As technology continues to evolve, your success as a coder depends on your capability to learn and adapt. Any seasoned developer knows that you should always try to improve your coding skills.
There is no point in watching your colleagues get ahead while you are still stuck doing the same thing over and over again. On that note, here are some of the tips to improve your coding skills.
- Practice. Practice. Practice
Coding is a skill that requires a ton of practice and effort to master it. You can’t just wake up one day and suddenly become good at coding. All the good engineers out there have worked countless days and nights to perfect their coding skills. Therefore, you should not quit when you start your journey as a programmer or coder.
Try to make it a habit to code each day, no matter what programming language it is. Because what actually matters is that you are doing it every day. An algorithm is nothing but an ordered set of operations carried out for the sole purpose of finding a solution. So, try to work on various problems to find better logics and enhance your code.
- Contribute to open-source projects
A part of learning is sharing your knowledge. You should contribute your code or program to
open-source platforms, such as GitHub, to improve your programming skills and become a better coder.
Show interest in discussions between experienced programmers, listen to what they have to say. Try to understand their approach to the problem that will automatically develop good coding habits on you.
However, you must not just sit passive, rather ask questions, present your suggestions while respecting their point of view.
- Find mentors
Try to work one-on-one with other developers in any way you can. It is always good to listen to other coders. You can do so through pair programming, participating in hackathons or joining a coder user group.
Pay attention to the feedback that you get on your projects from other users and developers. Try to identify the commonalities in their criticism. There is always going to be someone who has more experience and knowledge than you.
You may also get a mentor this way whom you can trust to guide you in everything from programming techniques to career decisions. A mentor will be honest with you about your
coding skills and give you suggestions accordingly. Do not let go of such opportunities.
- Create a project and make it live
With enough practice, you will be able to build your own projects and applications. It could be a web application, or a mobile app or any other tool. Don’t keep it confined with you. Share it with the world and watch other people use your code.
This will boost your confidence to a great extent and also motivate you to code even better. There are various platforms where you can share your code and projects. Even if you have a full-time programming job, you must always have a side project to work on. This is the best way to practice and challenging yourself.
Another benefit of sharing your project with others is that it demonstrates your skills to future employers and potential clients.
- Attend meetups and observe
Attending meetups and discussing with fellow programmers often leads to better solutions. Your mind tends to evolve more when you talk and listen to others. Often programmers tend to isolate themselves with their computer. This is a completely wrong practice.
Take out time every week to explore new languages and technologies that are shaping the world. Find new sources of information to regularly tap into for inspiration. Observe the coders that you admire and follow their practices.
Bottom line
A last piece of advice – stay fit and healthy and use the correct equipment. Otherwise, you can easily wreck your back, shoulders, and wrists by sitting in front of the PC for hours every day. You might already know most of the suggestions – sit straight, eat healthy food, and do exercise.
These tips will not only enhance your coding skills but also make you enjoy the learning process even more. Looking to take up a course? Well, Coding Ninjas is just the right place for you.
To learn more about how to build your career in programming, click here.
