So you want to start programming?

Here are a few tips to help you kickstart your journey as a newbie or someone who is thinking of learning how to program a computer on their own.

I have discovered that most people who want to dive into technology usually have a lot of questions to ask; for instance; where can I learn, can you mentor me, what language do you think I should start with, how long do you think I can learn how to code?
I will be answering those questions apart from the choice of language - every beginner’s problem.
Some of the things to take note of include.
1. Learn the basics - I always tell newbies to start from scratch. Learn the basics before the libraries. I learned this the hard way. When I started learning how to program I had not fully understood the foundation but I wanted to start building awesome projects. What I was doing is like trying to dive into a pool to learn to swim instead of learning how to hold your breath in water first.
2. Exhaust-free materials before paying for any materials - I see newbies paying for courses they do not even understand. I mean, calm down and use the free websites, and YouTube channels available before paying for more advanced courses. Unless you have a lot of money to waste - no knowledge is waste though but you know what I mean.
3. Be consistent - you can be good at anything if you stick to it long enough. Do not be tired. Most times when newbies ask me how long it will take to learn how to code I just say three months. But seriously, three months of consistency is better than a year of inconsistency in my opinion. Never stop learning regardless.
4. Stack-overflow is your best friend - google ‘Stack overflow’, sign up and start using it to ask questions or find similar answers.
5. Ask questions - ask questions on the internet. Be comfortable using the internet. Top secret; some of the questions being answered by those people you look up to are being answered by the Internet. The internet is a gift to us but we don’t maximize it sadly. 6.Join a community - there are so many communities that teach people how to code, encourage newbies, and offer free mentorship like SheCodeAfrica(Free mentorship for girls in Africa) However, you can join other communities like solo learners, Dev Community, Tech Twitter, and so on.
7. Learn how to use Git/GitHub - I will not say much but why do you need to learn how to use Git/GitHub irrespective of the programming language you choose? It is so you can store your code. It’s like a code bank. You cannnot go wrong with GitHub.
If you follow those tips carefully you will be able to start programming one step at a time on your own. Good luck with that and thank you for reading!