When Facing Challenges While Learning Tech
It happens to every one of us. You are writing some code, minding your own business, then… you get stuck. You don’t understand something about the technology you are using, it doesn’t understand you, or there is a syntax landmine somewhere in your code that blew up 💣.
No matter the case, in this post I will challenge you to reflect on how you handle this situation. I will also challenge you to view this situation differently.
Ready, Set, Stuck!
I have been coding and getting stuck for over three years now. I wish I could say the my frequency for getting stuck has lessened, but that isn’t the case. Even as I get better at coding, I take on progressively harder concepts and technologies, so I get stuck in new fantastic ways. Getting stuck is just the price of admission for coding.
So what to do about it? Reflect on past experiences and identify behaviors that led to you solving problems. You are going to keep getting stuck, so you might as well get better at getting unstuck.
My Reflection
When I get stuck while learning some tech or coding, I have a bad habit of digging in, being stubborn and not taking a break. I so badly want to make progress and really believe the solution is moments away. The problem with this is I spend a regrettable amount of time moments away from a solution.
The funny thing is, stopping coding is usually what leads me to getting unstuck. I will be doing a completely different activity when I have a thought about how I can solve a specific problem. I guess my brain just needs some time to continue working on the problem in the background, while I use less of my mental faculties.
I have noticed that I have a harmful response to getting stuck and a positive response to getting stuck. The hard part will be doing more of the latter and less of the former.
Different Way of Viewing This Issue
Getting Stuck Is Making You Smarter. I am not just trying to make you feel better about the fact that you will continue to get stuck. I believe getting stuck will make you smarter and will build your confidence. Each challenge you face is an opportunity to learn something new. And, when you overcome the challenge, you can add the situation to a long list of instances where you were a victorious learned computer scientist.
In sum..
Everyone get’s stuck coding. I am writing this post because I have been getting stuck all day while custom styling with Material UI. I challenge you to learn how you typically solve a problem after getting stuck and develop a plan to replicate this behavior. Also, I challenge you to reflect on many of the problems you have solved, it’s not a bad idea to cheer yourself on every once in a while.
– The Coding Hotdog
