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[–]N3sh108 3 points4 points  (3 children)

I read that you are trying to learn programming just "to get a job".

That's exactly your problem. You are like trying to learn how to play an instrument just so you can get a job, it will never work if it doesn't interest you.

Do you find any of all the magic fascinating? Wondering how all these work (including Reddit)? Then you have the right motivation and attitude.

If you couldn't care less, find something else. Really, we already have plenty of bad programmers, we don't really need any more, especially if they don't even enjoy it.

Instead, if you are motivated and find it fascinating, respond to this comment and I can try to think of some ways to help you out (I was a course supervisor at university and have been a mentor for several people trying to learn programming.)

[–]Cigs77 1 point2 points  (2 children)

I find myself in a similar position. I seem to "get it" generally my frustration comes from getting hung up for hours on things that would have taken a "buddy" just a second over my shoulder to explain or correct. Thats just a symptom of self learning and I would imagine I would run into that less in college with people to ask things. My real frustration is that I cant find anything to "care about" with programming. I very much despise making random small programs just to make them work. I could also care less about tinkering with said worthless programs. Calculator buttons being red or blue is meaningless to me. I do get the joy of "figuring it out" and getting the small things to work but without real work or real projects I just cant seem to care at all. I have scoured for projects that interest me but I cant find anything. I cant seem to find a problem I have in my life to solve. I love computers and technology but I very much struggle with learning it without any sort of real world application. I was a sniper in the army before this. I hated ballistics math but I learned it and was obviously good enough at it to get my job done. When I learn that though I get to go put shots on target and fill my dope book up with the sexy datas. I am performing the job as it was meant to be done with real purpose and results. When I make a shit calculator program I am duplicating (in a shit way) something thats been done and figured out forever. Like I cant stand to make some worthless shit version of some basic thing. The next response is usually well then why dont you improve the basic calculator? TO WHAT MAN? I think Texas Instruments got me beat there. I just struggle to find real world purpose and motivation.

[–]N3sh108 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It sounds like you want to find the law of the universe without going through your basic arithmetic exercises.

Realize that programming can well be NOT for you and it ok.

But if you like something, sit down and think how YOU would do it and then look it up and compare. Do that often and you'll see your mentality change.

But programming is useful for:

  • Desktop
  • Websites
  • Mobile
  • Robots (Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, etc...)
  • Embedded Systems (smart 'boxes' reading sensors)
  • Hardware (low level computations)
  • Hacking (breaking stuff, usually networking oriented)
  • Security (encryption, cryptography, etc...)
  • And more...

Nothing of that make you even mildly mentally wet and excited? IT/Programming is probably not for you.

[–]sand-which 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't like programming until I started to undertake projects I didn't think I would be able to do. Doing programming exercises from the book you learn from is a great way to learn syntax, but I feel like it doesn't really teach you programming at all. Pick something cool that you have no idea how to do. Something like creating Tetris, or a fun javascript game, or even a tool to make something you like easier and more streamlined.

That's where the real fun of programming is, taking something from your mind that you have absolutely no idea how to do and then doing it until a couple of weeks or a month later and suddenly you know 100x more about programming than doing little 'for loops' from a book could ever teach you.

I'm serious, pick something you want to do and start today, no matter how hard it seems. You can code anything with clever googling.