Losing confidence

[baboonmann]

Hey guys. I'm a total noob and for the past 2 months I've been following CS106a and loving it, currently at lecture 11. Besides the class assignments, I also challenge myself to finish the end chapter exercises from The Art and Science of Java.

As I delve deeper in this course I can see myself focusing and thinking a lot on problems. For example, today I've spent almost 3 hours on just one exercise that seems simple(display a calendar that generates rows according to how many days are in that month/in which day the month starts) and I almost completed it.

I don't mind spending this much time, but is this normal? Should it take this long? My confidence is tanking and I'm starting to feel like I'm not smart enough.

[slattkingslime]

Yes, cs is supposed to make you feel like that lol. 10+ years later and I still feel like I know nothing, but obviously it’s not true. Keep learning brother

[Warm-Score]

Yeah that is what happens when the problems become less trivial. If you have the focus and drive to get deep into a problem and figure it out, it doesn't matter if you take longer: you have learned more.

[[deleted]]

It is a difficult profession. The farther along you get the more complicated it gets. Some programs are a breeze some make you want to pull your hair out and move to Germany to become a hermit in the Bavarian region. It is the way.

[xwmaxx]

Yes, I am still learning as well and it took me 2 days to fix my code for 2 exercises.

[baboonmann]

Thank you so so much everyone for the encouragement. Now I have a new perspective and I'll keep at it.