Do: Pick something that interests you, or is often used in the specific field you want to get into!

Don’t: Spend more time figuring out what language to start with. Once you have some core understanding of programming, it is often quite easy to transition between certain languages.

Do: Look at examples of potential projects you can build up to doing.

Don’t: Compare your own proficiency to others. Everyone starts off as a beginner!

Do: Focus on learning the fundamentals, they are more important than trying to memorize every last piece of code. Most jobs would rather have someone with a good foundation, and is willing to learn the rest, over someone who may have “mastered” a language, but won’t touch anything else.

Don’t: Be afraid to take a break when facing a tough problem. Get up, stretch, or even come back to it the next day! It won’t go away, but your sanity might.

Do: Ask if you have questions that you couldn’t find the answer to, there are many communities out there who love to help others learn!

Don’t: Copy and paste code without trying to figure out how it works. You wouldn’t push a big red button without knowing what it did first… right?

Do: Have fun with it! It can be frustrating at times, but it is an amazing feeling when you solve a problem you’ve been stuck on.

Don’t: Agree to fix a printer for someone because you obviously know everything about all things technology-related now. Trust me, it isn’t worth whatever they are offering.