4 Mistakes Self-taught Devs Make And How I Avoided Them

In recent years, many aspiring developers have taken the self-taught route to learn programming skills. While this approach has its advantages, it also comes with a set of unique challenges. In this article, we will explore four common mistakes that self-taught developers tend to make, and how you can avoid them. Whether you are just starting out or have been self-teaching for a while, this article will help you identify potential pitfalls and develop a more effective learning strategy.

MISTAKE ONE

-Wanting To Learn Every Concept in A Language.

When I got started, there was no one to guide me, so I figured out what to learn by reading books and going through resources online, but the challenge was I didn't know how much knowledge I needed to start practicing. So I was stuck learning and learning, trying to be proficient in all. This kept me in an unending and frustrating learning journey.

You do not need to learn all there is in a programing language to get started practicing. In my case it was JavaScript, which even up until today I'm still learning.

So I built up confidence and started practicing with what's I've learnt so far and here I am today. Once you are comfortable with the language you are learning, you can start practicing and continue your learning as you practice because there's no end to learning, especially in tech.

MISTAKE TWO

-Learning too Many Languages.

This got me really bad because at my earliest stage of learning programming, I was stuck learning C++, Java, JavaScript, C# trying to have many tools inside my box in other to appear relevant to employees and among other developers, which in turn was a frustrating experience. I was mastering none, in conjunction with the fact that I was trying to learn all there's there in.

Seeing I did not just waste time, but I wasn't making any progress I had to cut away every other and got ahead with JavaScript and start my development journey with it.

Pick one technology and get an in-depth knowledge of it, avoid learning 3 or 4 languages at the same time, this will kill your time and keep you stagnant. You can at the long run learn something new technologies. As for now stick to one and be good at it to an extent.

MISTAKE THREE

-Not Believing in Yourself

This was a challenge for me, because I had one who coached me, so I had this inferiority complex and fear in me that I wasn't good enough to call myself a developer in front of others and also apply for jobs. Nevertheless I overcame this challenge by starting out to building web apps seeing I've acquired enough knowledge to help me do that. So this built my confidence seeing the projects I worked on myself.

Never believe you're not good enough to get started or be hired, if you've done your background work well learning all that is need to be learnt, then you are good. Kill fear and don't let it kill you.

MISTAKE FOUR

-Not Having A Portfolio / Bad UI Design For Your Projects.

Majority of beginners' self thought developers like myself do not have a portfolio of work they've done because they are stuck learning and lack the confidence to build and showcase their work, because they are self taught and feels like they are doing something wrong somewhere. You are doing nothing wrong, if you are learning with the right resources.

When you've learnt a technology and you feel comfortable with it, build out some cool projects using what you've learnt and be proud of what you've done. Not only that, ensure your project UI is amazing because the first thing majority will look at is the interface of your project before considering the backbone.

If the backbone of your project is 100% sophisticated and your the UI looks shabby, then people majority will not want to have anything to do with you. Always ensure your projects UI look pretty fine.

I love good UI, likewise do everyone.

Conclusion

Learning to code is an exciting journey, but it's important to avoid common mistakes that many self-taught developers make. By understanding the fundamentals, mastering your art, believing in yourself, and owning a professional portfolio, you can develop a more effective learning strategy and become a successful developer. Remember, learning to code is a continuous process, and it takes time and effort to achieve mastery.

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