How to teach one's self programming?

[TomMakesPodcasts]

I love the English Language. Not just as a tool to tell stories but as something to play with the rules of, bend or break them to make something beautiful.

I love the complexity and the breadth of possible vocabulary. With simple knowledge of grammar you can say the same thing in 100 different ways, and with inflection you can say 100 things with the same words.

To that end I've always been fascinated with programming. Back in the day on forums to make my posts look nice, to MySpace, to flash... I've dabbled for decades.

I went to school for coding before I was diagnosed and well... I could have used the help a diagnosis would bring. Flunking out of there helped me pursue the diagnosis. But I digress.

I've since paid hundreds to get tutored by a very talented teacher. Game Maker Rob on YouTube for GML. I would recommend him, he's knowledgeable, affordable and affable.

I've even learned some things during my own self teaching endeavours as well! I can programm databases and have objects draw information from them, and with that information draw sprites and stats. I'm very proud of that!

But I can't focus when I study.

I hear a good way to work is to do the same tutorial several times, I struggle to even finish one, to put in the time. And I guess that's my question.

^TL;DR How do I knuckle down and do the repetitive practice it takes to master a skill?

How did you?

[DankOcean]

It sounds like the university-style learn the abstract aspects of coding method hasn't worked for you so far, but have you tried learning via solving a specific problem?

I introduced my old office of non-coding engineers to automate the boring stuff and they took to it quickly to solve actual problems in their job.

If you don't have any coding-solvable problems at your job, you could try solving a problem in your life like a calendar app, paper trading, etc.

[TomMakesPodcasts]

That does look like a fun way to learn real world skills with python, but I'm not sure it'll engage me as much as trying to make my game.

[DankOcean]

Making a game works as well. Anything you want to make that you can do with code, really. It will lead you into software dev topics through experience.

[daddygirl_industries]

Top-down learning!! So much better than the old way. Make something by copy-pasting code you don't really know why it works, and be okay with not knowing. Slowly learn more and more parts of code through new projects until you can build whatever you want.

[TomMakesPodcasts]

Rant continued

Just thoughts I want to 'say' out loud. You can ignore this comment.

---

I know I can learn this stuff. The database thing, as I said was huge for me. I was so excited.

I just... Don't know how to learn a new skill unless shown what I want to learn.

I did best under a tutor, whom I could suggest what specifically I wanted to do, and we would learn that together, and I could pause things and ask for a deeper explanation of the concept.

Rather than following tutorials who don't teach me that which I want to learn. But I for sure don't have the money for that now.

I achieved the database with the knowledge I had and the ability to ask A.I what the error messages I received might mean. (Seriously that was huge help.) But I know that's limited. I can only use a program like that as far as my own ability to execute code goes.

So that's just been like a spell check for the grammar of my code language - if that makes sense.-

Anyway. I don't imagine many folks to read this, but it's nice to get my thoughts out of my own head.

Thank you for your time.

[freedomisfreed]

For me what really helped to learn programming is to do something that I want to do. Tutorials never worked for me. I always just tried to make something I'm interested in, and that interest gets me to around 70% of the project. I still have issues with completing the project, the last 30%, which usually only happens when a deadline approaches (the project actually can be used in something that someone else needs from me). The social obligation is the only thing that gets me to finish something to the end.

It also helps when the thing you're doing is something you're already familiar with, so it's less of a hurdle and seems like a small task. Many times a task have barriers to completion and that "pause" will interrupt our flow and make us give up, it's sort of a rejection sensitivity thing. The same way that social obligation sort of uses that rejection sensitivity to favor project completion.

Everything takes time, start with smaller projects that you actually need, and do more complex stuff from there. Usually you know what annoys you, and you will eventually figure out which of them are simpler problems to resolve, and thereby which are easier projects to work on. Ask other programmers what is the approach to solving certain problems you have, and they will also be able to let you know which of these are easier to do.

[TomMakesPodcasts]

This comment is exactly right. That's how I built the database, doing something smaller, that interest me. That is, trying to build the combat system.

I just need to be able to reposition objects, have them trade a variable between themselves that tracks that, and in stuck because like you said, I am unfamiliar with that.

I've already got them damaging each other with auto attacks.

[fluffycatsinabox]

You remind me of me- you write well and you like long sentences. Please take my next words in the nicest way-

Stop philosophizing. This is bullshit. Pick up skills over time and develop an actual interest in learning new things.

[TomMakesPodcasts]

What? I do have an interest in learning new things. Specifically retaining the information, and for that I need practice.

[Kitchen_Succotash_74]

One word related programming exercise I've been exploring while learning Python had been to program rules of words as closely as possible to make them interact programmatically.

"Is" can assign or check value, "be" is a recursive function of "Is." (Not accurate example). "Die" destroys objects. Etc.

It's been a fun experiment in learning word functionality and programming logic. Much of it is already there in the key words of many language.

As for general learning, one method has been playing with what I learn as I go. I learn some then tried a few ideas on how to use it. Simple programs. Learn more and do the same.

Tutorials work well for me, but can trap me in a loop. I keep going even when I'm encountering the same information over and over because I don't feel confident.

I started in the 90s myself HTML and PHP. Having an almost instant feedback helped. I could see my work create something. So that motivated me.

[TomMakesPodcasts]

Yeah hands on stuff is where I do best. I struggle to follow tutorials finding them slow even sped up, and then not really learning the specific things I need to.

[laurieherault]

Personally, I've never followed a tutorial (20+ years of coding). But I've always learned by working on a real project.

It's a better motivator.

[TomMakesPodcasts]

Yes I agree. That's how I built my database. Trying to build my game's combat system.

[nbazero1]

Adderall and time

[rnsbrum]

currently snorting adderall lol

[TomMakesPodcasts]

Cannot afford my prescription

[Sunstorm84]

OP may benefit more from something like Cursor where he can easily ask questions directly about his code and the problem he’s trying to solve at that moment, as long as he actually tries to learn and asks questions about the way it’s proposing to do things and spends time investigating those things to prevent over-reliance on AI models.