Hi everyone! There is this little something that has being going around my head lately, and I wanted to share it with you guys.
I’ve seen many people experience a lot of frustration while learning (anything in general), and sometimes that frustration leads them to give up. And I speak also for myself, I have, many times, experienced frustration while trying to learn new coding concepts. I still do, in fact. But now I know how to deal with it. Here are 4 tips I want to share with you on how to overcome frustration while learning to code (or anything else, really).
1. Make analogies with real life
Learning new coding concepts can be hard, especially if it’s your first time. (Or if you’re just learning concepts but never really learn how to apply them). That’s why it can be really helpful to compare what you’re learning to something else you already know. For example, the very concept of learning to code can be compared to learning a language. Programming languages also have their own syntax rules and other characteristics that make them unique. Of course, it can be a little bit tricky trying to come up with analogies yourself for things you’re still trying to understand, so in this case I’d really recommend asking someone who knows more about the topic.
2. Take a break.
A point comes in where you’re just not learning anymore, you’re not making progress. Time isn’t really productive anymore; you’re blocked. First of all, chill, it’s normal. Then take a break! Have some fresh air, maybe a snack…do something you like and stop thinking about the problem you’re facing. Then you can come back to your problem with a fresh pair of eyes and find a new perspective! Speaking of which…
3. Look for a new perspective
Sometimes, no matter how much effort we put into it, we still can’t manage to fully understand some concepts. In these cases, another pair of eyes comes really useful. Ask for help! Whatever question you have, it’s extremely likely that someone else also had it and figured out the answer. So ask someone for help, or look for articles on the Internet that can help you.
4. It’s ok to feel dumb
Last but definitely not least. This is the one I struggle with the most. I feel dumb because I don’t know certain things, I can’t explain them or I just CANT UNDERSTAND THEM!! Take a deep breath. That’s right, you can’t do some stuff right now, but that’s ok because you’re here to learn. So please, stop being negative to yourself. You’re never gonna get anywhere if you don’t think you can.
And don’t forget that feeling frustrated is normal! We all get frustrated many times while learning to code. But if you fight through it, you’ll come out with new, solid knowledge.
If you bothered to read until here, THANK YOU so much. Feel free to leave your personal opinion on this topic or ask for help below