27 things I wish I knew when I started programming

I wish I knew a ton of stuff when I started to learn to program, but here are 27 things that come to mind.

I put the most important things at numbers 14 and 26 because I’d love for you to read the full answer.

1. You learn by doing.

The only way to get better at programming is to actually program. Don’t let analysis paralysis prevent you from ever starting.

2. Programming isn’t like studying for a test.

Memorizing stuff doesn’t matter all that much.

3. Cheating is completely acceptable.

I use Google to solve most of my problems, and so do most programmers.

4. Letting problems pile up without checking is a poor strategy.

I used to make endless changes to my code and expected it to work right away. The problem with this approach is that it stacks one problem on top of another and makes it difficult to figure out what went wrong.

5. Learning by yourself is really tough.

Talking about code and collaborating with other aspiring developers is a better way to learn for most people.

6. Let go of your emotions.