Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Learning How to Code
programming-educationbeginnersadvicecoding
Abstraction: Beginner coding advice emphasizing goal-driven learning motivation
Key points:
- Know what you want to build before learning to code — vague goal of "learn to code" leads to frustration
- Having concrete end goals (websites, games, apps, automation) makes the learning path clearer
- Connecting technology to personal interests (music, literature) sustains motivation better than abstract goals like proving intelligence
- Worthy goals include employability, impressing a boss, automating tedious tasks, or interactive art — any goal is valid if it drives you
- Author Cecily Carver studied CS partly to prove intelligence; that motivation wasn't enough until she connected it to her interests
Connections: Medium · Programming Education · Software Development