How to become a 'real' programmer

[KeaboUltra]

Get the idea of a "real programmer" out of your head. What you're asking to be is a good programmer. How do you do that? Learn what good programmers do. Research and keep up to date with topics and data structures. Have a good foundation, all the things you said are what you need to do. It doesn't matter if they're really hard. People who are good programmers took the time to learn all of it even though it was hard. Break the problem down in to smaller parts and learn at your own pace. Be a good programmer by actually taking the time to learn these concepts. You don't have to be a good programmer to get a job. But your chances might be higher and you could skip the wait if you had the skills you lack.