For sure, learning to code isn’t an easy process, and it’s normal to feel stuck or frustrated along the way...we’ve all been there. And if you feel that you’re having a hard time staying motivated, there are some tried-and-true hints and tips that can make the learning path less winding and far more engaging.
Just Start... and Start with a Plan/Schedule
Quite often, people put off learning to code in Java not because of their laziness but because of the fear of failure. How to overcome that fear? First of all, you should set your goals and understand exactly what you want to do in programming. Application development, Mobile app development, or QA automation? Find which one of the above you want to do, set related end goals, define the set of specific topics you’ll need to learn, and then create a learning plan.
Actually, an effective plan is one of the key things that will help you stay consistent and, hence, complete your studies successfully. By sticking to the plan (you can refer to a basic plan here), it’ll be easier to study regularly and get the right information step-by-step.
What’s next? The schedule! You should create your personal learning schedule that will be comfortable for your lifestyle and learning pace. The schedule will be particularly beneficial for students who have problems with self-organization. Plus, they can refer to external helpers to stay more organized and, accordingly, motivated.
Among the numerous note tools, Trello can catch your fancy since it’s a very handy project management app that will help you organize anything from a business strategy to a big move.
Notion is a bit simpler tool that can still provide you with notes, calendars, reminders, as well as kanban boards, wikis, and databases.
CodeGym Kickmanager. As the name implies, it’s a quite useful app provided by our service that can help you kickstart your learning each day. Simply set your preferred schedule, and the app will notify you when it’s high time that you get down to coding.
During the learning process, the Codegym Bookmark feature can come in great handy too. It’s intended not for note-taking but for bookmarking important info you’d like to refer to later. For those who want to be more organized and structurize their learning, this feature may be worth a fortune. You can find it at the bottom of each lecture, article, or task when completing our course.
Start Slow. Choose Consistency over Speed
Overloading yourself with information is a shortcut straight to frustration and loss of motivation. Don’t try to get everything at once and learn too many different topics simultaneously. The same goes for different practicing methods and techniques. Instead, start small. It’s better to concentrate on one particular skill and devote about 20 hours/week to it. Start with simple things. Don’t skip small things since even those small things may be very valuable, not to mention they will give a lot of confidence. In addition, you won’t get overwhelmed at the beginning and give up learning before getting to the most interesting part of coding.
Keep in mind that even small efforts, when combined with consistency, will definitely lead to big accomplishments.
Try to Avoid Burnout
From the previous point, you get confidence and then slowly progress each day. However, on those days when you feel really frustrated, it’s ok to take a deep breath and find ways to rest. Sometimes, you just need a small break to clear your mind. Try to shift your focus by going for a walk, listening to music, or doing any other activity you enjoy.
That just being said, it’s fine to skip a day but no more. Avoid long breaks since they can eventually become a habit and slow down your progress.
Switch to Easier or More Engaging Ways of Leaning
If you’re stuck at some point in learning, don’t give up. Probably, you’ve set the bar too high and it’s time to stick to easier ways of practicing. One of the easiest ways to keep practicing and become more confident in your skills is to use already-existing codes, i.e. copy the code. By learning from codes written by professionals, you can develop your own style, whereas reducing the study load. Among the open resources that allow you to glimpse into someone else’s thinking, you may find GitHub, GitLab, Pluralsight, Free CodeCamp, or SourceForge very useful.
Another engaging and motivating way to learn Java coding is to create your own small yet exciting projects like apps, chatbots, or games. These can be:
Games: Minesweeper, Snake, Racers, Super Mario Bros; Clone, 2048, Tetris, and the like;
Small Apps like calculator, calendar, wish list, or to-do list;
Management Systems for schools, libraries, and sports;
Airline Reservation System;
Currency Converter.
Of course, projects may be challenging but our ”Games” section makes this possible even for newbies. Featured with step-by-step instructions, it guides you on how to re-make popular games. The section includes code examples and requires just a beginner-level amount of Java knowledge.
Ask Questions. Enter the Community
The other super-effective way to overcome difficulties when you’re stuck at some task is to refer for help. Today, the Internet is full of numerous communities and forums where Java devs of all levels, from all over the world, share their experience and knowledge. They are always ready to offer their help and solve tricky issues. Moreover, your peers can offer you support and share their own experiences.
At Quora and Reddit, you can ask even the most stupid questions and get quick answers to them, whereas such recourses like Coderanch, Codecademy Community, and StackOverflow can help you find like-minded people and go through the challenging journey of learning Java together.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
As you get more involved in Java communities, never try to compare yourself to other coders. Remember that it’s not bad to see the drive that your peers have, but it’s bad to feel jealous or discouraged if someone else seems to be doing better than you. Instead, transfer their energy and excitement to your own experience. Also, keep in mind that everyone progresses at a different speed since they may have more/less time for learning.
One more big mistake is to let the impostor syndrome get you down. Even if you make mistakes, always feel confident in your own skills. To boost your self-esteem, you may look back at everything you’ve already done to realize how far you’ve come. Whenever you feel down on yourself, just remember why you’ve started, what has inspired you, and what is your end goal.
The Outline
Just like in a real gym, when you start working out a muscle that’s out of shape, it’s really difficult at the beginning to work it out. However, over time, your muscle grows and gets stronger - naturally, workouts become easier to perform. When you start your Java learning, your just starting to grow your coding skills and it may be quite easy to quit when something goes wrong. But agree that you’ll hardly give up exercising in a gym once you feel muscle pain. The same goes for coding. So, even if you happen to lose motivation, don't give up learning. Remember the key points that can help you keep on going - your end goal in mind, well-structured plan, consistency over speed, reasonable rest, exciting projects, a community of peers, and understanding your uniqueness. Never start doubting yourself and comparing yourself with others, thinking that you’re less talented or not talented enough to complete the course and get a good job. It’s all about motivation, faith, and reps and sets. So, happy workouts in our gym!
