How to make programming more interesting, exciting, and fun…?? It is indeed the common query of almost every programmer, especially the beginner ones. Let’s find an effective solution to it in this article.
It’s the 21st day of June and the year is 1948. It is a pleasant summer day for many but for mathematician and computer engineer Tom Kilburn, it’s a day when he will achieve a feat worthy of engraving his name in the history of computers forever. At 11 a.m, Mr. Kilburn runs a program on the Manchester Baby computer that will calculate the highest factor of the integer 2^18. The output is as expected. Mr. Kilburn rejoices at this fact, not knowing that he has written, what computer historians arguably claim, is the very first piece of software. A remarkable feat indeed.
Programming has come a long way since then. Come 2021, and it has become one of the most in-demand professional skills. And as such, it’s not a rare sight for people to get enticed by the monetary and social benefits of computer programming and make a foray into its versatile and ever-changing world.
Addressing the “Programming is Not Fun” Stereotype?
4 years ago, a Reddit user, who goes by the username u/DM-me-coolstuffxox, voiced his concerns about not being able to enjoy coding. Here’s what he/she said:
“Okay so I recently got a coding book for Christmas from my father, and he really wants me to try coding, but I’ve tried learning it before and tbh I would rather smash my head into my dog’s food ball 10 times than learn to code.
I know I wanna do code, just not learn it, I wanna make games ‘n’ stuff.
So how can I make learning code fun?”
And frankly enough, even today what this Reddit user said resonates with the sentiments of countless other individuals who have just started programming. But does this mean programming is not fun? Well, to be honest, no. Programming is just as fun or as boring as mathematics, history, physics, chemistry, or any field. The point is, programming does not carry the onus of being fun.
But wait, do not just give up yet. Programming may not be fun in itself but, we can always make it fun, can’t we?
Programming is no doubt powerful and paves the way to virtually limitless possibilities. Just having the thought of doing anything you desire already makes it much more interesting than before.
7 Ways To Make Programming Fun For Beginners
Now that we understand the fact that programming is not inherently lifeless, let us get down to making programming fun. Here we have some highly beneficial tips that you can incorporate into your learning schedule to make programming more fun and interesting than ever.
1. Be Thorough With the Fundamentals
Seemingly the only boring method in the list that will make your programming interesting. Before you start revving the engines of your imagination, make sure to have a good understanding of the programming language you’re learning. Learn all the basic syntaxes, write some beginner-level programs and do all that’s necessary to build a strong foundation. Once you have the fundamentals clear, you can always use that knowledge to build awesome programs and let your creativity run amock.
2. Don’t Just Learn. Play!
This tip might seem to contradict the first one but rest assured for it has nothing to do with the basics. This is a pro tip that you’ll hear most programming veterans say and for all the right reasons. If you think of programming as any other subject that you have to learn, you’ll get tired soon. Instead, create your projects. Try to write different algorithms for the same purpose and see which one works the best. If you can’t remember a syntax, try to come up with ways to bypass it. Programming is flexible. Don’t try to be rigid and follow a particular modus operandi. Learn to leverage its flexibility and you can become an exceptional programmer without getting bored.
3. Get the Help of a Mentor
You can only do so much by yourself. And searching for every little issue on the web is tedious. Add to this the fact that you don’t always find the right answers for your queries and you can get seriously frustrated. Having an experienced person nearby is always a great help. That person can be your dad or mom, your elder sibling(s), a friend, or a teacher.
Some of the ways that a mentor can help you enjoy coding are:
- Give you cues instead of the entire solution so you can remove impediments on your own.
- Teach you programming best practices that only veterans know.
- Give you projects to test your skills.
- Make you an apprentice when they are working on a project. This can help you learn the ropes of professional programming.
4. Take Sufficient Breaks
Yes. You need breaks to avoid overloading your synapses. You might be geared up to learn to program as fast as you can and understandably so. But remember, resting is important. Taking breaks allows you to have a change of pace. This can, in many cases, also give you a new perspective to approach a problem. There are plenty of benefits of taking breaks that you can find on the internet but they all preach the same thing: taking breaks is more productive than working non-stop.
5. Get Plenty of Feedbacks
Becoming your critic is cool and all but having someone else look at your work takes real guts. On a lighter note, getting feedback from other programmers, both experienced and amateurs, is necessary. Having more than one mind take a look at your code will supply you with newer and sometimes better ways to do what you’ve already done. After all, no piece of code is perfect. There’s always room for improvement.
Also, receiving positive feedback from others for a code that you have written from scratch boosts your morale. You get motivated to work even harder and that’s what you want right? Motivation.
6. Treat Yourself To Some Challenges
You have created your projects and they have all garnered approbation from your mentors, your programmer friends, and the ilk. But at the end of the day, you are only competing with yourself. To become an exceptional programmer, you need to compete with others. And that means entering into the field of competitive programming. Several legit websites provide arenas where programmers can compete to write the best code for the challenge. Some popular websites for coding challenges that you can check out – TopCoder, HackerRank, etc.
7. Learn To Code With Coding Games
Learning to code while playing games sounds like a dream. But not anymore. There are certain games that can teach you programming all the while you game. Although these games provide a cool way to learn to program, they don’t teach you everything. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a look at them. These games are highly interactive and can help you deploy code much more practical than a book can ever teach you to. Some popular coding games are CSS Diner, CodinGame, Flexbox Froggy, and CodeMonkey. So go ahead and game (and learn) to your heart’s content for now you have one more reason to defend video games from the scornful eyes of your parents.
Concluding words: When people say programming is fun, they’re giving the wrong impression. Instead, they should say “I find programming interesting”. No, it’s not rephrasing the former saying. It means that they have found their passion in programming and hence, devised ways to make programming enjoyable for them. And you should do so too. So go out there and show your programming prowess to the world. Good luck!
