Key Tips to learn programming in college

Tips to learn programming in college

Mastering the art of programming is a perpetual struggle for everyone alike- be it a computer science student, an aspiring developer or a coding boot camp student. Here, we present to you some tips that can help you ace the craft of programming faster and makes it easy for you to learn programming.

  1. Choose the right language

You cannot claim one programming language to be the best, once you learn one language, it’s easy to pick up the other. So, don’t spend too much time choosing your first language. That being said, a few languages are beginners- friendly than others. Also, choose the language as per the purpose you require it for. For example, for an iOs app, you need to learn Swift.

  1. Be patient- start from a scratch

Always begin from the basics, irrespective of the language or the learning method chosen by you. In the process, be patient with yourself. Break down projects into simpler and smaller steps, and take it from the start to the finish.

  1. Find Free Tutorials and use on-campus resources

Money crunch is faced by all the college-goers. But, here come the online resources into play- they effective and won’t burn a hole in your pocket like other expensive computer programming resources. Also, tap into on-campus resources, which will complement your e-learning with personal interaction. Students must explore groups on campus with coding focus to hone their skills.

  1. Learn on the job

Play with the code and soon you’ll pick the pace to learn new concepts. Practical application can teach you much more than you can ever learn by blazing through an entire chapter from the best book ever. Experiment with codes, break the rules and formulate new codes.

  1. Write down codes

There have been numerous technological advancements but the most effective way to learn coding is still by doing it by hand. Coding-by-hand requires a greater degree of caution, precision and intent, because unlike computer, you can’t run a handwritten code midway to see if it is correct. Write down and practice coding on a white board or notebook to improve your proficiency.

  1. Tinker with Sample codes

Never just leave a sample code by mere reading, always run it to understand it better. A sample code is packaged to easy comprehension with the additions of comments and instructions. Also, it is pretty difficult to replicate a code from a scratch, hence you’ll gain a lot by practicing sample codes.

  1. Take breaks while debugging

Often while debugging, you get totally engrossed into it for hours at stretch and still there isn’t any surety that you will fix the problem. To restore the sanity of your mind, take a few hours break from the bug and return with a fresh mind to fix the problem. You’ll improve your productivity and solve the problem and save on hours of headache.