How do you stay motivated

Computer Science
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I have been coding for only about half a year now. I’m going through the courses and currently learning JavaScript. I’ve learned C++, C#, Python, HTML, CSS all to a minor extent to see what I like doing (OOP is definitely easier for me to understand).

I am having the hardest time staying motivated to learn. I feel like I am just failing left and right. It’s either some little syntax error, or a complete failure and misunderstanding of what I am being told to build. I don’t understand the “lingo” used when instructing someone on how to build code. It feels like you have to “know programming to know programming”. Yes it starts you off as if you know nothing… but then I get to that 30-40% mark and its a full stop. From that point on I am constantly having to apply the auto solution just to see how much simpler it is than I am making it out to be. I google the question, I google the errors, and I feel dumb and I feel like I shouldn’t be doing this.

This has been an entire section of JavaScript(Objects) that I honestly cannot say I understand what it was they were teaching me, or why it is even useful? I feel like I can build some pretty complicated and engaging programs using relatively basic programming… and then you get all this advanced stuff that is what you actually SHOULD be using.

Everyone on the forums seems to know what they are talking about, they speak about problems and discuss answers using the exact terms that are confusing to me. I don’t work in the programming field, this is a passion of mine that I only recently have had a chance to explore. So I have a hard time understanding what their problem even is, let alone if it is the same as mine.

Should I just stop? I feel like I am wasting my time and money. If I can’t program at the intermediate to advanced level… why should I even try? I wont be able to get an entry level position with the knowledge I gain from the first 40% of these courses. There are only so many “Hello World” programs you can write before you want to throw your laptop out the window in anger.

7 Likes
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I’m actually reading a book precisely on how to stay motivated (because I had a similar issue and chose to take a break until I found coding it purposeful again).
Perhaps asking yourself what could the skills you’re learning are gonna help you achieve in the future would be a nice start. What would you like to do that would require those skills?

It is indeed hard and frustrating to not be able to understand the lingo. Even more, it’s disheartening to find very scarce material that would explain it in suuuper easier terms. I had this issue when I was learning about Kernel stuff, so I chose to start constructing my own depictions of what I understood. Basically, started making small comic strips to show things like the ’ memory pool manager’ (obviously a happy lifeguard) or the ‘zombie processes’ (with parents who can’t let go). Later I showed my friends (who were more Kernel experts) and they would give comments like ‘Haha this is funny, but maybe you could also add X because X happens when the manager does this, or this, etc.’

I think it’s important to find those bits of joy, make it more playful for you so that the journey (whether short or long) is enjoyable. Plus, if you have fun, it’s more likely that you’ll start seeing different paths that might be hard to find when we’re frustrated :frowning:

Just know that you’re not alone! There are other people with the same struggles. Seeing the autosolution is not bad as long as it helps you understand better :wink: We’ve all done it at some point haha

You can do it!!!

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If you want motivation, consider this. Most professional programmer’s are actually pretty crap. It’s true, not every programmer needs to be amazing… Infact from what I’ve seen most don’t even need to be average, apparently. Plus, even if you don’t get a job it can be useful to occasionally whip up a little code to do something for you.

I’ve seen apprentices who have been seen on courses etc, still not know fundamentals after a year. I’ve meet people who have done computer science courses (with programming and yes I know cs != Programming) who can’t code and are actually pretty weak on the cs side too.

The other thing is, when you have no idea about a subject you have no idea how right or wrong the stuff you are reading is, just because someone sounds like they know what they are doing, doesn’t mean they do.

You’re on your journey, just set yourself goals based on you not everyone around you. Some people get programming and it’s concepts easily, if you’re not one, no point comparing to them. If you want to start playing a sport, most people will never get great at it so not point comparing yourself to pros unless you get near them. But that doesn’t mean getting into the sport won’t be fun and maybe have other benefits.

P.s. how can the firey place where to devil lives be censored and crap isn’t? Only in America!

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Programming is difficult, and it can be very tedious. But don’t let that stop you. Sometimes you need to push through barriers to get further.

Experience and practice counts in programming, but even with experience you will keep having syntax errors, but will be better in correcting. Getting satisfaction from solving a problem (a behavioral bug, syntax error, completing a feature) is a massive boost

Even the people here on the forum didn’t grasp all the lingo the first day they picked up programming. That took time and effort.

programming is mostly problem solving, teaching yourself these thinking steps is crucial. I would recommend trying to avoid using the solution button, instead, come to the forum, we can help you by pushing you in the right direction, but then you take the steps. I am personally convinced you learn a lot more from that

This applies to more concepts, but particular classes and objects start to shine once you start with larger projects, it gives us the ability to organize our code very neatly

Challenge yourself what there problem is, and if something in that topic can be applied to your code

no. Programming takes time to learn, i would highly recommend to continue. Learning to program cost time, there is no shortcut in that regard.

Good luck! :slight_smile:

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Hey Brendan,

Everyone on the forums seems to know what they are talking about, they speak about problems and discuss answers using the exact terms that are confusing to me. I don’t work in the programming field, this is a passion of mine that I only recently have had a chance to explore. So I have a hard time understanding what their problem even is, let alone if it is the same as mine.

I feel like we are very similar. I have that same frustration of wanting more, and feeling unsatisfied with my progress. I’m new to coding and I want to just drink it in and learn non-stop. This can lead to intense frustration, just because the nature of learning. Specifically with learning languages.

However, I think if this instinct is harnessed it can actually be a very positive quality. Essentially you have an intense desire to know more, and you are frustrated that your learning pace isn’t keeping up with your desire. That’s good! So the first thing I’ll say is that you already motivation, and you have it in heaps.

So the goal, as you’ve pointed out, is to keep that level of desire and drive. For me, it helped to not be so hard on myself. I mean, like you said, you don’t work in the programming field (I don’t either). And you probably know more than 99% of the general non-programming population… That is not too shabby.

Like I said above, try to not be so hard on yourself. Learning the foundation is important, and you definitely shouldn’t give up. Sometimes it takes a lot of practice with these more difficult concepts until you gain fluency. It is very much like learning other languages (spanish, italian, etc.), it can be frustrating just getting over the basics when all you want to do is to communicate with the pretty italian girl at the bar and ask her out on a date, but all you can say is “ciao”.

That can be even more frustrating when you are surrounded by people who seem to speak italian fluently. But this coding community is a lot like that pretty italian girl. The motivation to talk to her, and the willingness to try are often more important than your fluency. And if you can keep that motivation and willingness to try, she will teach you the language.

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Thank you. That is a really good summary of how I am feeling. I guess I need to take a step back and look at what I’ve done. In 6 months my github is full of programs that I wrote in half a dozen languages. I should use it as an example of my progress instead of how far I have left to go.

I’ll keep going and pushing. I need to remember that it really is learning another language (like a spoken one) and less like copy/paste knowledge.

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I like your philosophy.

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Hi, Brendan. Quite a lot of time has passed since this post. How has it been going? Did you find your motivation? :slight_smile: