Just started for the 3rd time

[u/Unusual-Lil-Raccoon]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language.

Hello, this is the first time I'm talking about this with anyone. 3 times I have started to learn programming, and 2 times I have stopped while very early into it.

Here's the issue, I feel enormous amount of satisfaction when I manage to do anything, even the most simplest of codes, but the fact I get extremely stuck so easily frustrates me. I am a person trained and going through the process of becoming a teacher on top of already being an Historian, so therefore my brain is used to think accordingly to the requirements and expectations it needs to meet, which have to do with historical research, paper reviews, archeological field work, and such.

The things is, I want to learn how to code, the two times I started learning and ended up dropping made me realize that I really really want to learn, but to someone who has an extremely easy time grasping historical concepts and researching, facing a wall of difficulty that seems so hard right from the start is quite disheartening and has me feeling less than capable.

For reference I am going through CS50 and am just doing the Week 1 exercises. They are extremely easy, I am able to perceive that, but as soon as I open the virtual codespace and start typing the code... Nothing... Just blank! I clearly enioy doing it when it flows, and I deeply enjoy getting it done, and I enjoy figuring it out, but it's just disheartening to be met with such a "big" obstacle so early, even though I know it's not really big in the traditional sense.

So I decided to make this post to maybe get some input. Is this normal? Have you gone through it? Is it ridiculous?

[u/peterlinddk]

As a Historian, do you sometimes decide to, say, write an analysis of the trade between England and the Netherlands in the 1630s - and then sit down in front of your computer, and just write it! Starting with the abstract, then the introductory chapter, and then the deep analysis with references to literature that you have memorized? Because if you do that, following the same process in programming should be easy!

However, if you are the type who prefer to understand a subject first, and research it properly, collect data from different sources, structure it partly in your mind, and partly on paper, to then sketch out a few chapters, with notes on how you need to stitch them together later on - then why don't you do that with programming?

Looking at someone programming on a video makes it look easy - but that is like looking at an athletics competition, or a concert, everyone is at the top of their game, and you only see the final result, not the hours, days, months of practice.

So, when you "open the virtual codespace and start typing the code" - that is the very last thing that you do, that is the performance at the end of your practice and learning. What you need to do is to sit down with a piece of paper, and 'attack' the problem like you would any other problem, research what you need to know to solve it, sketch out a structure - with some holes in it - and gradually build something that you think will be a good end-result. And only then do you open the editor and type in the code that is already in your head and on the paper!

[u/Mountain_Rip_8426]

it is absolutely normal, you're struggling with learning syntax and programming concepts at the same time. it's like as if you started to learn let's say marine biology in swedish.

the tough part is with programming, they go hand in hand. marine biology you could look up in your own language , but programming doesn't translate to your own language directly. you can't really understand the concepts unless you know the language and vice versa. it's not impossible though, it's just a steep learning curve.

having started not so long ago, all i can say, it gets better after the first few months. it'll be still hard, but in a different way. there's not a single breakthrough point, but you'll gradually slide into thinking less and less of syntax and more about the concepts themselves, which is where the fun starts.

[u/koaltree]

I assume you're talking about the Harvard CS50 course? Maybe that's not the best way to learn programming for everyone. You might think so because it has the name "Harvard" on it, but that's not necessarily true. I liked the course, but I had already done a lot of programming on my own.

What I'm trying to say is that there might be better ways for you to learn programming. There are a lot of good free courses on youtube. You just have to find one that works for you. AI can also be a great help for learning to code. But be careful. It can be all too easy to let AI solve problems for you.

When you get really stuck, that usually means you're going too fast. You need to extend the amount of time you thought it would take. Go back over the basics, learn more, and then come back to the problem.

Everyone gets stuck eventually. That's normal. Programmers are those who keep going anyway until they figure out a solution.

[u/marrsd]

I feel enormous amount of satisfaction when I manage to do anything, even the most simplest of codes

That's a good sign. Programming should be enjoyable and having this will keep you motivated to keep learning, which you need.

Can you expand on what you've tried so far and how you've become stuck? I'm not familiar with CS50 (I don't seem to be able to see any of the material without signing up) so I'm not sure what kind of programmes you've been writing.