Making mistakes is common for beginners when learning to code. At the start, some of the errors are unavoidable without the proper guidance. Mistakes are also possible and, in fact, typical for even experienced programmers.
If you are a beginner in coding, other than reading up on a beginner’s guide to programming, you should also find out more about the mistakes you can avoid to not hinder your progress, and this article explores some of those mistakes.
Learning without a roadmap
The first mistake beginners make when learning to code is learning without a roadmap. There are so many things to know in coding, and without a roadmap, you can get lost in all the information the subject offers. Plan the topics you want to cover and stick to a schedule or a deadline, to ensure you don’t stay in one coding language for too long.
Alternating between languages
This is a common mistake in coding, especially for beginners. New learners are eager to learn, resulting in them learning too many languages simultaneously. For example, after coding with Python for a week, they move on to JavaScript. There are instances where beginners learn two languages at the same time. This mistake would slow down your progress and confuse you with an overload of information. Choose a coding language and stick to it the whole way, as the primary goal at an early stage is to understand the concepts.
ripplecreate does at least 8-weekly sessions on each platform for this reason. Holiday camps or crash courses only offer a snapshot of what a particular language can do, but it’s better to have in depth skill on at least one programming language, so it’s easier to learn other languages as the computational logic is essentially the same.
Not making notes
Having notes is the best way to revise what you have learned. Jotting down the information you learn, would go a long way as you can read it at a later date to keep it fresh in your head. Some people think they can memorise whatever they have learned and will remember it for a long time. We are all humans, and the things we learn might get blurry in a few months. Always take down notes when learning so you can do your refer to it for your revision when you need to. In coding, it would be wise to ask for screenshots of the codes that you’re learning so you can recap at home on your own time or when doing different projects.
Although self-learning is possible, having an educator guide you along the way is ideal. It is more difficult for beginners to grasp and understand the coding concepts. Having someone to show you would make it easier for you to learn the concepts being taught. You can also bring up questions to them to clear any doubts you have.
Not practising and being consistent
Many beginners have unrealistic expectations at the start of their coding journey. Many of kids go for holiday camps expecting to be able to code within a day. They forget that constant practice is important. Similarly to learning a new language, the more practice you have, the more fluent you will be in it. Therefore, it is crucial to follow up the holiday camps with regular coding classes.
Comparing with others
It is common to have self-doubt during early learning to code. When you see others doing well or are ahead of you, you might feel anxious to catch up and lose the motivation to keep going. Remember, everyone learns at their own pace. Coding is more complicated for some, so enjoy yourself in the process and take one step at a time.
Conclusion
Coding is a difficult path to stay on if you make mistakes that hinder your progress. Learning to code takes time to master and requires a lot of practice. It is essential to stay patient and stay consistent throughout your learning process.
If you are looking for a place that offers coding for kids in Singapore, ripplecreate offers kids coding classes to teach your kids programming and robotics. Contact us at hello@ripplecreate.com to enrol your kids in our program or for further inquiries.
