![]() ![]() The web development inflection point is the point when you become capable of building any database-driven application that you want. In web development, there are actually two inflection points that will come together. I still feel like I’m in the deep end! I’m just getting more comfortable knowing that’s where I’ve got to be! In the words of a Firehose student upon passing his inflection point: This is the only way to build on and expand your skills. Rather than trying to pull coding projects into your comfort zone, you should be seeking out problems that are outside your current skill set. The most common reason programmers quit their jobs is because “it’s not challenging anymore since I’ve solved all the interesting problems.” Instead, you should strive to go outside your limits every single day. Some software engineers stay inside their comfort zone once they find their footing. These types of programmers are known as maintenance programmers– not something you should strive to be. Most people do not realize that in order to learn to code, you need to learn both domain-specific and procedural knowledge.įor the rest of your life, go outside your limits every single day Learning how to find the light on your own is critical because you can never know everything there is to know, so you need to be able to teach yourself how to solve the problem at hand. When you need to implement a new feature, what type of Google search should you do? At this point in time, you’ll feel like you’re “in the dark” when it comes to many of the things you want to accomplish. Procedural knowledge is the ability to teach yourself what you don’t know along the way. While your domain-specific knowledge is screeching to a putter, everything you’re learning will be about procedural knowledge. Feelings of insecurity and doubt are common in this stage.ĭespite the fact that you’ll feel like you’re learning and accomplishing things at a much slower rate, in reality, you are achieving the things that matter the most. You may start questioning yourself and wondering if you are actually capable of becoming a programmer. And that is a wonderful thing.ĭuring the inflection phase, you will be coding 10-20 times SLOWER than in the previous phase. If you find yourself waiting for the moment when you finally feel like you know everything there is to know about coding, know this: the day you’re waiting for will never come. Experienced software engineers seek to find solutions to problems they haven’t solved yet because it gives them the opportunity to learn more. Programming is a life-long learning experience. You will never know everything you need to know to solve all your problems. Going into the journey, you probably envisioned yourself eventually learning everything you need to learn, and then being squared away. The dirty little secret of programming is… True confidence comes from struggling through a problem you have no idea how to solve, and discovering a solution on your own. ![]() Other students will reach for more tutorials, trying to obtain more domain-specific knowledge in search of a “ full understanding.” Unfortunately, tutorials will only take you so far, and true confidence isn’t found in tutorials or guides. As you’re wrapping up the tutorial phase, you’ll notice you’re able to write code at a much more rapid pace.Īt this point, some people feel confident– like they’re ready to ditch the training wheels and start building things without structured guidance– and will happily dive into the deep end. Over time, you’ll develop the skill to debug errors and pay better attention to small details, and you’ll be able to make progress much quicker. At first, you’ll find it challenging to follow instructions and error messages will happen frequently. In the tutorial phase, you will follow instruction. Dealing with error messages and problems in this phase teaches you one of the most important skills of programming within a safe environment: being detail-oriented. Seeing error messages is a frustrating experience at first, but it’s a crucial step in the learning process. Even the most minor typos and misspellings will result in error messages or bugs. Paying close attention to detail is important when going through materials like documentation or tutorials. For students starting out, the most important skill to acquire is attention to detail.
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