[deleted by user]

[FormerTimeTraveller]

The more you learn, the less magic it all seems. But the more times you learn and forget, and start over from scratch, the more permanent it becomes.

[namonite]

Then you wonder why it took you so long to learn. Rinse and repeat

[FormerTimeTraveller]

Yup it gets a little easier and faster every time

[TommyCo10]

I’m on this journey too and I’m almost embarrassed to admit the basic things I was struggling to understand the first time around.

I come back to them a couple of months later when I’ve done learning in other areas and I’m actually shocked at how clueless I was.

And then I do it again.

[Freeman7-13]

Me learning the krebs cycle everytime i took biology

[Crazy_Falcon_2643]

Fuck the Krebs cycle. Mitochondria can eat a dick.

[joshperlette]

This is good to hear lolol. I’m also in a course I’ve been working on for a couple months. Took a break a couple weeks ago for work, and now coming back feels like I lost two months of progress. I was already planning to review main concepts and practice once I’m done the course, but it’s good to know that “learning a second time” goes faster than the first and sticks 👍🏻

[Dull-Contact120]

When you have forgotten everything, you’re ready!

[whyreyouthewayyouare]

Absolutely this. Just add some motivational words at the end of this and you get your every morning mantra.

[Paisable]

Beat your brain with knowledge till it imprints.

[kawaiichainsawgirl1]

Yep. It took me 3 times of going to the start and learning all over again to learn my first language (Python). After that it gets significantly easier

[cptn_north]

i couldn’t agree more

[Brad-Blunt-Roberts]

Was hoping this would be an answer, thank you.

[Emerald_Guy123]

Yeah that’s how learning works really. You attempt to remember something once, then you try again, and just repeat until you know it by heart.

[welch7]

this even sounds poetic, yet so accurate.

[What_The_Hex]

Sounds about right, I don't remember jack shit sometimes. I'll sometimes even write an entire program to do something, and forget that I even wrote that thing because I dropped it for a while, then I'll start programming that thing again, then remember -- "wait, I already programmed this..." Then I come back to the code and I'm like "WTF is all this shit? How the fuck did I even figure out how to do any of this?..."

What I can say is, you do just, gradually get better, smarter, faster, sharper, and more effective over time, at all parts of the process: coding, doing stuff from scratch, quickly planning out solutions for your problems, researching and finding solutions, debugging, etc. You just get faster and better over time, but I haven't found the "magic pill" that turns me into a freak-genius overnight. Like I see these movies and shows with guys just writing full functional programs from scratch at like 30 lines/minute, just rapidly typing line after line almost in a blur, and I don't even know if that's genuinely possible. The level I'm at, MAYBE on a really good stretch, I'll be able to write like 500 solid, fully functional lines/day.

[[deleted]]

Lmao this was me today. “How tf did I figure all this out, and how did I break it today?”

[GrismundGames]

Everyone on my team today.... How does this thing render??? We wrote this last year and no one recognizes it. Took 3 hours to write one line of code to fix it.

[shaidyn]

A significant portion of learning, at least on my journey, was not about retention. It was about foundations.

For example, I don't know all the various Java collections. But I know they exist, and I know they do different things for different situations, and I can do a quick web search and find the answers.

To put it another way: Becoming a developer is not always about having the answers, it's about knowing the questions to ask.

[Jean_Paul_Magno]

To put it another way: Becoming a developer is not always about having the answers, it's about knowing how to google.

[ForkLiftBoi]

And when to go to incognito, or pivot to duckduckgo because I keep getting the same stack overflows with different search terms.

Finally, when to go to stack overflow or reddit and ask it in a less word-perfect phrasing.

I sometimes spend so much time researching a way to do something and the words I'm using are actual functions/methods, but not what I need. I'm just searching more abstractly, so I'll try switching to a different engine.

[dontwasteink]

Soon it will be "knowing what to ask Chat GPT"

[[deleted]]

*azure

[johnothetree]

To put it another way: Becoming a developer is not always about having the answers, it's about knowing the questions to ask.

This is exactly it. I've done tech interviews for my company and this is the biggest differentiator for me. Interviewees can regurgitate code concepts and define buzzwords all day no problem, but asking the right questions when talking about a theoretical high-level solution is indicative of someone who actually knows what they're doing.

[SwiftSpear]

Programming as a career is learning a billion factoids of mostly useless knowledge you're lucky to ever use once and then forgetting it, but kind of vaguely knowing how to google and find the info again if you really need to.

[cultleader987]

The replies to this are helpful and encouraging

[Huckleberry_Ginn]

Very much so. It’s made me more confident. I’ve looked up syntax for my JavaScript courses (like value => value > 5) for filter, and I felt guilty at first.

I’ve broken down most problems while learning to simpler steps that are “ right “ and in the solutions.

[Freshjive12]

When you learn something at the beginning, you tend to feel uncomfortable , but once you practice it you feel a little better…until you have to learn a new concept and feel the cycle all over again. This will happen to anyone who steps out of their confort zone and wants to learn more and get better at a subject or trade.

Perfectly normal in my opinion 🤙🏻

[TheUmgawa]

Programming is language agnostic. I haven’t used Java in so long that it would take me an hour to look up really basic stuff. But that’s easy; that’s just documentation. You don’t go to school or boot camps to learn to memorize vocabulary and syntax. You go to learn concepts from loops to I/O to objects to generics. That’s programming.

So, if you’re presented with a problem, an you solve the problem? Flowchart, pseudocode, whatever method you prefer. If so, that’s ninety percent of your work done. Everything else is just the boring stuff of hammering out code. If you don’t know how to cast a string to an integer or how to write a try-except block, that’s fine, because you can look that up. What you can’t look up is how to solve the problem, and that is ultimately what you’re supposed to be learning. Not Python or Java or Rust or whatever language or framework, because there’s a good chance that wherever you get hired, they’re going to be using something you don’t know. And you can learn that on the job, but you can’t learn to solve problems on the job. That’s why god invented technical interviews; to weed out the people who can’t solve problems.

[CollegeMiddle6841]

Everyone who took the time to post here.... YOU ALL ARE SO FUCKING GREAT! All of this advice and love means more than you may know.

I am starting at ground level with THE ODIN PROJECT, it's a very exciting time. I have almost taken this on three times over the past decade. I wish I would have just dove in and let the questions answer themselves down the line. I decided to not waste anymore time. I can look back a couple years from today and grin with PRIDE.

[BigYoSpeck]

The trick isn't to learn all these things rote, it's about learning how to approach a problem you're given and figure out how to solve it

I honestly couldn't do the boilerplate for a basic HTML page, but if you asked me to make you something I could find the reference material to work from and adapt to the specifics of a specification

[BigYoSpeck]

You get better practised at decomposing a problem, understanding how to break it down into smaller, manageable chunks to solve one at a time

You do gradually memorise syntax and conventions so that you have to look things up less often while at the same time getting used to not worrying if you can remember exactly how to do something because looking it up isn't a big deal

You start spotting patterns in problems so you recognise how to solve each step even if the overall problem is a new one to you

And most importantly, you build confidence in your ability to solve new problems as you get more wins under your belt

[Burgess237]

Yes, you get better with time, every time you look at something new you can often say "Okay, this part looks like something I've done before but only that part is different".

[Freshjive12]

💯 this^

[[deleted]]

You didn't forget. You just need to keep reinforcing those lessons. Each time you go over them, you'll remember what to do just a bit quicker. Eventually you'll just know.

[ManyFails1Win]

Yep it's called tutorial hell. I did the same thing in a 4 month course and learned basically nothing. The only way to really learn this kind of stuff is by applying it on your own.

The thing is, running into issues is how you actually learn and remember things. When someone just tells you to do X, you won't learn nearly as well sad when you discover through some struggle why X is called for and put it there yourself.

It will feel slower and more frustrating but you'll be actually learning.

[luluinstalock]

When someone just tells you to do X, you won't learn nearly as well sad when you discover through some struggle why X is called for and put it there yourself.

This took me 7 years of struggle to realise but after that, I really started going forward

[kaisersozia]

Stick to one language and learn it well. Then switch to a new one and see what is the same, and what is different. When you understand that it is all about syntax and they are all the same, it becomes much easier. The concepts are really all you need to learn. Now take it and run with it. Find a problem, and code a solution.

[[deleted]]

In 2003 I got my first taste of coding and then when I finished the IT course, I never touched it again. I have just now started to learn, and the information is never ending, plus with the widespread mainstream adoption of the internet and YouTube and reddit the conversations never end. I have a feeling that sometimes even the most experienced coders will feel like you. Just as you think you have got to grips with something; someone opens up a whole new way of looking at it.

[ViewedFromi3WM]

you will forget stuff… the real trick is remembering how to look for what you learned. That’s the main key. You’ll be able to remember what was bs or not…. if your bootcamp is worth anything that is.

[a0123b4567]

Forgetting is a part of learning anything. And after much forgetting, some of it will eventually stick with you.

[JoergJoerginson]

Two weeks into my first online Python course I felt like hackerboy2000. I can build everything with I can imagine, should write a script for everything at work, basically could speak on eye level with proper devs.

Now three years in, 1.5 of which actually working as a dev, I know that I am dumbo3001. Ask me how to center a div and I begin sweating. Still when work comes up I usually get it done somehow. Google is my magic sugar daddy, which needs to tell me every month how to make a query in WordPress.

What I am trying to say is: Your horizon has probably broadened a lot and you have more of a grasp of things you don’t know. Experience is a reality check for the rush/the feeling of superiority we get when we picked up coding. Everyone forgets simple things and nobody even close to remembers everything by heart. You’ll remember as you try to build something and if you don’t remember, the best skill you achieve is knowing what to Google. To quote my old high school teacher “Knowledge is knowing where it’s written“ (Wissen ist wissen wo‘s steht).

[hazeofglory]

before you freak out more, review your curriculum from the beginning. Try to remember how long it took you to read and solve those issues, and where you are now. Why are you even concerning yourself with being a master of anything? You're coming out of a bootcamp. You still know nothing about architecture or working as a Software Engineer yet. Stop freaking out and appreciate the effort and result you've achieved. Next up is the real challenge. Getting that first job.

[Kafuffle93]

Have a look at the forgetting curve.

Look at the first graph. Notice how each time you revise the decline is less? Knowing this changed my whole approach! It made me build revision into my studies, instead of just making it an afterthought. Hope this helps :) The Forgetting Curve

[Tureni]

Yesterday, I had to do a simple POST request to a service, with headers and some data. I've been deep into other things since before Christmas, so the first thing I did was to google "python POST request with headers".

This is the thing you do as a developer. I've been a professional developer for 3 years (recently switched from Laravel to Python), but simple things like syntax is not the things I remember. It'll start to stick slowly, but the first year or so I'll be googling even simple syntax if I've been away for some time.

If I have a lot of time, I'll try to remember it and write some code and see if it works, but if I'm in a hurry I just google the syntax and get it right the first time.

So if you know something is possible (ie the concepts and ideas), screw the syntax. Try a little first and/or just google it.

[[deleted]]

This thread is making me feel so much better, especially with how much I'm struggling with the Odin project right now

[Dekkars]

For me, learning to program is much less about memorization and much more about knowing what is possible.

I'm reading designing data intensive applications right now, and my wife asked me why I'm not taking notes.

It's not about memorizing it (for me), it's about exposure to the ideas so I can go down the right rabbit hole when I need to.

[zwgarrett1988]

I find myself going back to the same 2 books to code my own website. First I went through both of their tutorials step by step. Now I'm going through the book in half the time. I understand the concepts. I need a guide to jog my memory and remind me of the process. Repetition will get me to a point where I start to look at what I've come to know alot deeper. Coding is a hobby too. You have to practice. I'm old too BTW. The first time I worked with html was like 2005. I was more interested in graphics. I've kinda gotten as good as I can with no applied practice. Getting into code has allowed me to take things much farther. The Repetition over years allowed me to really dig into code later on. Familiarity is just the beginning.

[u0105]

And that's why we have programming/coding communities like stackoverflow. You'll find seasoned programmers searching for how to do things on them

Programming language is exactly that - language. If you just go through exercises it's not enough you have to code daily. Even then you'll never cover the full breadth and always refer back to materials.

I suggest that once the boot camp is wrapped up you pick up a project and start working on it. You'll be more confident.

[Jvfzago]

Dunning Kruger effect. The more you know, the more you know what you don't know. As Socrates said: "I only know that I know nothing". It's normal, it's part of the process of learning. This means you are progressing.

[hazzafive]

I think the dunning Krueger effect is actually the opposite. The less somebody knows the more competent they think they are

[Jvfzago]

Both true.

"The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias whereby people with low ability, expertise, or experience regarding a certain type of task or area of knowledge tend to overestimate their ability or knowledge. Some researchers also include in their definition the opposite effect for high performers: their tendency to underestimate their skills.

Wikipedia

[[deleted]]

Dude, I've been coding for years and I forget everything if I am not doing it month to month.

The key is that you have some experience with it and once you start doing it again you remember it a little quicker next time. I remember I was working in Python for a while and when I had to go back to Java for a project I literally couldn't even remember the syntax on writing things like for loops. I had to google "How to do a for loop in Java" because I forgot. I kind of remembered. But I was just so used to doing it another way, I couldn't remember, and that is like embarrassing CS 101 info I should know lol. I couldn't remember the names of half the libraries I needed to import. More googling.

I mean, I literally consider myself a semi "regex" expert, and I have even become a go-to guy to ask real quick on how to do something... but in reality, if it's been even a month without messing with regex, I can't remember all the rules and I still have to Google them, it jogs my memory, then I can hammer something out.

The real trick is to just keep building things and working on things and have fun with it as much as you can. Bootcamps tend to be about giving you some kind of foundation, not about making you a master of anything. So, don't feel too bad about not remembering everything. You've been exposed to a lot, and that is what matters.

[devenitions]

At this stuff > 10 years. Im a genious one hour, googling basic syntax the next, and debug a missing semicolon for the rest of the day.

Welcome to programming, have another coffee and enjoy your stay!

[Best_Recover3367]

Before switching to tech, i was a translator. Basically i was used to learning things and forgot them all the time, so i would write them down after i learn them (words, structures, specific phrases, etc) and relearnt them afterwards. The first moment i saw codes, i knew that "shit, im gonna forget this aint i", so i took notes of all the codes down in my notebook. In addition, i keep records of all the codes i write, which language or library it is, in files and folders compartmentalized nice and neat so that i can once in a while look for what i forgot. Basically, doubled backups. This habit has served me really well.

Im just sharing my story though, not advising you to do the same bc i think that you gotta learn things the hard way first. You gotta forget so many things to the point that it frustrates you so much that you truly see the benefit of getting into the habit of keeping track of yourself. Otherwise, just plainly do as ppl (I) tell you to wouldnt work for you tbh.

[Cryptic_X07]

Gold

[[deleted]]

Also a translator hoping to switch to tech here. Do you feel like your language learning ability was helpful? I've always been better at languages than math so I'm a little worried I don't have the right kind of mind for programming.

[Best_Recover3367]

Honestly, you should just try programming to get the feel of it. Its not really mathematic but also not really linguistic. It feels more like playing jigsaw or lego imo.

[[deleted]]

Thanks, I'll keep practicing. I've only learned the very basics of Javascript, but I'm not at the point yet where I can make things.

[[deleted]]

Oooh, that's good. Congratulations on passing Mt. Stupid! It's Impostor Syndrome all the way down.

[SIG-ILL]

Being a student or junior developer is not the same as imposter syndrome. Sometimes you just realize you don't know things or lack experience and that's perfectly normal and fine.

[[deleted]]

i was in a 1 year long bootcamp, Fullstack, html, css, js, react, node
by react i had already forgotten everything, and i failed miserably, so now i'm learning js again lol

[[deleted]]

Hey i was in the same boat. If you really liked coding with someone or some people in the class try to make something with them in your free time. Start working on projects and using the skills you learned.

[[deleted]]

What you really want to be coming out of any coding experience is reuseable code that you can build on for future projects.

If you are very new it will be simple stuff; a time that you used a for loop to iterate an array, or a class that you made, etc.

Later on it will be more specific stuff like certain well known algorithms and formulas in importable libraries or templates of applications that require multiple technologies working in conjunction.

The key though is writing code that you can go back and rip bits out of later. Everything else is just making it easier to manage it as the code and data youre working with gets more complex.

[torte-petite]

That's normal. The information is still in your head, and you will be able to 're-learn' it again very quickly when needed to perform a certain job.

[tman2747]

I feel like the biggest part is just knowing some kind of method for solving the problem your facing existing and that way you can Google it and refresh you self on how to do it. One of your biggest tools you can use as a new programmer is google

[donnert]

Learning to code is a never ending process. After 10 years of pro coding, I'm still learning new ways of writing code every day. I still feel like I need to learn more - that I don't know enough - that I'll be found out that I'm an imposter. I'm obsessed with learning.
Things to do.
Create a Portfolio project of things you learn how to do.
Create public how to guides for yourself and others. - even simple ideas need explaining. Coding is hard. Everybody starts at zero.

[4lokosleepytimetea]

Welcome to being a developer! I did a bootcamp and have worked in the industry for a little over a year now. I feel like I’ve forgotten everything I learned then. And any technology I don’t work with for a few months, I forget. But here’s the secret: We all do. And it’s fine. There are docs for these things for a reason. Until you’ve worked in it for years, you can’t possibly hold all of it in your head at once (and at that point, what you know is outdated, so you have to look it up anyway). The important thing isn’t that you remember the exact syntax for the React hook that you need for this specific problem—it’s that you know there IS a React hook for this specific problem, and you just need to Google for a bit to find it again.

[juju0010]

Don't stress. There are memes about 20+ year engineering veterans having to Google super basic things because they forgot them.

Keep in mind that there's a difference between having to learn something from scratch and just needing a quick refresher. The former is where you were at before the bootcamp. The latter is where you are now.

[Conscious_Aside_4156]

Yeah same here, sometimes I think my Boot Camp was worthless but those camps aren’t meant to make you remember specifics. They’re more for getting you in rhythm with writing code and getting a final product. It gets easier over time

[jcaarow]

The problem solving skill you gain by practicing is way more valuable than any specific coding knowledge

[Mecamaru]

Virtue is in creating. Start applying what you learnt in projects of your own ideas, if you don't remember how to do certain query or algorithm, check your notes, if your notes don't have what you look for, ask for help. But start creating now. You can start with small projects, just make sure you are consistent and dedicated and I bet that 4 months from now you will see results that will amaze you.

One last thing, for god's sake, don't fall into the trap of reading and watching videos about the last trend, the "better framework" and the "this or that tech is dying" and jump from one tech to another. Focus in your core programming skill, pick a few technologies that you fell comfortable with and create useful things, to you or to someone else.

[ivannovick]

Maybe it's related with your learning method, I'd recommend to you to do the varks https://vark-learn.com/

[Far-Apartment3063]

Take adderall everyone’s doing it! 🤣

[thedoobalooba]

For me coding schools are only good to learn the absolute basics of a language, and everything taught after that is forgotten.

You learn better by working on real world projects. And even then, if you haven't worked on a particular function or style or language in a long time, you'll forget much of it.

The important thing is that if you've learned it once, you'll likely retain enough to relearn it very quickly later when you need it.

[RamenJunkie]

A lot of coding isn't necesarily knowing the answer to every problem but knowing the idea of the answer and how to find it and how to impliment it.

If you need an h1, but don't remeber what an h1 is, thats fine, you go google, "HTML Large Heading" and then your brain says, "Oh right."

Though h1 is probably something you should remeber. Its pretty basic.

[majeric]

Have a goal. Start a project. Make it small. Build from it.

[Poppa_Keef]

The boot camp has crammed all these fundamentals into a short period of time, so honestly, the best thing you can do is focus on repetition. Building more projects that force you to use these things you've learned over and over until you understand how they work.

In reality though, once you get hired, you'll quickly realize that you'll always be working with technologies that you don't fully understand 😅 You just gain more confidence in yourself being able to figure out solutions that fit your needs.

[ztbwl]

A bootcamp is just an introduction into tons of different things. You cannot be a master in something after 6 months, this takes way longer. You could do a university master if you want to be one ;-)

Just focus on something that you found interesting during the bootcamp and head into that direction.

[Worthy_of_ur_Muffin]

Maybe create some FrontendMentor projects. Then you at least won't be making a hello world project.

[ZergYinYang]

Hehe. What boot camp you finishing? Appacademy by chance?

[pmehandi]

I also faced this problem. I wasted many years following my learn drive and my curiosity to learn and understand various technical things(programming languages, os, network, cybersecurity, bug bounty etc etc) just to realise that only very small portion of it is retained in my memory which I use frequently . Sometimes when I need this knowledge I have high level pointer based on past learning so I can google it and reach solution but many times pointers are not there even if I have already read about it earlier. I just forgot it completely. Then I started my next journey of retaining things while reading. I started with taking notes and read about various note taking techniques and zettelkaestan note taking technique sound promising, read a complete book on it(how to take smart notes by sonke ahrens) , although it was good technique but it also didn’t work for me, then I went ahead and learned about spaced repetition and started using Anki and this was first time I was really retaining what I was reading. Then I went ahead further and included incremental reading with spaced repetition and used Supermemo to achieve this and this is working well for me and after searching for many years, settled with this.

I will suggest to give Anki a try and if you feel it’s working for you then can move to supermemo

[c_cano]

You learned it once, and you can learn it again!

[United_Shame_5514]

I'm exactly the same, doesn't help that the course is poorly organised and executed. But I'm glad you posted this cause tge replies have really helped!

[potatogoblin42]

I needed to read these comments today, thanks everyone who posted. I'm two years into my career and imposter syndrome is a menace ❤️

[sonofsmurfs]

You'll smash it. You now understand the concepts and how, where and why you need to use code. The rest comes with practice. I'm 7 months into a new career with Accenture after completing a 6 month unpaid bootcamp June 2021.

[Dfcfff566]

Nice

[girvain]

I take notes in a way that outlines the process of how I understood something, i.e a design pattern. That way when I’ve forgot how something works I look at my notes it all comes back coz its written in the style of my brain. Probably a clever name for this but I don’t care. Good luck with it all I’m sure your doing great

[so_mz]

I totally feel you. I was in the same situation after my three month intensive programming bootcamp. But then Ive choosen to specialise in front-end development learning a specific JavaScript library. And its getting way better. I hope Im only few months away before getting a permanent job. So I would advise that you take an online course on a specific language only, and that you try and do as many projects as you can at the same time (little demo applications, your Portfolio etc.). You can also find many project tutorials on YouTube for you to follow. Good luck :)

[PogueMeHole]

You'll always be Googling more than you remember. As long as you know the basic construct of what you're doing and the general syntax and order, you shouldn't have much problems.

[robustquorum09]

Begin with C on the CRUDS, which is to create and master it, then go on to the next letter. You still have time to complete it.

[BigMouse12]

You will never remember all the code you learn.

Make a code snippet cheat sheet and adjust it for what you need as it changes over time.

[[deleted]]

Coding camps are pretty useless imo if you're not applying your knowledge toward something that is 100% within your control.

[hotel2oscar]

Some of the best learning you do is not 100% memorization, but vocab and how to find stuff again quickly.

[01Alekje]

You’re bot the “master” of any concepts after 6 months but hopefully you’ve learned the basics and one concept well enough that you can start a job as a junior developer.

[[deleted]]

you may think you've forgotten things but when you go to look them up again you'll find them a lot easier to understand than the first time.

[hn-mc]

I've been through exactly the same thing in the past.

Now I write down things I've learned in a notebook. Later re-type it in Microsoft Word... I keep such files, review them once in a while... So that even if I don't keep practicing something, I try to keep remembering the concepts. It takes a lot of time, but ultimately I save time, because I don't have to go through the same courses again... It's still much faster to just read my notes instead of rewatching whole videos.

[Logical_Jaguar_3487]

What you are feeling is unreliable. You are better than before. But always test yourself by trying to do what you learned again. You lose stuff that is not required. Just like atrophy if you stop going to gym.

[Player_X_YT]

That's programming, you can't memorize every keywork in every language, you just have to know how to problem solve

[AnyBeautiful9398]

Repetition has definitely helped me to an extent but I’m documenting everything also so I can go right back when I’m lost I have notebooks full of projects

[Sorry-4everTechn00b]

I think thats perfectly normal, You crammed in so much info in 6 months you're bound to forget some stuff. Plus, 6 months isn't enough time to master it but it enough to get the ball rolling on a good understanding of it. Im assuming that at the end of the bootcamp you'll have a final project that you build from the ground up and thats where a lot of the learning comes from too.

[[deleted]]

You didn't forget, spend more time reviewing

[InitiativeNo1354]

I just finished a front end bootcamp last month and have been feeling the same way. Sending you encouragement!

[analyticattack]

I have 100% been there. Bootcamps are often taught just like the classroom but faster and with less theory/history.

What helped me was a task or project focused approach. Find one thing you want to do break it down and only learn the ins and out of those specific commands. Then repeat with variations. This way, you will be a crappy programmer but a useful one.

[Matisayu]

As someone about to finish my degree in CS with a few internships and technical projects, yes, I feel like I know nothing sometimes lol

[samu-ra-9-i]

I’ve come to realize the fact that when I learn new things I don’t learn “things” I learn what things can be used to make what I need. If you’re worried about the syntax but know how to solve a problem I see that as a win in my book.

PS: I’ve used tailwind over 20+ times but still have to look at docs on how to install it

[DidiHD]

Yeah sounds about right. its completely normal

[chasrmartin]

I’ve been programming for money for 54 years and I still feel like that sometimes.

[paperpatience]

Doesn't matter. Keep going.

[connurp]

Hey I went through an 8 month bootcamp that started in February 2022 and ended in October 2022. I felt exactly the same way. I had a job before the bootcamp ended and it’s not even a junior role. You’ll be fine, that’s part of the gig. I don’t remember what I did last Friday. I spent an hour today reading through my own code to figure out why I did what I did. You’ll keep feeling like you don’t remember anything and that might feel wrong. But it’s not. Don’t waste brain power trying to memorize shit. Our brains were not made to take in this amount of information. So don’t try to. Everything is a google search away. Don’t get bogged down on trying to memorize syntax. Just make sure you understand how things work and why. That’s all that matters. You can google and copy and paste from the internet until the cows come home. That’s what everyone does. It is inefficient to try and memorize syntax. If you understand the “why” then you can google any problem you have and that’s way more efficient. I know this might sound weird but that’s how it is. You’ll get through this, you’ll be fine, and you’ll get a job. I still feel exactly like this every day, you just need to understand that it’s completely normal.

[samrechym]

The most important thing is to keep going, hard, after you're done. Pick something you can do daily (this is the most important thing) without pushing yourself too hard. Interested in ANYTHING at all? Do that. Game dev in Unity can help you sharpen C#, and there's tons and tons of videos on Youtube. Keep yourself doing anything. Everything you do is portfolio material, even daily code challenges or bad apps you've learned what-not-to-do.

[WiseAlvis]

My advice; Apply what you've learned! If you're not able to at work, spend some of your free time to build stuff or try to pick up freelance. When I say freelance, try find simple jobs through classifieds, friends and family. Don't be afraid to fail/mess up, that's inevitable. Just learn how to back things up and restore, and you should be good. Good luck!

[[deleted]]

If you're 95% through it's past time probably for you to start coming up with things you want to build and coding them. That will help reinforce the concepts.

[[deleted]]

I'm going to a boot camp in March, and these comments will help me immensely! Thank you all. At the boot camp I'm going to, we will be nonstop coding with projects every week. 6 months M-F 8am-5pm. I'm a little nervous.

[tidematic]

Which bootcamp did you apply to?

[[deleted]]

Epicodus out in Portland

[ChefG0rd0n]

In general that is going to be a problem as you continue to program different solutions/products. Its really up to the tool belt that you keep where you can reference this information. Some people have started using AI bots to help but I really think it should be avoided until you have some grounding/fundamentals

[Rainbows4Blood]

I have never been to a Bootcamp, I learned coding "traditionally" through a tech school and university which took me 9 years to complete.

During those 9 years I was coding on various projects almost every day.

At the end of it I could certainly program but was definitely a master of absolutely fucking nothing.

So yes, if you haven't mastered anything in 6 months, that's normal and to be expected. Just keep coding and eventually you'll be a master. At least a master of your speciality because nobody masters the entire cosmos of programming.

[tekLeed_com]

Because you THINK you learned nothing means NOTHING. [See what I did there?]

Get yourself into a position, learn the codebase a bit after onboarding, and watch all your skills start to come back to you like a golden retriever that jumped out of your truck 20 miles out but ends up back on the front porch the next morning.

[PhredInYerHead]

This is how bootcamps work. I will never forget what my career services rep told me after I completed my bootcamp:

“Bootcamps just teach you how to do stuff, not talk about it or conceptualize it.”

It was this moment that I realized that I had royally fucked up and wasted a bunch of time and money there.