Beginner Programmers' Mindsets

This post is for the beginners and wannabes who want to delve into the thrill of programming. If you seek answers to questions you have been asking yourselves, you may want to read on.

It's been a long time I happened to have met different persons who are digging into the intricacies of programming and at the early stage of their learning curve, they gave up because of the difficulties they had during their exploration of programming. They easily bewildered when a programming problem seemed impossible to be solved. Even to the easiest type of problem seems hell to them. Some simply sit around the corner, and forget the idea of pursuing. Some diverted to games, others just sticked to the conventional and use their PCs as mere personal stuffs like household appliances laying static in one corner of the house, just doing single purpose. Others would simply let knowledgeable friends do the job. They simply gave up. That's the greatest and seamless action they could give, Give Up!

Well, you better read on. Let me save the last drop of interest you might still have. First thing's first. You have to evaluate yourself. Yeah, that's the root of everything. Know your strength. This means, if you believe you're an in-born programmer, then go and pick a good book or search the internet for tutorials and read and read and express your knowledge through hands-on. But, if you just happened to be not having the breed, yet you felt there's a little spark of interest inside you, then go find someone who can be your mentor or adviser. You simply need a role-model, an inspiration in other words. Be careful however of your tendency to become dependent on him/her. Take note, first-hand information is still the best. That means, learning that comes from you, is better than the one which comes from others. Learning should start inside you. I have a friend, who's a B.S. Psychology, yet, because of his unwavering interest in programming, he's now a successful web developer and currently doing advanced programming chores. So nobody can tell me that it depends on intelligence, mind you, it's in the INTEREST!

Once you have the interest, I believe, no one can stop you from learning, especially programming. Others have a lot of reasons to cover up their tracks. One said, "I don't have any PC at home, how can I learn?" Well, I only had myself a programming book and a unit of my imagination before. There's also one hacker I remember, he was living somewhere in Alaska, no electricity, no telephones and of course no computers, yet, his eagerness to learn the mystery of computers cannot stop these factors. Now, he's one of the respected hackers of the U.S. That's all it takes. Believe me, the important thing is to boost your interest first and sharpen it until it's needle-like. Once it has reached its peak, then nothing is impossible.

Somebody asked me before, what do you get from programming your PC? Well, I told him, have you seen a bike daredevil? It's the same feeling, once this guy reached the other end out of danger, he felt satisfied, he felt something has replenished his deepest soul, he felt that he owns something which others cannot own. That's the feeling of having solved mind-boggling programs. Having skills in programming sets you apart from others. You can express your thoughts in a language that only fellow programmers can understand. Isn't that unique?

Beginners, who are just new to the scene and most probably those who are just taking B.S. in Computer Science or other related fields, listen and open up your ears. The earth is still young and you still have a lot of time to catch up with the ever-changing computer technology. My words for you, just learn all the fundamentals of programming as much as you can. Focus only on one language first, preferably C or C++ as these two are the most popular languages being used in any other languages, Java, PHP, C#, etc. which are commonly used in building the Internet infrastructure. Your Windows was written in C, C++ and I believe Assembly, so that would be enough background to know their capabilities. Next, buy a book, those Idiot's guides are good but they're quite expensive. If you can't afford, then go for the Internet. Use Google, and only Google! It's fast! For example, you can search for: C++ Tutorials then go and find the links that you think are easier to understand. If you have some friends who are good in programming, stick to them, they can save your butt most of the time. Don't forget to ask. It's not humiliation, it's curiosity. Mr. Einstein once said, "Don't loose the Holy Curiosity!".

Lastly, if you want shortcuts, questions about your programming problems, go to this blog spot, and I'll be open for questions.

That's all for now! Make this site alive!

-Author