I used to make many mistakes. I still do, but I used to too.
Mistakes irked me. I would hate making a mistake while writing the coding problems I first started with. I was unused to the unforgiving nature of programming and frustration mounted. Luckily I hate leaving a problem unsolved.
This is the story of how I got my start as a programmer. It all started in 2020 when I signed up for CodeCademy’s ‘Learn Programming’ course. A very simple and straightforward course depicting the very basics of how a computer works. From there I worked through all of the free JavaScript courses and almost immediately signed up for the Pro package. You want certificates? I’ve got ten! But who cares? I want more…
Thus began my introduction to Tutorial Hell. Feeling an urge to know the deepest darkest secrets of what I was learning I would spend hours reading and listening researching the simplest of concepts. How many videos exist on the difference of let and const in JS? A lot.
Through my research I noticed a singular problem popping up time and time again. None of the tutorials went far enough. They never answered the real questions. They provided a start, a jump board for which you can leap. I was not to be dissuaded, so I searched further. I was able to put together little tidbits from each tutorial, each one offering a slightly different insight.
Anxiety was the true culprit. The true reason for Tutorial Hell. I felt I was not good enough, I did not know enough, not smart enough. I felt that making mistakes was bad, I needed to know the why before the what. I was anxious that I could not find all the why’s before I began the what.
I come from a blue collar background. I’ve built things with my hands. Decks, patios, interiors, walls. Lots of walls in some form or fashion. To learn how to build these things I start with the most simple task, get the material. Soon you understand what material is used for what. You learn the steps of building the wall. You can begin to anticipate the next material needed. Eventually you are bringing the right material before being asked. All the while you are without knowing, learning the fundamentals of building a wall and one day you realize you can probably build a wall on your own. So you set forth to step one the foundation. You clear away all the material that is not designed for a foundation and you bring in the material that is. You create the foundation. Easy right? You’ve watched someone build a wall a hundred times, surely you can build a wall. Right? Wrong.
Mistakes. Mistakes are the true teacher. And you will make them. I know I did, and I still do too. Now I make mistakes on my own projects instead of some generic tutorial. Now when I solve my mistakes, my project gets one step closer to its completion. Now each mistake provides greater and greater insight into the why. The nitty gritty issues that used to irk me so much in Tutorial Hell are starting to be answered. So yes I used to make mistakes. I still do, but I used to too.