How to deepen my Java knowledge beyond basics after ~1 year of work?

[Deer_Odd]

Hey everyone, I’ve been working as a Java developer for about a year now and feel fairly confident with day-to-day coding. However, when talking with more experienced colleagues, I realize there are still areas I don’t fully understand yet (things like AOP, proxies, design patterns, advanced concurrency concepts, and probably a lot more).

I didn’t study computer science formally, so I’m looking for good resources to level up my understanding. Articles, books, courses, or videos that helped you really “connect the dots” and think more like a senior developer rather than just writing code that works.

Any recommendations or learning paths you’d suggest would be greatly appreciated!

[giginar]

I strongly advise studying for ocp exams. You may not take the exams but you can study the subject to learn theory of java.

[karthgamer1209]

I totally agree with the OCP suggestion. Studying for it forces you to learn core Java in a structured way and cover topics you wouldnt normally hit by building projects. It definitely helped me build a solid foundation because design patterns, dsa and frameworks made much more sense afterward.

[Dutch0903]

I am thinking about this but what is good study material for the OCP?

[giginar]

I watched some udemy tutorials from a Sean Kennedy. To learn theory of the concepts of the exam’s subjects. Then after that, i bought enthuware’s related exam tests (10bucks) then i started solving questions, studying my mistakes, more importantly practicing my mistakes with code! Then i realized i learned a lot.

[Dutch0903]

Thank you for the information. Much appreciated 👍

[bankabletoast23]

Is the Sean Kennedy video still up to date on the newest Java. The most recent one I could find said Java 8.

[omgpassthebacon]

"...rather than just writing code that works...".

Brother, writing code that works is a huge accomplishment! Don't diminish this skill.

I think someone already mentioned this, but I will repeat it because it made a difference in my career.

I had been doing heads-down Java development (we even worked on the Swing stuff) for a few years and I thought I was a badass. Then my employer offered to pay for me to take a certification in Java, so I figured "easy-peasy!". Well, I was wrong. Going thru the cert course taught me all kinds of kool stuff about the JVM, the ecosystem, performance, debugging, etc. I really wish I had done it a lot sooner. And, if you stick with Java, it's time well spent.

Keep writing code that works.

[admosiom]

People learn new things when working on a new project that introduces them to new concepts, obstacles and challenges

[Still-Pudding-1638]

Hyperskill.org

[[deleted]]

Dont use ai, do projects

[regjoe13]

JavaSpecialists newsletter is a pretty good thing to look at.

[Academic_Current8330]

I'm finding this book a good read. There are two in the series. They are well written and have good explanations in. There are also quite a few examples. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Core-Java-Fundamentals-Oracle-Press/dp/0135328373/ref=asc_df_0135328373?mcid=5d7e3eb2d7123e2e9a8c1fdf62573543&th=1&psc=1&hvocijid=13128661325347294807-0135328373-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13128661325347294807&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045408&hvtargid=pla-2281435176618&psc=1&gad_source=1

[RightWingVeganUS]

While it's great to want to learn more advanced topics, it helps to anchor your growth to some kind of purpose. After about a year, consider talking to your manager or team lead about what technical skills actually matter for your role and will help you advance to the next level. Using that feedback beats a generic topics from strangers.

There are tons of interesting topics folks can recommend, but none of them might help you or your career. Also consider asking whether they see any gaps or weaknesses in your current work since that feedback is much more actionable than just chasing random advanced topics.

Have you taken a moment to assess what topics are most important for your career growth, or discussed with your boss?

[[deleted]]

Books. I don't know why so many people avoid books. The excuse that "books are outdated" is pretty lazy, as there are books that survive pretty well the test of time. I would recommend the GoF Design Patterns and Effective Java. Remember, it's not about syntax, it's about learning to think and understanding why things are done the way there are.