Background

After being able to successfully build my own computers, I realized I had no idea about the code that instructed and operated them. So began my interest and journey into computer programming or code. I can remember seeing some text about something named C++. I didn't know what that was. I started to research computers and the languages they used. Always at the beginning of something new it can seem daunting and exhausting. I read all the articles I could find and watched way too many YouTube videos.

Then I came upon online course platforms like Free Code Camp, Coursera, and Udemy. Udemy became my online learning platform of choice. Just wait a few days and that course you want will probably be on sale for $20. Their platform works well mostly, but sometimes you find the quality of the lesson recordings is lacking or that you literally can't understand the accent of the instructor. I advise always playing and watching through all the sample videos and as you grow read through the content they are covering. But remember you only paid $10-25 typically, so don't be too critical. Some videos I bought I just gave up on and it wasn't worth chasing a refund. They may need that money more than me.

Progression to Current Day

As the months then the years went by I took online course after course, with the first course I started with was a 'C' language course. It was difficult but very good. Spending a few hours a few days a week, it took months. It was hard. The C programming language is what I call very syntactically ornate and decorative. What I mean is that is uses many, upper row of the keyboard, letters and symbols. It was painstakingly slow at times. After building too many programs that only run in the terminal or console, I decided I needed something with real, lasting, visual results. And so came web-development.

In my third year of studying computer programming languages and taking online courses I became very frustrated with my typing skills. So we stopped all the language courses and took a touch typing course. You would sit there at the keyboard and type out words one letter and word at a time. After the first couple of lessons the instructor said "Okay, now do not look down anymore, just let yourself make the mistakes." The thought was to let the hands and brain make the mistakes, learn from them, and start building that muscle memory. It was interesting in the way that with successive days you seem to remember another move from the day before. That is the magic that happens in the brain and allows people to master that body to brain connection for memorizing new motor skills. It was painful but I kept at it and am still working on it.

Current Day

The touch typing skills are much better today than ever, although it is still a work in progress, it has become a huge time saver. I recommend to anyone learning to code to stop and learn how to properly type or touch type as it's technically referred to.

Through the last seven years I have taken up the programming languages of C, C++, Javascript, the markup language of HTML, style sheets of CSS, Bootstrap, learned the backend runtimes of Node, the use of PM2 and Enginx, and the complex AWS platform for website hosting. Currently my focus is on web-development including building this website from the front end structure and styling, to the backend server code. Also writing the content, then learning how to host it online. My journey continues.

Proposed Changes

In the beginning I thought to just give it ten years and I would be pretty far down the road and I am. But I don't think I am good enough. With seven years of part time studies and hundreds of hours of time spent on courses and typing code, I think I feel only part way there, I would say, to mastery. I think I still have a long way to go. I would bet many programmers or coders feel the same way.

Moving forward my thought is to keep pushing along and continue to maintain X number of hours a week for this very intense at times hobby. Adding more structure to each week was always a recurring thought. Like spending certain days on certain skills or languages, etc. I guess we'll see and as long as I continue to make some progress, I'm moving in the right direction.

Conclusion

So, in the beginning we started out on a journey but were so naive we had no idea how long the journey was going to be. Some times I tell myself: "no pressure Lawrence, we have the rest of our days to learn this, and get it right." And well, so be it.