Who am I
I am really excited about starting this coding journal, but first, let me introduce myself properly. I'm a tech enthusiast that never had the opportunity to learn programming until recently. I was always interested in making things and solving problems and difficulties but didn't know-how in the real world. It's been an incredible journey of self-discovery and it's only just begun.
For the previous two weeks, I've been learning Python and database concepts. I had almost no prior experience with programming, thus, I have the feeling that I'm starting from scratch and have a long way to go. But I'm very much looking forward to it! 👩💻🔥
Why programming?
I love creating programs not only because they can be used to solve so many real-world problems, but also because it lies at the intersection of creativity and logic. In my opinion, programming is an art form that allows you to create things that didn't exist before and alter the world in ways that weren't possible before.
Although there are some moments when programming can be frustrating, I started to feel a sense of accomplishment when I finally make some progress. I also like that there are many different ways to solve a problem in coding, and it can be really satisfying when the code works as intended.
Reason to start keeping a coding journal
I discovered that journaling has several advantages from James Lieu's blog , including the capacity to express my ideas more clearly, increase productivity, and record a history of my progress and development. I believe it would be an excellent method to improve my coding skills. Especially, as a beginner coder, journaling can help me track my progress, reflect on my coding style, and find areas for improvement.
For example, one day, I might journal about how I solved a problem that I had been stuck on for a while. By writing out the steps I took and the rationale behind them, I can better understand my thought process. This could help me to improve my problem-solving skills in the future. Additionally, if I ever get stuck on a problem again, I can look through my journal and see all the progress I've made.
Web development is an interesting and constantly-evolving field to me, with this I am planning to share my learnings and track projects on a weekly basis or whenever possible. It can be a little daunting to get started, but I believe it's definitely worth the effort. These are the reasons I've decided to start keeping a coding journal to become a competent developer.
What I've learned in the last two weeks
So far I've been trying out the course Python for Everybody through FreeCodeCamp.com and py4e.com which is an excellent online course taught by Charles Severance. It provides a strong foundation for those who want to continue with programming and pursue a career in the field. It starts with basic Python programming concepts like variables, loops, and functions through to advanced topics like object-oriented programming, functional programming, networked web services, and database integration.
During this course, I've seen why Python is everyone's favorite since I understand how simple it is to learn and the many applications. So far, I have completed the first 13 chapters of the course, including data structures and leveraging libraries to scrape web data.
Apart from that, I've also been reading a few articles on blogs and other websites to learn more about Python, Database, and web development in general. I'm still a beginner and there is so much to learn. But it's a lot easier when I know that I love this. So, I'm going to jump in and do what's necessary (even if it seems difficult at first) to achieve my goals.
Here is my note-to-self about what I've learned in the last two weeks
What I'll be doing next week:
- Continue learning object-oriented programming
- Try out HTML/CSS and JavaScript tutorial on building
- Coding practice by making Chrome application with VanillaJS if possible
- Setting up a project with Flask and MongoDB
That's when I end my first entry. Thank you so much for reading and I'm planning to write about the process in my next post, so stay tuned!
Please feel free to leave me any comments below, I would love to hear your thoughts on this:)