{"id":246,"date":"2022-11-11T06:15:06","date_gmt":"2022-11-11T06:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/algocademy.com\/blog\/?p=246"},"modified":"2024-10-12T13:15:52","modified_gmt":"2024-10-12T13:15:52","slug":"why-is-learning-how-to-code-so-damn-hard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/algocademy.com\/blog\/why-is-learning-how-to-code-so-damn-hard\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Learning How to Code So Damn Hard?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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You finished that long course or expensive bootcamp and you\u2019re still struggling. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Have you finished a course or expensive bootcamp, only to find that you\u2019re still struggling to come up with solutions or code a project from scratch? Do you feel like throwing in the towel? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, we want to talk to you about why learning code is so damn hard, and reassure you that it doesn\u2019t have to be. It\u2019s also not your fault. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why is coding hard? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Chances are, the problem isn\u2019t you – it\u2019s the program you\u2019ve chosen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most coding bootcamps and courses only teach you coding languages and frameworks, expecting you to carry on by yourself. These learning spaces don\u2019t help you develop the thought process and problem-solving skills that are necessary to solve complex coding problems, build solutions from scratch, and become an autonomous software engineer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Most coding bootcamps are missing four things: <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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1. Comfortable pacing <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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If you feel like you moved at a breakneck speed through your work, you probably did. Websites like Codecademy can teach you a topic, test you on it quickly, and may never come back to talking about it again. Without repetition and proper pacing, how can you be expected to retain everything you learn? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Theory <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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While some bootcamps will get into the theory of coding, others are so laser-focused on getting you through a curriculum that they won\u2019t stop to explain why you\u2019re doing what you\u2019re doing. Without learning the \u201cwhy\u201d behind your work, you\u2019re not able to form connections between previous things you learned, making it harder for you to conquer new concepts when you get out of class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Rules without application <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Just because you understand syntax doesn\u2019t mean you understand how to properly apply code, or what the cleanest, most efficient code will look like. With some programs, as long as you get the end result accomplished, the journey along the way doesn\u2019t matter as much. If you\u2019re not getting feedback on the quality of your code, you could be in for a rude awakening at your first job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Problem-solving skills <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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There\u2019s a difference between cramming for a test and truly understanding the material. Think about the classes you took that you still remember today – how did the teacher expect you to prepare the material? Did you have a lot of discussions and applications? Did they present you with a problem and you had to explain how to solve it with your background knowledge? Or do you remember all those mnemonics you memorized for an anatomy class? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we memorize things for a test, these pieces tend to live in our short-term memory – here today, gone tomorrow. However, if we\u2019re encouraged to apply what we\u2019re learning in a bigger way – problem-solving, learning it to the extent we can teach someone else, engaging in critical thinking around a topic – retention improves dramatically. Did your coding bootcamp prepare you to memorize lines of code, or did it prepare you to solve real-life problems and equip you with resources to do so? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Is learning how to code hard? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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In short, it\u2019s not hard to learn how to code, but the way you were taught may not be serving you well. Learning code in a vacuum without real-life applications can mean walking away from the program feeling like you don\u2019t understand anything, or like coding is the hardest thing you\u2019ve ever done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What courses make coding easy? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Another hard part about coding is figuring out which program to choose. Did you know there are over 10,000 courses on Udemy alone that pop up when you search for \u201ccoding\u201d? I\u2019m not even talking about the dozens of other courses and platforms out there that all seem to offer the same thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve already made your way through a few of these, you probably feel even more frustrated. Let\u2019s not waste any more time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The right coding program won\u2019t over-promise and under-deliver <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We\u2019re not going to lie – learning to code, especially as a beginner, can be a difficult shift in mindset to start. You want to find a program that promises realistic results grounded in real-life experience, instead of one that promises fast results, truckloads of knowledge, and unimaginable outcomes. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The right coding program won\u2019t make you memorize everything <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Programming is not about learning code syntax, language-specific knowledge, or frameworks. It\u2019s also not about understanding every element of code in C# or being a wizard in Python. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you try doing any of these things, you end up with a bunch of knowledge that you can\u2019t apply to actual projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us: When you\u2019ve completed a few lessons in one of the usual courses you find online, have you tried to code something on your own after that? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the way most programs present information, you probably sat there, wondering how to start, and ultimately gave up on the whole idea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The right coding program will help you understand how coding works <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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It all boils down to this: Understanding the how<\/em> and why<\/em> behind what you\u2019re doing is so much more valuable than understanding the what<\/em>. What makes you successful is knowing how coding works – the brains behind it all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s how you can make everything else click. By understanding why things work the way they do, and the science behind it all, coding gets infinitely easier. You\u2019ll go from \u201cwhy is coding so damn hard\u201d to \u201coh wow, coding can be pretty easy!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning the core of programming is like becoming Neo in The Matrix<\/em>. When he starts to understand, the code aligns around him and he sees the system as it truly is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Teaching the how and why behind coding is what sets AlgoCademy apart <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We\u2019ll level with you – we\u2019re not going to try to teach you everything. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Instead, we\u2019ve spent years crafting the perfect curriculum to bring you the best way to learn programming. We won\u2019t teach you anything you don\u2019t need, and by the end of the course, you\u2019ll understand what programming is and how it really<\/em> works. You\u2019ll also learn the deeper fundamentals of computer science. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You\u2019ll be job-ready <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Prepare yourself for FAANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) or another dream company by learning true problem-solving skills that will more than equip you for technical interviews and the job you land afterwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Coding doesn\u2019t have to be hard <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Stop searching for the perfect course, or trying one more YouTube tutorial. Instead, complete your first lesson with us and build a path to your perfect career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn coding the right way<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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