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Programming purgatory

1 points by gunnyguy121 ↗ HN
I'm a high school student who's had an interest in computer science on and off for about 7 years. I'm planning on going to college for software engineering or computer science, possibly informatics. In all the years I've been trying to learn I feel like I've never made it past the beginner stages, even when the course says it's complete. What should I be doing to help myself going into college and beyond

7 comments

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leonp92
Side projects. It doesn't have to be anything big or anything, you can start out with a simple script that scrapes websites or something. The best way to gain experience in coding is to code [it's even better when whatever you're working on is practical].

When working on your projects I would focus on good programming practices and patterns. I say this because I get lazy and sloppy when I work on my side project vs what other people would see. Also, know what your code is really doing rather than just copy and pasting it from the internet.

pklausler
Beware committing your career to something for which you don't really seem to have displayed much passion.
gunnyguy121
Oh I have passion, I'm just axious because I never feel like I know what I'm doing
Cypher
I'll let you in on a secret, the best minds don't know whats going on most of the time. Just go with the flow and be open minded and accommodating and you'll be well on your way to achieving your goals.
gunnyguy121
well that makes me feel better! I feel like I have to google every little thing
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BillBohan
Many years ago I read an article which concluded that people who went to school because they wanted to learn about computers were likely to fail. Those who went to school because they wanted to learn to use a computer to do something (make music) (draw pictures) (control a process) (anything) were more likely to succeed.

To be a successful programmer you need to know two things. You need to know how to program. You need to know the subject your program is about, whether it be accounting, process control, graphics, or any other subject.

I started my computer education in 1962 when I bought the book, "Thinking Machines" by Irving Adler. I have worked with computers most of my life (I'm retired now) and the complexity of what there is to know has grown exponentially and shows no sign of relenting. You will not be able to learn all there is to know about computers. Don't feel bad. Nobody knows that much. This is what leads to "impostor syndrome", the feeling that you are unqualified for the position you were hired for.

leonp92 is correct in saying side projects are the way to go. Start with simple applications. Write something which is useful to you or something which is fun. The satisfaction of seeing your effort pay off will fuel your passion.