How to Learn to Code FAST (Do This or Keep Struggling)

[@AndySterkowitz]

Have you joined my Facebook group yet? Come join all the discussions, the memes, and all around good time: andysterkowitz.com/group

[@peterbelanger4094]

Solid advice. That last part about proper sleep, breaks and exercise is probably the most fundamental part. Without that the level of focus, and the ability to deal with repetition and failure goes down. And there will be failure, plenty of it. Learning to code is a perpetual cycle of finding bugs and fixing them. Many of those bugs will drive you crazy!! I would also add in maintaining a healthy diet as well. If I don't get the right food, I can't solve problems worth a damn.

[@bennypr0fane]

Oh no, I really don't like Facebook - it's super distracting! The second I open it up for a specific purpose - maybe to look up an event, or look for coding advice - I get sidetracked by notifications and stories jumping into my face and I forget what I came for. The noise level on FB is just terrible! Do you have any other channels for getting together?

[@son_of_hiskingdom5092]

I’m actually pushing harder to learn about 5 different code languages. So this is actually fantastic advise. Do you know Jesus Christ, your attitude shows that you do and it’s awesome that and the really great advise too. Stay awesome friend.

[@alphagenisis1]

What’s simpler, cleaning your room or learning how to code?

[@bennypr0fane]

@@son_of_hiskingdom5092 actually I feel that's not taking the advice from this video. You can't focus on specific areas and skills when you're trying to learn 5 languages at once. I believe it's not a good strategy

[@Anonymous-xy8ps]

A simple advice from a fellow coder, don't try to learn a programming language aimlessly. Sit down , figure out what you want to build ( after you have understood the basics) and then learn how to build it and that's how you learn coding.

[@Chill2094]

Thank you for your advice! What do you consider basics in JavaScript? I’ve been studying for almost 2 months a course from Udemy by Jonas. It’s been going awesome, and I understand functions, loops, arrays, objects, sets and stuff, but I always feel like I don’t know enough to explore the possible of a language. I can’t think of an idea to build myself, because I don’t know what it takes :D if that makes sense. Again thank you

[@engineerepixlele2845]

@@Chill2094 Dom manipulation (most important).

[@Chill2094]

@@engineerepixlele2845 thank you

[@mysticmaven3511]

We need videos to explain these though 🧐🤔

[@geckoo9190]

Yes, learning the basics is like learning to make a raw sketch, you practice the structure, learn the big picture, how the language is structured, how to make a back bone, once you know that you can aim at an specific goal, although its good practice to analyze some pro code, that teaches you some tricks.

[@JohnHeitmuller]

I have been programming for 35 years. I am an EXPERT at learning. I completely agree everything Andy said in this video. Two concepts in the video are key for career-long skill growth, (1) keep a list of the concepts/skills you want to develop, and (2) use your study time to focus on your weakest skills. I'll add (3), whenever you start a project with a new team intentionally look for the "thing" that is the team's biggest problem. This "problem" could be a legacy system that we have to integrate, or an unfamiliar new tech, or a troublesome relationship with a key stakeholder, etc., etc. etc... Then, become the "subject matter expert" on that problem. Taking the initiative to become the go-to-person on what was a big headache issue will advance your career.

[@samanthataylor1761]

Thank you 🙏🏽

[@thomasjohnson3628]

If you could make a longer list given your length of experience, would you add anything in addition to the third point or recommend any addition books to Andy's? Thanks in advance.

[@harenhallharfoot]

This is an amazing advice as someone beginning their career- thank you so much.

[@YannMetalhead]

That's a great advice.

[@reymilocuevas3485]

Hello sir, I have a question. How can I make my time more effective to learn full stack web developing while working 12 hour drifts in the containers? Would it be worth it to buy a laptop to take to work and learn how to code on lunch/breaks? What programs would you reccomend to solidify to maintain a long career Python Javascript c? Thank you in advanced sir.

[@dinckelman]

Any time I hear any kind of "hustle" style advice, it's almost immediately worth dismissing. If you don't know Chinese, and you try to read Chinese, you won't be able to do it by just trying really hard

[@AndySterkowitz]

Well said :-)

[@zhbitjean]

A Chinese agree with you.

[@koma7778]

Its stupid advice indeed cause if u have 10 years of experience and hustle eith an allnighter and burn yourself out, youre not gonna quit and give up cause u have momentum and your dopamine receptors are already aligned well with coding. But if you are a beginner and push yourself too hard, you will give up completely. Better to make it bearable at least

[@logixindie]

Unrelated but it seems to be an interesting coincidence that it says We Speak Chinese at the bottom right at 4:48

[@btnstriker]

How about you put your avatar double fingers on your forehead? :)

[@vietstonedotdev]

Thank you. Some takeaways I get: Deliberate practice Attack the weaknesses Understand your energy Understand your mind Focused sessions Sleep and take rest for a creative brain

[@ProgrammingwithShahan]

As a piece of advice for beginner developers: Don’t code without taking breaks. It is pretty overwhelming and causes dangerous health issues. Also it increase mental fatigue overtime. At least I have experienced with it. Therefore, I take 30m break after each 90m of coding.

[@MissRedWine]

Amen to that! Thanks ✌🏾

[@abdulbasir8740]

If you are at work?

[@dq8a]

​@@abdulbasir8740 "that's my secret cap, i don't" -hulk

[@aA__Oo]

thank you!!! appreciate it. I have a full time job on top of learning - am in bootcamp and its pretty tough also i am staring at the monitor around 13 14 hours a day due to my work is a desk job. =(

[@snappypanda8258]

The POMODORO technique 😉

[@David-gu8hv]

"Take a Break" - Ok, story time...I was racking my brain on a Calculus homework problem and I JUST COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT...I finally got so frustrated that I went over to the couch and just plopped down on it. The moment my rear hit the cushion, the solution popped into my head. It wasn't until I stopped thinking that the answer came to me. It was quite a cool experience

[@KING_OFLIONS]

Same happened to me several times over past few years from high school to college , while learning anything like mathematics , physics , coding , or even beatbox. It's always the time when you kick back and relax or maybe you are in shower or just using your mobile or playing games. As soon as it pops up in my head , i write it down.

[@subgivtara]

This is why I never think... My brain does everything automatically somehow

[@David-gu8hv]

@@subgivtara The thing is that the two modes work together: the hard focused thinking primes the brain and then when you stop thinking after racking your brain your unconscious mind kicks in. The initial thinking has a huge impact. Took me a long time to understand this.

[@FrocketGaming]

I also recommend embracing the struggle when you're trying to figure something out that you've 'learned'. Spend 5-10 minutes really trying to recall how to solve something you've seen or feel you should know before going to look it up. This will strengthen your memory and improves your learning.

[@cobalius]

The last thing i've learned, is, that i can rename the functions of an inherited class with a metaclass which wraps functions around them and i can delete unwanted methods from the dict. Well, that's at least one solution i came up with.. but the problem from which i derived those questions was ill-defined in the first place. I simply shouldnt use polymorphism when i don't wanna use everything what a parent class has to offer. And i guess it would be bad practice to rename stuff just for personal preference.

[@ifeadekoya5735]

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: OUTLIERS - MALCOLM GLADWELL 1:00 PEAK - ANDERSON ERICSSON 4:15 ULTRALEARNING - SCOTT H. YOUNG 5:55

[@samanthataylor1761]

Thanks man

[@masternobody1896]

yeah outliers is next level book

[@phxJohn2010]

I have a masters degree in educational psychology. I think everything that you've said in this video is pretty spot on. One of my personal pet peeves is when people say practice makes perfect. It does not. Perfect practice makes perfect. You can spend 10000 hours practicing something the wrong way and at the end of the day all you've done is gotten really good at doing it wrong. If you want to get better, as you say, you must practice what it is you want to achieve. Great advice, thanks for the video.

[@Veganstega]

I hate it when people correct me on that though. When I say “Practice makes Perfect”, I KNOW that means “Perfect Practice Makes Perfect”. However, why the hell would I want to add on another word and make the saying overall laborious to say?

[@phxJohn2010]

@@Veganstega That's great that you know that, you're among the minority though. Quite a large number of people don't even think about that aspect of practice. They just think that if they practice they will get better regardless, and that's simply not the case.

[@kevinblack8500]

My music professor used to say “doesn’t make perfect, practice makes permanent. Whether or not it is good or bad”

[@mahmoodtareq3520]

Superb video Andy, as it reflects on reality, not fantasy. These are extensive notes I took from this video. To become a better programmer then you need to engage in Deliberate Practice and these are the key parts of Deliberate Practice: 1- Clear, Well-defined goals: The more you can laser focus on a specific issue the better, so when you're trying to solve a problem on hacker rank, leetcode or a problem in a project you're building when you sit down to study is say okay I'm going to sit down and try my best to comprehend what the question is asking so I'm not even going to write any code I'm just gonna maybe go through one two or three problems to try to understand what they're asking. 2- 100% Focus and Attention 3- Go outside the comfort zone: if you're ever going to go beyond a basic understanding of programming you have to feel uncomfortable let's say you're learning javascript for example a common difficult concept that you're going to run into at some point is closures now you're going to read some articles about closures watch some youtube videos that's going to be very comfortable but what's very uncomfortable is taking that knowledge you've learned and then applying it in some way so maybe using it in an actual problem somewhere but if you don't do this and push yourself outside of your comfort zone then you're always going to just stay exactly where you're at. The takeaway from this key part is to put the effort into the aspects you're not good at not the things you're already good at. -------------------------------------- - Identify your weakness and attack it directly: How to attack something head-on? 1- Make note of it: I recommend creating a google document that lists out all of the weaknesses that you run into and you want to regularly update and drill them when you have time. 2- Run through drills repeatedly: for something like the promises problem not understanding promises you can google something like javascript promise coding interview and what some of the questions that pop up you can run through all of those and easily the key of what that's going to happen is it's going to allow you to work on different problems in different contexts repeatedly over and over again and eventually your understanding of it gets better and better and better and honestly this principle has probably been the one thing that has sped up my results the quickest. --------------------------------------- - You have to know that the way to success is not necessarily about hard work, hustling, working more, and intensity: The key to rapid skill development is that you must train your brain and mind like an athlete treats their body just like an athlete would never put in 100 hours of intense training per week nor should you. most athletes know the secret to success is short but high-intensity training sessions with very long periods of rest. If you're going to maximize every ounce of effort that you're putting into this, it's critical to MANAGE YOUR ENERGY LEVELS effectively. These are some tips to help you better manage your energy level: 1- Sleep well 6-8 hours a day. 2- Take regular breaks 3- Split your studying time into tangible chunks or sessions, if you study for 6 hours daily then break up that into 3 blocks of 2 hours of study periods 4- Regular moderate exercise

[@michaelart.212]

thats exactly what i was looking for in the comment ... you rock dude thanks alot

[@FredSkullsmash3208]

I seem to learn best in 45 minute bursts. Then I can practice in longer burst and as long as I'm practicing the same thing (no matter what it is) I retain. So to repeat, I learn "new" things in up to 45 minute bursts and reinforce things in longer bursts. Great video. Everything you mentioned I have experienced as truth. At least for me. Thanks!

[@strictnonconformist7369]

I’d suggest if you aren’t already doing it pointedly in practice, look up the Pomodoro Technique, which can be adapted to the person for durations of focus/relax.

[@justinpettit8282]

I read a book called Super Learning by Peter Hollins and it said exactly what you just said 45 minutes of deep work 15-30 minute break repeat.

[@aer0449]

Sir I just started the 10000 hours thing after reading the books just few days back ... thank you so much for your guidance this really means a lot me

[@AndySterkowitz]

All the best!

[@sjwoo13]

This literally applies to everything. Twitter has gems of advice, but most of them are pretty garbage. Work Smart, Not Hard.

[@Commander6444]

I just wanted to thank you for giving realistic guidance for those of us wanting to work in tech. There are _way_ too many snake oil salesmen on KZbin, and I appreciate channels like yours that keep the advice practical and the expectations reasonable.

[@AndySterkowitz]

Thank you it means a lot...I love hearing this!

[@Scottx125Productions]

I think something key to note is not everyone learns at the same rate. A skill one person is able to grasp in one month might take you six months or more. Every learning experience is unique to the individual, it's about finding what learning pattern works best for you.

[@AllanJeremy]

Well said! Been coding for 11 coming on 12 years now learning new stuff regularly and I can confirm this is 100% true. Coding for practice and coding for work are two very different things. Deliberate practice accelerates progress. Nothing more I could add to this. Great video Andy 🙌

[@raidenflare8711]

Where can I learn for free?

[@fattysun1121]

@@raidenflare8711 the odin project, youtube, google, resource is everywhere

[@natetolbert3671]

Still, being "hireable" and being a good programmer are two different goals. As unfortunate as it may be, most interviews are decided by things like interviewees' confidence.

[@AllanJeremy]

​@@natetolbert3671 Totally agreed. Actually, come to think of it, this probably applies to most industries. What do you think interviewers can do better to pick the best programmers even in cases where they may not externally appear to be the most confident?

[@Dave_of_Mordor]

@@raidenflare8711 freecodecamp and odin project.

[@afshah.7972]

Thank you Andy for the very helpful advice! Here are my notes with only the main points: First Principle: Deliberate practice 1. It requires clear and well-defined goals. Laser focus on what skills are you trying to improve. Eg. Understand what the problem or the question is asking. 2. 100 percent focus and attention. You have to go into very deep into thought. Really analyse your code which will require you to have long periods of thought and concentration. 3. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Practice things you are not good at. Taking that knowledge you learnt and apply somewhere. Second Principle: Identify a weakness (For Speed) 1. Just practice only the part you need to master and then get back in the game. Similar to what I do in my dance lessons. Attack our weaknesses directly. 2. See a complex problem as an opportunity to attack the problem head on. Once you clearly identify the problem like not understanding a concept, then a) you make note of it (either an apple note or google document) and list out all the weaknesses you run into and you want to regularly update and drill them when you have time. b) you can run through drills repeatedly. You can search in Google, and see what questions pop and run through those. It's going to allow you to work on different problems in different contexts over and over again. Eventually your understanding will get better. Third Principle: Manage your energy levels effectively Must treat your brain and your mind like an athlete treats their body. Just like athletes would never put 100 hours of training per week, neither should you. Athletes know the secret to success is short, but high intensity training sessions with very long periods of rest. If you want to maximise every ounce of effort you put into this, it is critical to manage your energy levels effectively. Things that work for energy management are a) 7 - 8 hours of sleep per night, b) take regular breaks, don't study for 6 hours at one go (we can actually problem solve and be very creative when you are not active thinking), c) regular moderate exercise. Thank you Andy for the super valuable advice! 🙏 ❤

[@VisualFrequency13]

My drum line instructor used to say, "Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect." And I felt that.

[@Diinify]

Another variant I like is "practice makes permanent," followed by the perfect practice part

[@j.k.ravshanovich]

I used to watch Andy's and others' videos to find out the secret of becoming very fast, some years ago. What I found out from my own experience is that there's not a secret recipe that makes you a hireable developer over night. The success lies in endless efforts.

[@amvora]

You know that motivation feeling that suddenly goes all the way through you at 3 AM? For some reason it “broke” for me today, this night I had completely no motivation to even try coding my own web project, but now is 10 AM and I’m full of motivation

[@richdb1115]

Consistency is key and motivation can be wrecked by a lack of patience, but yes, technique & approach are what converts consistency to success

[@niloofar9113]

SO TRUE! Have to get out of your comfort zone and going head on with your weakness. Which is hard~

[@AndySterkowitz]

Totally. No one particularly loves doing it but those who can will excel. Cheers!

[@alb12345672]

Even more than that. You also need a burning desire for it. At 12 I forced my parents to buy my a computer so I can learn to code. And it was not fashionable then. The only reason I went to the mall was to hang in the bookstore and read books. I did not care about friends or socializing. Not saying this is good, but software has to be a burning force in your soul. You have to be extremely passionate about it.

[@gstrdms]

This was actually a huge relief. I'm always worried about not doing enough, or quick enough but this advice really put my mind at ease. Quality over quantity.

[@ryanhipps8343]

These principles apply to learning just about anything. I’m going to implement some of these strategies while trying to learn 3D modeling.

[@bc4198]

Yup. I eventually figured out after thousands of failed kick flips, that I was not practicing deliberately. Never got one right 😆, but years later I got a lot better at bike tricks, due to more focus and deliberation - not more repetition.

[@alimaxion2005]

You don't need 10,000 hours to become a pro in programming language. You need to define what you want to solve with the programming language, then learn the basics of the programming language, advanced, Google problems and solutions. The rest is practice practice and practice

[@deang5622]

No, this is not sufficient to be a good programmer. You shouldn't be looking at other people's solutions. To become a good programmer you work out your own solutions to the problem. It is that problem solving ability, the ability to have a real world problem and see how it could be solved by a program that you are trying to develop. There is a certain amount of computer science theory you need to learn, notably on data structures and algorithms. Programming is far more than just the language

[@JorgeRivera-rp1zw]

Yea, practice,practice, 10.000 hours at least..! Je je je

[@V3ND3TTi]

I’ve been coding for 13 months now and I’ve “dabbled” in many languages out of curiosity. Recently (day 3 currently) started coding with JS/Typescript again and the difference is I want to learn it really well this time. I’ll definitely be applying the principles from this video to get me to the next level! Thanks for putting this together!

[@AndySterkowitz]

I'm glad I could help. Best of luck!

[@deang5622]

Programming isn't about learning as many languages as you can.

[@5P4C3V01D]

What I love about the video is that you can apply the points mentioned to so many other topics.

[@JackMcDonnell91]

i’m new to this channel and it’s all thanks to the YT algorithm! i’m 30y/o and am just starting my programming journey but this was really inspiring! earnt my sub in this video alone!

[@ceeeceee8753]

I just started mine last week. How is it going for you now?

[@numberiforgot]

See, I started learning with python. After Learning the syntax I went off to KZbin to watch people apply python to certain tasks and problems. From there I began building my own. From there other languages were cake to learn because I had a fundamental understanding of how programs work.

[@sethfrady9334]

That's the way

[@TheBadassOne17]

You mind linking or dm the links to those videos? Wanting to get into programming and want to get a head start

[@zakyvids6566]

What do you mean by syntax

[@numberiforgot]

@@zakyvids6566 The way it’s written

[@numberiforgot]

@@TheBadassOne17 I commented earlier and replied but I think it got deleted. Tech With Tim has excellent videos.

[@michaelwatson9089]

Just started learning HTML & CSS. Did a frontend challenge to build a simple card which took me seven days to build. I know my CSS is all over the place and might only need a few lines of CSS to design out the desktop version and mobile. I will try to to use these steps in the video.

[@alkhemist6631]

This was me some months ago. Now, I can literally code any UI in html and css. You'll get there.

[@Anonymous-xy8ps]

That was me 4 months ago but I tell you it gets better and better please don't give up..Keep going and build projects🔥🔥

[@dindoladandata1666]

I highly suggest to learn Javascript frameworks alongside html and CSS.

[@maxpawa9282]

@@dindoladandata1666 And Node js

[@dindoladandata1666]

@@maxpawa9282 Absolutely. Although NestJS is beautifully clean for backend too.

[@moja-mojahh.jpeg.9829]

1. Learn the concepts. 2. Practice. 3. Reflect ( or feeddback loops) 4. Repeat. 5. Interleaved another skills( if necessary). *** my personal mental model in learning. 20% input( theoretical/ knowing), 80% output( practical / application parts/ doing)

[@tenzinlekshey1867]

Notes: # First Principle: Deliberate practice - clear and well-defined goals “what do you wish to get out of this session?” - Laser focus - “same amount of output can be achieved with less time” - 100 percent focus and attention - Get outside of your comfort zone # Second Principle: Identify a weakness `When you see a complex problem` - identify weaknesses → Attack our weaknesses directly - Make a note of all the weaknesses → tackle them - Run through drills repeatedly ## Third Principle: Manage your energy levels effectively 💡 Treat your mind like an athlete treats his body > As an intellectual athlete, you want to function like an athlete, which means you train hard, then sprint the you rest and then reassess. ”You get your feedback loop” >Athletes know the secret to success is short, but high intensity training sessions with very long periods of rest. ### How to maximize your energy - Get 7-8 hours of sleep - Take regular breaks → pomodoro - 6 break hours of work → 3 block of study periods - Moderate exercise regularly (walk,yoga)

[@MM-cl5ik]

thank you

[@arteeedg421]

An additional note about sleep, deep sleep is actually when your brain moves your short term memory into long term memory, so getting good sleep will actually help what you learned stick. I learned this the hard way in college 😂 I found what I studied still felt fresh the next day when I got 8hrs

[@consortiumideiasconsultori2457]

Handling frustration is important with any learning effort: understand you will fail, but it's a necessary failure and not an end in itself.

[@mrpotifar]

Keeping your room clean is pretty solid advice though. Not just you physical room but your surroundings and mind. Now i’m going to watch your vid.

[@agentfifteen]

Totally agree. Practice doesn't make perfect; Perfect practice does.

[@harveyts3]

I'm a data science consultant with a background in business systems engineering. Being on the data side notwithstanding, you really need to be a learning expert, which comes from focus. Deliberate practice or deep work is the defining characteristic.

[@lovejones92]

I know I’m a year late for this video, but considering that I’m at the beginner stage of coding I’m happy to have come across this video. Thank you for the advice!

[@pinklady3059]

I watch this specific video and practiced over something which is hard for me to learn I ended up learning it within one day . when I learn it in school it takes 3 months, after all, I didn't get to learn anything. one random day I watch ur video changes the whole game for me. thank u

[@mwredfern]

I’m a data scientist. And I’ve found what helped and helps me learn new languages, is realizing that if you can load your data, filter your data and present the data in a manner that your customer will understand it; you are officially in the top 5%. What I’m saying is celebrate the small successes when learning to code.

[@janusn9]

Your video gave me great insight into my life that had nothing to do with coding or computers. Thank you.

[@victormarinviloria633]

I've been watching your videos for the last couple of years, Andy. And I honestly have to say that this is the best video you've ever made. Thank you so much for this great piece of wisdom!

[@AndySterkowitz]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Haunted_Thyme]

Thank you for all your videos. I am slowly making my way through them and a few other youtube channels. I am just in the first few weeks of learning how to code. I am starting with HTML and then will move to Java. I know nearly nothing. I have been disabled due to PTSD and a mild traumatic brain injury since I was 25. I am 40 now. It has taken me that long to relearn how my brain works and be in a situation with an awesome as hell wife who has supported me trying out all sorts of options to get me back to work. I think we finally hit on something with coding. She suggested it because I am always in developer mode on our phones and computers getting into stuff and fixing it. I am learning how to pace myself so I can learn and retain this new information most effectively. I am determined like I never have been to be able to do this for employement. Not just because I think I finally found something that clicks with how my brain works but because I love to know how computer programs and mobile programs work. It is facsinating to me. Code language to me is like learning the inner psychology of how any computer/mobile/web device works and why it is doing what it is doing. I was studying for forensic psychology when I got hurt and subsequently disable. I am applying that same anyaltical thought pattern to this endeavor. I feel silly I did not think of it before. My mother has been coding for 20 years now. She started learning at 50 years old. I am learning so much from your videos and just as much from the comments in your videos. Right now I am using a few apps to learn, starting with Mimo app. I will progress to another one over time I am sure. I eventually think I would like to end up in mobile development learning both IOS and Android systems. Neither are going anywhere and the world is increasing becoming more phone app based for the everyday person. I want to be involved in seeing where these systems will take the global society over the next 20-30 years.

[@clara-cookie119]

I had never heard of Mimo before. Just joined. Thanks!

[@neilturton3192]

I am loving learning to programming but having ADHD, I find it super hard to get even close to 100% focus.

[@Vanhelwig]

Hey man as a fellow ADHD programmer, just letting you know that you can do it. Not my business either way how you approach it, but getting on meds, strict environment control and daily meditation all helped and continue to help me. Its is hard! Fall in love with the process not the idea of the result.

[@iraqbeentheredonthat]

I completed a coding bootcamp with ADHD and no meds. It was a mistake I still feel quite lost. I'm on medication now and looking for a new coding school.

[@samanthataylor1761]

Try the pomodoro technique.

[@katieantlitz2812]

I’ve been coding for 10 years and am autistic with ADHD. I do best working remotely. I listen to video game soundtracks and use the Pomodoro method.

[@burgeryoufoundbehindthegrill]

If you keep getting bored of something and want to try something else, over and over again, then consider rolling with it. Layering up knowledge over time. Maybe having several things to switch between. Not 100% focused, but not all over the place. It beats attempting to focus on one thing, but accomplishing nothing. If you're that kind of adhd

[@murdzex55]

andy: it needs 100% of your attention... if you're doing this while watching a podcast or a youtube video it won't work.. me: closes his video and continues course

[@jetertrajano2160]

I'm learning in a bootcamp and struggling with my JS skills, especially in APIs. I'm glad I watched your videos because they really help me a lot! Cheers!

[@deang5622]

I have 40 years of programming experience. You don't become an expert by watching tutorials. You become an expert by figuring things out for yourself .

[@mithos789]

im just starting. but i think its good to shadow some tutorials. show you what is possible.

[@mhondoroinc1768]

I have heard this a lot, I don’t think people understand how to use tutorials. They have made me move so fast across different industries for many years now.

[@deang5622]

@@mhondoroinc1768 I don't care how many times you have heard it. You don't become an expert programmer by watching, you become an expert by doing. And that's a statement from an expert programmer.

[@gindevgin9298]

Thank you for the advices. One thing which is hard is when you must learn to much different kind of things in a short period of time. The mind can’t record too much differents sorts of hard concepts and paradigms when we study. And also because we should use each new knowledges just right after learning them to get theses knowledges.

[@WarzoneTales]

My favorite professor once said in a seminar "Desperation leads to growth, that's why I'm always giving you homework, that bring you to your limits - to destroy them"

[@MarioTomicOfficial]

Great video Andy! Really enjoyed this one!

[@AndySterkowitz]

Thanks a ton!

[@voicuraluca2280]

It's so true what you've explained in this video, Andy! Great job and peace out! 💻✌🏻 Cheers! 🥂

[@gurvijaybecker]

Mario didn’t know you were into coding ! Time to flex your programming muscle as well haha

[@Atlas92936]

@@gurvijaybecker he did his undergrad in computer science. Also worked in Tech I believe.

[@gurvijaybecker]

@@Atlas92936 damn ! Multi talented dude. I got the comp science part down just to need to make a physique like his hahaha

[@jimboyuk1]

Great video...as a veteran developer even I need to remind myself to step off the pedal from time to time and take a break

[@wscrivner]

It's funny how some of the stuff you talk about seems so obvious after you point it out. 😆 Great job with this channel. I find it inspiring and motivating.

[@AndySterkowitz]

Thank you William!

[@niloofar9113]

THIS VIDEO IS SOOO GOOD!!! I needed it 😭 perfect timing. I have to add a second comment 😭😂 to express my gratitude

[@AndySterkowitz]

Thank you Monet :-)

[@justmakeitviral4733]

That point of trying to understand what the code is doing is very important for a beginner. People usually just jump to solving difficult coding algorithm questions without understanding basics properly. Definitely solving difficult problems pushes your knowledge farther but don't rush the process.

[@taetaebeatz5578]

As a self taught developer, I missed the mark on "best practices" and "clean code" when using various tools and languages. I encourage those just starting out to not repeat my mistakes.

[@warnertom3393]

The amount of times I've struggled with a problem, got frustrated and took a break, then came back to the problem and saw the solution right away or quickly after taking the break is absurd.

[@frannelk]

A pomodoro clock might help, I have a plugin in my browser with a pomodoro clock, I set it for 60 minutes learning to code then I rest some 20 minutes then I come back to learning.

[@mavknight211]

Finally, someone who is attached to reality. Thank you for the advice!

[@jeanlucas2834]

This video must be renamed to "How to Learn anything Fast" and this is why I subscribed.

[@madhursharma1441]

It's very great to learn from someone who has worked many years in that domain. You will learn the mistakes that you should not do. Learn Earlier or Keep Struggling. Thanks for the telling the great authors in your video.

[@Maha_s1999]

This video was amazing! You quite rightly support the debunked theory of the 10K hours to mastery and introduced so many concepts that it took me years to find out on my own. I can attest that the style of deliberate practice works. At some point I was working with a more senior colleague with a CS degree who was determined I wasn't to succeed and prove that he was some sort of a member of a master race I didn't belong to. I had no real coding skills then but did much of what you described and slowly built myself up by tackling my weakness one by one. I still have a loooong way to go but I managed to prove that colleague wrong so big point scored. Subbed!!!

[@Nanofederer]

Andy, thank you so much. You always give the best advice. I started to read a book about Data Structures and Algorithm and it's been a nice read, as an absolute beginner it's the best resource I have found.

[@siddharthrajan616]

Can u please share thr name of book?

[@Nanofederer]

@@siddharthrajan616 A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms - by Jay Wengrow

[@MaxDixNeuf]

Thank you Andy, Your channel help me a lot. Now I'm learning web development skills to change my career from a musician to a developer :D

[@GardenData61371]

Instructions unclear, learned coding in 1 Light Year

[@chadrattington]

Really seems like all of your videos about learning to code are revolving around concepts that can be applied to anything you want to learn, which is good news for me because i teach myself literally everything lol

[@B1GL0NGJ0HN]

Learning how to learn, and knowing how to learn effectively, applies to everything. :)

[@u_mnie_dziala]

IMHO the best video about how to learn coding; if you only work hard and spend hours and hours on learning, without a plan and proper amount of sleep, you'll end up with frustration and questionable knowledge (I know it because I used to work like that ;) Thank you !

[@euphoriaorphan]

Right now, I am learning JavaScript and I just finished the class in College but I still consider myself learning it. Towards the end after learning all of the concepts , I watched some full project tutorial videos to see how they did it and I could code better. My plan is to right down the steps that I must take to get these projects done, and not the code itself so I can pull that from memory, or references to build my code.

[@kauavictor5285]

-Fix your learning gaps (take notes when you notice them, and later on research and practice to solve that problem, e.g, with interview questions) -Manage your energy levels (treat your brain like athletes treat their bodies: sleep, and take energizing breaks after sprints)

[@AshtonMotana]

Probably why it's a good idea to have your own idea/project and build according to your vision and then keep at it and let you vision' resolution become more clear the further along you build it.

[@mrobertmarks1147]

Moonwalking with Einstein is another book that complements your video, Josh Foer actually worked with Anders Ericsson on his journey to mastering his memory capabilities. Great video! I learned a few things from you, thank you!

[@iceman442ho]

I'm going to use that interview question strategy to figure out C#. Thanks, Andy.

[@jaydenmoon1165]

This video is awesome - I needed to hear this really bad today - I can't sleep for more than 3-4 hours, and I really need to work on breaks as I tend to work hard for 45 mins then my break goes for like an hour or more :/ - really need to be more disciplined - thank you for the wonderful video Andy!!!

[@shahramsohail9459]

The argument on deliberate practice is absolutely true...10000 hours won't do any good if you are not practicing with a goal I have been playing cricket since i was a child...it has been like more than 12 years...but i never improved coz every time i play i start bowling with a different style...start batting with a different style...i never played to improve...i played in a way which is working in that particular situation Good video

[@fuzzylogics139]

You got me at the Rocky analogy lol!.. .. My brain was so tired few times this week, like "what the hell are you doing to me??!!" I swear it was talking to me several times.. So yeah, time for a break. You're so right and I should know 'cause I have muscle damage from my last job that required lifting 3200 pounds by hand 5 days a week.. When I started that job I remember coming home and wanting nothing but to sleep for the first 3/ 4 months.. Only learning to code since 12 days now, but 12 days for approximately 4/ 5 hours of learning and digesting info at a level I have not done in decades or maybe ever (I'm 43).. Is making me just as sleepy as my last job did.. It feels the same as exhaust from an intense work-out ex- the muscle aches.. You're right: I need to take it a little more easy to win this challenge I've put on myself.. Or win it with grace and not end up a jittering idiot that just so happens to know how to code but no one can have a normal conversation with anymore hahah.. :p Thanks

[@ZeusGod-Oficial]

Much appreciated video . I am stating to learn programming right now and it is really hard but all I can see and dream of is being a great accomplished programmer in some near future . It’s all I want and all I aim for . Thanks

[@philipbessong6842]

I like how he low-key did what he said he wouldn't do at the start of the video😂. Respected 🔥

[@Gg199865]

Man, those camera settings for rocket league are wild 😂 great advices btw. I am very new at programming and still learning but this was very helpful. Keep up the good work!

[@altriish6683]

10000 hour rule is also for top class performance at a skill, not just being good at something. You can be employable with a lot less practice than 10000 hours

[@magnithorson6568]

Wow. I don't know what I was expecting, but I did not expect to hear the same advice I gotten from a friend about learning how to play Tekken well in 2 minutes

[@NewJayqwe2]

At A-Levels, I remember hating Chemistry since I was so bad at it but because it was a major weakness of mine, I worked on it and felt as if I had done a 180 degree turn with the subject, was proud of myself by the time exams came around buut need to do this now with programming 😤😤

[@skdfdjkdfjkd]

For me the best way to learn has been to just try to make really difficult things.. I recommend that. Believe in yourself too much, when it stops, just figure it out (the right way). I feel like I could build a space ship with a warp drive given enough time.

[@JerziTBoss]

To be honest I was expecting some youtube coding influencer advices that will do more harm than good but I was fairly surprised. I'm coding for about 10 years now and I can vouch for these advices. Get enough sleep and enough rest, do not try to learn aimlessly. For me when I'm trying to learn new programming language or learn with new tech works when I come up with some simple project where I can see what the learning curve is and what kind of basics I need to learn or what kind of knowledge I already have can be applied to make the learning curve less steep. I also agree with the "learning" blocks during the study / work hours. I used that principle during university where i could learn everything I needed to pass the exam in 2-3 days and I use that principle in work to get work done in the most efficient manner.

[@YeshuaIsTheTruth]

Excellent video! I'd like to focus on inheritance in C++. Maybe I'll start by just reading that chapter in my book a few times a week and then start practicing with code.

[@dietrevich]

Better than reading a chapter off a book, read as many different sources as you can on the subject. The difference in perspectives and the constant reading the same thing in a different wording will help a lot. In the end though you need to starting using it and practicing with it and trying different scenarios to use it and break it, till you get it.

[@durppp]

You’re transitions into the like/subscribe spiels are getting more and more impressive

[@AndySterkowitz]

Thanks! I figured you might as well make it fun :-)

[@Haylem]

Dude!! 100% this video is legit. I have the exact same words when describing the steps and mentality it takes to become the 1% within gaming. It's all about mentality and "playing" to win and improve EVERYDAY, even if it's just a tiny thing, its progress that amounts to what it takes to be the best.

[@enemi7048]

I am currently trying to learn coding online and I am struggling in understanding the courses... but I was able to point out my problems really quickly and this video just reassured me that I was on the right path minus the sleep lol. I should definitely try to take some break especially after some struggle. I was unsure on my method but this video just gave me a boost of confidence. Thank you

[@AcidHouseKid]

Gladwell dispels the 10,000 hour rule. Not the ‘optimum’ way to study rather the ‘optimum’ environment - for example The Beatles in post war Hamburg a port with many exotic influences (for a bunch of scousers), intensively playing together making the point that it’s not the time spent it’s more the benefit of the environment. Similarly with Gates, he had access to a DEC minicomputer that is owned by a local computer company, a huge advantage many did not have. Again, not the time spent but the environment. It’s a bit more ‘who/where’ you ‘know’ rather than ‘what’ you know. It’s a great book, read it (or get the audio book) (or listen to one of Gladwell’s podcasts) (or watch a lecture on KZbin)! You are welcome. X

[@drkcrstl]

Im following a tutorial right now and i was able to further develop the tutor's solution to an exercise he proposed. Im always trying to solve the exercise before seeing the solution. Long way to go i suppose

[@psiryan]

These are great elementary principles for studying and improving. I mean elementary elementary both literally and figuratively. I have kids in elementary school; their curriculum suffered tremendously during the last couple years due to remote learning and excessive closures. We have been employing some of these techniques to make sure that my kid doesn't fall behind in their expected knowledge and understanding in math and reading skills, such as identifying weaknesses, and practicing the hard skills that are out of their comfort zone, and targeted practice, at home in addition to what they do at school. My point is that these are basic study principles that can easily be leveraged to improve any skill. Great insight!

[@bonce]

I just spent the last day and a half practising shine sparks in metroid dread just to defeat the Escue boss and can totally see the parallels with learning C# Linq, Python list comprehensions, bit shifts and ternary operations. Hard, focussed graft will give you a muscle memory level single use BFG weapon to draw out when you need it that you can slap a problem down like a 'finish him!' move.

[@HuGiv5]

I've been addicting to Code like many are to drugs, been coding 12H a day 7 days a week. Today I woke up exhausted my head hurts so much lol I'll try to take off the entire day 👍

[@Nkodtb]

Damn I want that to be me. I'm only a month and a half in as a beginner though.

[@siddery8080]

I started HTML and CSS (is this counted as it's own code?) around 3 days ago. I've had like 0 sleep between work and my free time just studying the basics of how to structure things / add pictures / links etc. This is some incredibly fun stuff by my lord is it confusing. What is working for me right now is constantly going over the basis of the class= etc and just figuring out how design these with CSS and how to just smoothly integrate them onto a webpage. I've no idea what my goal is right now as I don't know enough to set a goal yet but I'm gonna give myself a break tonight! my next area of study is going to be the CSS designs. I don't know how to manipulate the boxes properly at all. If anyone knows a good website that can help with the "design properties" in CSS that would be wonderful.

[@jcbsalexyahoo]

my favorite way to learn is to put 2 videos on each monitor so i can watch 2 programs being coded at once, even if i dont kno the language the mass influx of context clues is powerful

[@ad7711x]

The fastest way I’m learning is by simply mastering different sections. I’m learning JavaScript. I spent one week just studying and writing functions. Another week just writing and learnings nothing but loops. The same with objects. Some areas like arrays or data types, and operators are relatively easy to grasp. Now I can write any type of loop without looking at a reference because I did it so much it became second nature.

[@KeithGolfs]

Wow, the RL example is uncanny! You were talking about deliberate practice, and I was thinking about how I had to do that to get better at Rocket League. Then you talked about Rocket League! Lol subscribed!

[@KeithGolfs]

I'd also like to say that pinpointing and attacking your weaknesses is so important in many other aspects of life. Learning to do this while coding (and RL ☺️) forces me to humble myself which usually hurts my pride. Once that pain subsides, and even during a lot of times, I get to work and the growth is almost unbelievable.

[@christcombiccombichrist2651]

I want to learn c# to do stuff but I'm not motivated because I don't even know what I'm going to do with c#. I have a little project in mind that I want to do but lack of funds got me diverting my time into looking or chasing after the dollar just to clear my debt. How unfortunate.

[@brandonkruger9040]

I'm a final year software dev student, I still struggle with the simplest things, your advice has been insightful. Thank you @Andy Sterkowitz

[@whorewrangler]

Something an old coach taught me... practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Meaning, if you are practicing using bad form, that bad form is what you'll be great at. You'll never have perfect form of you don't work on your form being perfect. This can be applied to most things.