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shu Chan
2,951 PointsA question about approaching learning at this stage.
I'm currently in the latter half of data Structures of Java and I was hoping someone can tell me where I am with my learning. I feel I need to ask this because when I watch the videos from Craig I feel like I'm playing Simon says and just copying what he is doing on the work space. I watch the videos several times in order to understand what he is doing and then replicate that on to exercises.
Without the workspace where I take down everything that Craig does, I honestly wouldn't be able to do even half the challenges. And for many of the challenges I have to lean on the forums for help.
Is this typical? I feel like I am heavily relying on things that would otherwise be unavailable to me in real life and this is discouraging.
Should I quit while I'm ahead? I feel like I'm not smart enough to remember how to do all this. There's just way too much logic patterns and functions...
2 Answers
K Cleveland
21,839 PointsLearning to program, like learning to read and write is a process.
At first, it's learning the syntax. What is this data structure and how, at a basic level, do I use it? Eventually as you become more familiar (often times from copying and using other well-written code, or talking to other programmers with more experience) you begin to understand how to use that data structure effectively. Soon, you'll gain a deeper appreciation of how and why it works. You can then manipulate it so that it gives you results that convey the meaning that you want -- not just what Craig wants.
No one was born knowing how to read and write. It's something that we have to be taught, and that we have to practice. With good teachers and good practice, eventually we begin reading longer texts and forming our own sentences. Some of us begin reading and writing for fun. Eventually, some of those people make a career from reading and writing -- often still employing dictionaries, thesauri, and The Elements of Style.
It's the same with programming. It seems like "Simon says" at first, but if you keep practicing, you'll find yourself thinking of ways to use what you've learned in situations outside of TreeHouse courses. And yes, programmers use Google, Stack Overflow, man pages, textbooks, and reference books every day.
Good luck! :)
shu Chan
2,951 PointsThanks for the words of encouragement!
brianturner4
18,570 Pointsbrianturner4
18,570 PointsWhatever you do don't give up, you can handle anything you believe you can handle. I felt that way at first but because we're also applying what we learn to separate projects on our own it really helps make what Craig teaches come to life. Give yourself a chance and some time to adjust to everything involved. There's a lot to take in and it takes time to get familiar. Also build something you think is cool and find the different patterns from the lessons, you can apply to that "thing" you want to build. There is a lot of replication is programming so you'll be able to use everything you learn in some project eventually. So think of it as muscle memory you're building.
you can do this, trust yourself!!