game or a game with 2-3 levels not more than that
best wat to get addicted to coding is by making a rock paper scissor game
@@masternobody1896 What about rock paper scissor makes you addicted to coding?
I am dumb, and a procrastinator. I have been trying to learn to code for 5 years, and still haven't written a line yet. This has motivated me to try writing a line again to hopefully make a game one day.
Just start off with making a simple game
Have you written a line yet?
If you haven't written a single line of code, I don't know what you've been doing for 5 whole years, but it certainly _wasn't_ learning to code.
So.... a Software Engineer is just another way to call one a Googling Expert?
A googling expert with knowledge of the things they Google and get paid too much
After 5 years of working as a programmer after transitioning from geology, I relate so much to everything you said in this video.
Especially the regular breaks. Even more if you're stuck on an error message
If you're stuck on error messages you're a true noobie. The worst is when you make logic errors.
@@theairaccumulator7144 you know what I mean, this compilation error after an Angular update or something similar
First you hate the error message. But after you find a bug without error message, you learn to love them. At least you got a clue
hey man! same here I am also a geology student turned new programmer :)
Error message is basically "bug pointer". 99% of bugs are not that easy to fix
Hands down, this is your best video ever. I completely agree with you on putting your health first, taking breaks, helping others, and hacking your own subconscious routines.
Hey, L-bot, where's Yagami Light-bot?
these bots..
more like bought account
MVP comment
This is like infinite Justin Y clones, but they're letters instead of Ninjas
All these points are pretty spot on. My biggest pitfall when I was learning to code was my defeatist attitude. I'd be discouraged majorly after finding something difficult or making some mistakes. Definitely not the best attitude to have when you're learning to develop software.
Found your channel and it feels so uplifting to hear that many other coders have struggled with learning a new language to simply don’t memorize it.
Learning at a uni, they don’t tell you how you should be learning it or teach what you should be doing and always expect so much from you as if you are already a coding guru. They make it so stressful being in this mentality it makes want to give up. “What am I doing wrong??” (In the sense)
Your tip of finding pattens though…🤔 is very handy to look out for, I never really thought of doing that. Really…thanks for the video.
Wow, as a self taught dev, you explained everything in the way I’ve always wanted to, to any family and friends who think it’s so difficult and impossible to start. Well said
and I only liked this video because just a first few minutes of it were truth
uhh why are you wasting time on family and friends bro?
@@stayhungry1503
Point why wasting time? 😑 just start learning
I've been watching your videos for a few weeks now and I gotta say - the best programming related UA-cam channel out there. You provide us beginners with both knowledge and motivation. Thanks a lot :)
One of the best? Plz, he is the best.
Like netflix for programmers
It’s the only.
@@ex3424 Oops, I thought I had written that. I edited it :)
@@chiroyce I mean it's kinda subjective to your needs and level, i was just fanboying :p
You really “struck a chord” with me when you mentioned teaching to a 12 year old. I actually taught guitar for 12 years, and in doing so, I really learned the instrument on a deeper level than I would have ever imagined. Many of my students were about 12 years old. It even made me rework my entire approach to teaching advanced musical theory concepts. This is very sound advice.
@ghost mall it doesn't really matter what medium you are teaching in :) it could be to a wall, if nobody is around and you don't feel like making content. that said, there is a benefit to have a real human to mentor, as they will have questions that push you to think about what you know in new ways
i dont know if that last sentence was a pun and it's driving me crazy
@@scrungffs I would've just scrolled on because I hadn't noticed but now I'm in the same predicament as you 😠
Ok boomer
One thing that can definitely help is having a goal. I’ve had a few friends attempt to start coding, but not have a goal to work towards. Without a goal, you end up just kinda going in circles and eventually quit.
I've been struggling to learn code for a while with a full time job, little time, fatigue, frustration, high and low blood sugars and everything in between. This channel is the first resource I go to every time I feel my motivation and hope are fading. Thank you for all your amazing content.
I hear you. By the time I finish work I can manage a couple of hours at most. My brain simply won't focus on the more difficult concepts later at night.
I hope you keep at it and wish you good luck!
@@EmmaMaySeven Thanks, Emma, same to you! Rock that IDE!
Hey fam, I'm diabetic too and been an engineer for 4-5 years now. Best advice I can give is when your sugar is causing you problems, eat the most boring, reliable, well-practiced breakfasts/lunches you know so that you don't have any surprise lows or highs during your workdays. Try out different meals in the afternoons/weekends and make sure you know how much to bolus for them.
It helps me a lot to eat like this when I feel like my sugar is seriously getting in the way of thinking clearly.
I would try out intermittent fasting
Go keto
I absolutely love this channel.. A real life developer explaining what the journey of becoming a programmer is without any sugar coating or bs. The quality of content on this channel is just way above any other programming channels I've come across on UA-cam
beeing a 12 year old must be cool, cause you can explain things to yourself
This is one of the greatest videos ever. I was always complimented "how good I am at learning and making code", however, something just struck me. This whole time, I've been following the Feynman Technique without even knowing it. Incredible stuff
For any aspiring developer, get a proper IDE, it helps. VS Code is godsent in many cases. Second thing is not actively trying to memorize anything and everything, that's what the documentation is for. Third thing is that focus on creating a best solution for a problem, not the best possible code, because those can be two entirely separate things. And last, you can treat programming just as a job; you don't have to be passionate about every aspect of it.
I will heavily second this. An IDE really cuts away alot of crud that it gets in your way.
Which IDE would you recommend?
@@audiowithdrawl5948 Visual Studio Code is my personal go-to and it does a lot of things well (and if it doesn't, there probably is an extension for it) but there are better options depending on the language. For Python projects, PyCharm works better. For Java I would go for Eclipse or IntelliJ IDEA if someone else is paying for it.
@@BoloH. Thanks for the suggestions! the help is greatly appreciated
@@audiowithdrawl5948 Visual Studio is almost heavenly if you play your cards right but as the guy said, the language you're using largely determines how your experience with an IDE will be
Regarding point 7, there's this book called "Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less" that actually goes somewhat deep into why this "spacing effect" works (they don't actually use that term, but it's the same thing). And it's not just sleeping, it's really all about making your conscient brain not think about a given problem, and let your unconscious brain work it out. The book goes on about how this technique works much better for creative problems, like fixing a code problem, solving a math equation, and, obviously, finding creative inspiration for more artistic stuff. Also, they mention that the strategy that seems to work the best is to go on hikes/walks, but the most important thing is that you don't do these thinking about the problem, and rather just let your brain wander about all sorts of unrelated topics (kind of like meditation). Suddenly, and apparently out of the blue, an idea will suddenly strike you when you weren't even thinking about it: this never happens when you're actively thinking about a problem, or at least it will very rarely happen.
the shower effect
@@0xnanamaru Dude showers are fucking magical.
There is a concept from „Arthur Köstler“ called Bisociation.
If two thoughts that weren‘t connected before get connected, then this process triggers creativity. Asociations are only within our web of knowledge. If we don‘t find an answer here, we can search for hours without success.
If however we trigger bisociations (consciously with creativity techniques or unconsciously) they can help us look at problems from different angles we never would have thought of before
Me encountering a problem "Maybe I should wait until morning to try to solve this."
My ego: "Nah I'd win"
Not a programmer myself - but this video is golden to explain how to learn online. Love it!
I’m teaching my 2 best friends how to code simple algorithms, no fancy stuff
They’re loving it so far and I recommended them your channel!
sounds fun
I tried to teach one of my closest friends to code... (Python) but he quit a little after we set up the environment... I showed him very basic stuff like printing text and summing up numbers :D His job involves problem solving (but no coding) so I thought he will click pretty fast instead he lost interest :/ Other 2 friends of mine (a couple) decided and got a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and now they have higher education than me but still I think I am better coder than both of them :D. The guy is a hardware specialist though and very very good one!
@@Alekseybg yeah, one of my best friends has been in 3-4 programming classes with me and he's not very good (these are intro courses that i had to retake because i added a new major). I carried him through 2 of those and tried to teach him the fundamentals. They dont seem to stick in his head. Regardless, I am very proud of him sticking with programming and moving up to more advanced classes!
@@akshaybodla163 Yeah ive got a few friends like that as well, this is one of the reason why i hate edutech companies trying to glorify coding as the most important thing that your child could learn
You seem like a great friend!
I've been programming for 5-6 years now and it is absolutely mind-blowing to see that book about php5 and mysql again. It's the same book that started my journey down the programming rabbit hole and it puts a smile on my face knowing you started there too!
As a self-taught programmer, this is exactly what I needed to hear. I often feel very insecure around other developers, especially ones that went to college for computer science, but this video was very reassuring. Thank you
This is one of the most realistic and honest videos about learning programming I’ve ever encountered! Kudos to your effort!
All of this is true. Taking breaks, going to sleep and teaching others what you're trying to learn help amazingly in actually learning and improving.
Teaching others is an amazing reinforcement technique for learning to program. Recruit someone to learn to program with you and use each other to teach what you learn. Much like dieting, you can hold each other accountable for making progress and it'll happen much faster than doing it on your own.
Great analogy
Back when I was learning C in university, we would have these lab sections where 25-30 students were placed in a computer lab, and told to write a program that completes some assigned task. I would often finish early, and then spend the rest of the period helping the people around me solve any problems they were having in their code. This happened so often that I got to the point where I would go out of my way to learn more, so I could better explain it to the guys in my lab section. Overall the whole experience really helped get me become confident in the code I write, and taught me a lot of useful stuff about the language, and coding as a whole. I 100% agree, teaching others is the best way to learn a new concept.
Honestly, your videos have helped me grow as a Developer, and I relate so much to the spacing, mental health, stack overflowing questions till 3 AM. I am slowly learning to balance it all!
The fourth tip is very important, to learn how programming you need consistency, and for that is essential to pay attention in your health. I know a lot of people that developed anxiety and others mental problems because they just work and study. Go out with your friends from time to time and practicing physical exercises can improve a lot your ability to learn.
Over the course of the past two years it's been amazing to see your style of content grow and improve Jeff. You went from explaining different tech to providing news, showcasing projects and more to providing life advice. You're almost like a big brother to us all. Thanks for all that you do!
Nailed it. I think you covered it pretty well, and can't say enough how important it is to try to build things once you have the basics. Another great video from you Jeff.
Tbh for me the most satisfying thing in coding is when I fix a dumb mistake. I feel so elated and happy 😭
I know it's not a particularly complex coding language (if you can even call it that) but using that Feynman technique I learn bash scripting in a matter of days. It seriously works
In my experience, I learn bash and forget it in a couple of weeks. Then I realize that writing the scripts would be easier in ruby, bash, python or even C.
@@Anteksanteri But as the narrator says in the video, that okay.
I think that to be a good programmer you don't need to master every language and memorize all the syntax, you just need to learn how to learn.
As someone who doesn't code for living but learnt to code because everyone around me does know it, I agree that this is the most relatable commentary out there! If this was a blog post, it should be featured on the blog's hall of fame!
3:16 best description of coding as a hobby I've ever heard
This information applies to way more than just programming. It can be applied to trying to learn almost anything. Thank you for sharing
As a person who is currently frustrated with teaching herself how to code, I can't thank you enough for this uplifting and super useful video🥺🙏
keep at it!
You got it meng!
Yay! A programmer girl!
You are welcome! I think many guys could give you some advice just to feel good about themselves and to score some points with you ;-)
@@igorthelight oh
@@igorthelight Im not sure how you meant this to come off, but it doesn't give a good impression. I can't speak for the person who commented originally, but as a girl learning this field it is a bit offensive. This is implying that taking help from a man in this field is giving them the impression that it makes us attracted to them, rather than it just being a helpful experience between two people. This waters it down to the whole interaction being about gender, and extra precautions a woman would have to make for what should be a normal interaction. Women in a lot of careers have to worry about simply interacting with their male coworkers in fear of them getting the wrong idea, and this comment enforces the idea that it happens. I don't think you were trying to imply that, but please be mindful of that kind of reasoning, as it is harmful to women. A woman who programs is no different than a man. There is no such thing as a 'programmer girl', there is only a programmer.
I think that was the most helpful "short" video i've seen on this platform 🙏 As a junior, all I can say is : thank you (and please don't ever stop making videos 😁)
I wasnt worried at all and had already started programming......but then i saw the intro and subbed out of straight up terror. Guess marketing tactics really do work.
Also the teaching part is really good. I write down notes for EVERYTHING during courses, but in my own words so i have to think about it. Then i think and try to really understand it and what it really means and what impacts it might have. Then i actually speak to an invisible audience and try to explain it in a way that no one who actually knows anything about it could understand. It forces you to actually think, understand and break down what it is youre learning, making it a whole lot more tangible and memorable.
You think youre silly the first time you speak out loud in your apartment when youre alone, but being able to quickly explain your thoughts and use your words well is something thats beneficial in most real life situations, not just learning new things.
Thank you! Your videos are class, easy to watch, super useful and funny af! I just recently started learning to code and this channel quickly became one of my favourites! 👍
Phenomenal video, this is hands down 10 years of experience in 10 differents companies from 10 different mentors, you are amazing dude, you have left your mark already...
I've been a programmer for many years and always thought why it was easy to switch to other languages. Always telling myself it's because of the syntax. I never stood still by the fact we are problem solvers and know how to solve problems like how to use loops. You've opened my eyes and let me think way different about coding. Thank you for that.
you will have a hard time if you switch to a language that uses a programming paradigm you don't know, for example if you're a C#/Java guy and you switch to Haskell or Prolog.
Pretending to teach Someone while writing Coding has really help me (I mostly pretend I’m doing a voice over for UA-cam because it helps me think the best)
Thank you for making this. I can finally just use one single video for all friends who want to learn to code, and thus you just saved me many many minutes.
Hands down your best video EVER. 100% agree on prioritizing your health first, taking breaks, helping others and hacking your own subconscious routines. Standing Ovation. :)))
Im starting a bootcamp in March, tried self learning many times but I just couldn't crack it. (e.g. I've learnt ruby, but struggle with rails).
I'll come back to this post in 4 months time to share my progression!
So how’d the boot camp go? Forgot to update us?
@@sethmp333 this comment is 23 minutes old on the video that has been posted today ;-;
@@sethmp333 You know, he's starting it in MARCH and not today, nevermind the fact that the comment is only 50 minutes old (yours is 48)
@@gary743 r/wooosh
@@sethmp333 Am I the only one who see your reply is older than his comment ? (original 13 hours ago, yours 14)
Makes it even funnier
This is incredibly true! Great video! All your content is amazing. I am not even an English speaker, however the way you express the whole idea makes easy to understand everything pretty clear. Thanks man, great job! Saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷
I cant express in words how much I like this UA-cam channel! Keep up the good work man!
Great video as usual dude! Everytime I start learning a new coding concept, the first thing I will do is imagine explaining it to my little brother (not a coder) in a way that makes him understand and get excited by it!
The spacing effect came naturally to me, as it does with a lot of software developers out there surely. Didn't know it was a thing. It's interesting how I can be having a lot of issues trying to come with a solution to a problem for countless hours and then after even a short coffee break, socializing and thinking about something else and then when I get back to it I end up coming up with a solution shortly after. Bigger issues usually require a more persistent spacing, like going outside and taking a nap.
Mother of god, this channel has helped me immensely in my learning journey. I still can't believe I've landed my first job as a programmer. Giant thanks to the author- your videos on webdev topic are the best(at least among the best), good luck with your channel and again thank you
Thank you soo much for actually pointing out the importance of health. This is why I love your content, you include all aspects of coding.
this helps me a lot since I trapped in a negative feedback loop. Thank you so much for sharing your insights!
As a beginner this is quickly becoming my favorite channel
This is really a good one. I have being watching your videos for 6-7 month. I think this is the best one so far. Thank you for such a good content.
This made me think, it would be really cool to see a Fireship video on health for software developers. Daily routines, tips, etc in the context of someone who has a lot of programming to do. Never thought about the fact that physical health is inherently tied to how efficient the brain works
+1
Yes it is tied, maybe much more than you think. I code better when my mind is rested and I've been phisically active.
Compare your performences when you're in a healthy position and when you aren't. Thing like fatigue, chair, morales, even diet !
For example I love Monster but I'm definetely doing better with a cup of a tea, and that's a very insignifiant one compared to mental health !
reminds me of healthygamer on yt
it's easy. just exercise. it's the same as ordinary physical health maintenance lol
Great video! When I first started learning Python last May I was treating it like a race and ultimately got caught in a negative feedback loop where I wasn't able to make any progress--burning out in October. It took a month of recovery before I could approach things that weren't related to my health and it was only this week when I began to feel ready to revisit coding with a new mindset.
Leave it behind you asap, before it tolls your health seriously
I've learned some Python and I didn't really like it, so I moved on from embedded Lua and then moved to vanilla Lua. I prefer Lua over most programming languages because of their syntax, so in my opinion, if you're new or starting out, I recommend starting with embedded versions or simplified, then moving on to raw since it's easier to learn.
Needed this bro!!!! Everything you mentioned, is exactly how I feel!!!....these up's and down's - WOW!!! BUT WE PUSH ON!!!!!
I sincerely hope anyone out there thinking about starting to code finds your videos before any of the tech gurus' channels. You're honest and empirical
Very well explained everything you said is so accurate I'm glad that I found this channel on UA-cam
I love how you've incorporated staying healthy as a key step! 🚀It really is important. You just don't realize when you start out but once you accumulate enough hours of sitting in front of your computer you'll realize how important staying healthy is.
I've been trying to learn different things for almost 2 years and honestly this video is by far the best guide i have ever seen!
I just started an internship in AI and Machine learning and before that I had a very small coding experience.
3 months in and I can feel the pressure of sitting down to code moving away and can confirm all what you said is absolutely true
Do you mind elaborating on how you landed an internship in AI? I'm applying right now but because I have almost no experience I don't think many will hire me
I know I will get yelled at for saying this but from my personal experience learning both Javascript and Python side by side has been a huge help as a newbie. I know, one language is daunting enough but it helped me a lot learning the concepts of coding (problem solving). There were times I would get stuck learning understanding objects in Python, then later I would jump to JS and would somewhat get the concept.
how did u get through the concept of Big O and time complexity ? I can never guess the time complexity of a code just by looking at it (im new to coding )
@@lfmsmka I have been teaching my self to code for over a year and Big O still isn't easy, it's starting to make more sense.
I don't think we just understand it clearly one day, more like bit by bit, with regular exposure and practice it slowly starts to make sense.
@@keithprice1950 u just made me feel 100x better cuz I’m taking cs50 Harvard course online so I felt dumb cuz I couldn’t figure out what the time complexing for a certain code
@@lfmsmka Same for everybody. If it was easy everybody would be a programmer and the salary would be really low. It's worth doing because it's challenging and leads to a good career.
@@keithprice1950 thanks for your encouraging words man! I will hopefully make this community proud by getting better!
I have to admit, I watched a lot of your 100 second language reviews, but this is the one video that got me to subscribe. I started coding very recently, but I've been a musician for most of my adult life, so I know how it feels to think I am awesome just to realize I suck.
This almost exactly mirrors the advice I give to people wanting to learn how to code, even down to comparing it to learning how to play guitar. Programming is a skill, and like all skills takes non-trivial amounts of practice before you get good at it. Although I realize I don't emphasize the "take a break and chill" part enough; need to start doing that more.
A ski coach once sent this to me: skills come from struggle. There is a lot of information around skill acquisition and most of it amounts to appropriate stress, followed by adequate rest to grow and improve. Stress + Rest = Growth. Stress has a negative connotation but in reality it’s the only thing thats ever evoked change. Don’t shy away from struggle. Embrace it!
Sure, you can become kind of ok at something easy that you're ill suited for by sinking a ton of time into it, but why?
The rational way of skill acquisition and what most people do naturally is to put more time into things, they're naturally good at. Einstein was naturally good at maths and so he taught himself calculus in middle school. He didn't just randomly decide on maths.
Same thing goes for sports and programming. When you notice that you're doing better than other untrained people that motivates you to put more time in.
This is the smartest video I've seen. Big respect to you for going through everything you went through and still kept your focus. I'm striving in my life to be like you. Tonight I will be setting goals for myself and keeping schedule on everything I write down. I will not give up on my dreams!
All the best for your journey! 😉
"hit your keyboard until something cool happens" never before have my life been described in such a perfectly detailed way lmao
😄
This is so helpful thank you. I'm glad your channel is doing well you deserve your success.
You are incredibly good motivational speaker dude xd Uhm, just an idea, can you do a video about IT Student/Senior (or any other) CV. How to make it, what should it include, or smth like that to help us land our first job. I would love to see that. Much love ! I appreciate you, continue with the great content !
This is the best motivation I needed, some tiny bug took me 3hours to solve last night and made me doubt myself. Thanks man.
Now questions is Where can I borrow a 12 year old
As a university instructor, I always stress to students that if you have an error, to not spend more than 15 minutes to solve it. In the real world, there's usually someone to ask. Spending time blending your mind into cheese wiz never helps. It's like when you can't remember how to spell a word then you never will. Even if you don't ask someone for help, taking a break after 15 minutes of struggle, doing something else helps. Play your favorite song, watch a fun UA-cam video (watch a funny cat or dog video), or do something fun for for 15 minutes to an hour. You'll likely come back refreshed and maybe even think of one or more solutions. Write them down on a pad of paper. Don't rush back to the computer - you'll probably just forget it.
You're absolutely right about this is how to learn, and students spend years NOT learning how to learn. This is complicated by the fact that each level of education isn't the same as another level. To complicate this further, not every student learns the same way except for ONE specific item that you mentioned - experience. However, schools have adopted the erroneous concept that churning out students in short periods of time using certain metrics will accomplish significant learning and students leave thinking they are fully prepared for the workforce. Often, what they really need is a course on various ways to learn and retain information. Learning in elementary school isn't the same as writing a research paper for a PhD. In addition, tools exist for various types of learners that will help them get the experience they need to learn.
Totally Nailed It man. This is exactly what I would say to someone who wants to learn to code. Will recommend your video to anyone who asks me this question.
1:44 Most important thing is to remember patterns, the overall blueprint in putting things together and, yes, solving problems.
Truest truth. I'm in my early 30s and I agree with everything you say. Especially the parts about health and also taking regular breaks are probably the most underrated advices.
Small side story about health: I started to get wrist pain in 2019. I could no longer hack for hours as I used to when I was a teenager or in my 20s. In 2019 I decided to get a split keyboard to tackle this pain. It helped a little bit but it wasn't addressing the source of the problem. It was part of my shitty way of telling my body "shut up, let me write code" but the body might someday say "no f U, you didn't take care of me"
In 2020 things got worse. During the first lockdown time of the pandemic, I had such a crazy pain in my wrist that I couldn't work for 2 weeks. I couldn't play videogames either. I went to see a doctor. He asked me about my job and my hobbies. I told him coding is my job and my hobby and other hobbies include rock climbing, electrical guitar, Speedcubing, video games, ... Basically all stuff that's intensive for the hands. He told me "yeah you're out of luck, your hands are done. Stop all that stuff and don't overuse your hands. Find a new job and find new hobbies." I was just crushed after that. In August 2020 I went to see a different doctor (also specialised on hand area). He told me in kinder words that there is nothing that can be done.
I carried on like this for another 9 months or so. Working, taking long breaks, not doing any of my hobbies. Whenever I played Nintendo switch, my pain would be insane and sometimes I couldn't work the next day. I started to watch more movies/TV shows.
Anyways, this has a happy end, so sit tight. In May 2021, I saw a different doctor (not specialised for hands). I talked to her about other stuff like blood samples etc. Just before finishing my appointment, she asked if I had any other issues. I told her about my hand situation and that I fear I won't be able to do my job in the near future if this gets worse. She told me to check UA-cam for exercises and recommended me a German UA-cam channel (I live in Germany). I checked it out and it looked like hokus pokus. I gave it a try because I had nothing to lose and this has been the biggest life changer ever. My hands got better and better and in August 2021 I picked up the guitar again, I started coding in my free time again and it felt like my hands were reborn. It is not a permanent fix though. I added it to my daily routine to do these exercises in the morning after getting up. Takes me about 2 minutes for the hands.
Take care of your body everyone. When I was younger I certainly did not do it enough.
what's the channel?
Thank you sir for being an awesome inspiration to those of us who embark on this journey to learn something new.
I can fully support this idea of "teaching something to learn it". At my university I had to attend an IT class in 1st semester and in my final I got a rather bad grade (I just wanted to pass the class). It is not that I did not like it I just had other more important classes to focus (like Math and Electronics). However, somehow I ended up getting a job in 5th semester where I had to teach 1st semester students these exact same things I had to learn in the IT class. And that was the point where finally everything made sense. When I was in first semester I only did the "I am going to learn things by heart and forget everything after I pass" technique but in 5th semester I finally understood these things
Wow...thanks for this. I found your videos just recently, and I've gone through the same process of disliking my current job, leave and try coding...in this case a 6 month bootcamp, feel completely hopeless upon completion, go back to a job that I don't really enjoy.
I've recently decided to pursue coding again. Right now I'm back down in the lower valley of despair and trying to keep myself going.
The two parts that stuck out the most were being conscious of your health and reprogramming your brain. Going from carpentry to coding is a huge reduction in activity, and I've been trying to learn learn learn without much in the way of applying.
Overall, I really appreciate your videos and the insight you provide. Cheers!
Dude ! What a legend , so much clear info but also pure and greatly presented! Hahah and I love your sarcasm 🤭💁🏻♂️🤣
Fireship, thank you stating these points, you saying this has cleared up some of the roadblocks I've been facing recently
Not only did I learn about programming but i learned a lot of principles of learning. Thank you!
I've been programming for 4.5 years, since I was 14 (wow time flies) I apply most of these on a daily basis, but I really have a hard time with breaking things up into smaller tasks, I always end up just creating a couple of large tasks that are "create x", which leads to that negative feedback loop making it harder to continue
im also 14 and starting out! i hope that i keep going for this long as well as you are
I discovered your channel like yesterday!
I'm 29 right now and I'm shifting towards data science and want to pursue a career there!
Your videos are so motivating!
hey wanna co learn
The point when he said you feel like an idiot, you code something you feel like a genius and fall back to feeling like an idiot hit me hard. Those words are just facts every developer goes through it
I’ve watched about 10 videos on how to start programming and I have little experience with BlueJ at school but this video is just perfect. Thank you!
Lovely video. As a self-taught coder 7 months into his first job, the hardest thing I find is find time and mental capacity to learn new things.
How are you finding your new career experience Gustaw? I'm just about to enter the world of coding by learning through the #100Devs bootcamp and all additional methods but seeing as you've landed a coding job after self learning how are you finding the work/life balance and your satisfaction?
Good content as always!
Wow thank you for this, these type of videos mean alot since I've been trying to get into coding, but have no experience.
This will be my favourite video on fireship, it nails everything I did since I started programming
100% about the health. I'd be even more specific though and say "invest in your setup". You will not be able to think the same at a kitchen table vs a real desk with an external monitor. You also need to watch your posture. After years of incorrect sitting positions, I now have a chronic neck pain and trust me, you don't want that.
And lastly, protect your eyes
Ik this is late, but the last tip is extremely helpful
this Chanel is so underrated. Best videos out there. can you do a video on hardhat? and ganache ?
The last part is so true, many times I couldn't solve something and overwhelmed myself. Went back to it the next day and somehow fixed it right away.
Informative and entertaining!