I graduated with a first-class degree in Computer Games Development in 2025, but I feel like I rushed through much of my final year and focused more on completing projects than genuinely learning the material. I had little programming experience before university, and although I performed well academically, I now feel rusty and struggle to apply even basic C++ concepts in personal projects. I watched a long C++ refresher course a few months ago and recognized most of the ideas, but passive review has not translated into confidence or practical ability. Motivation has also been difficult, partly because I suspect I may have ADHD and no longer have coursework deadlines pushing me forward. I am hoping to start a master's degree in September 2027, ideally focused on computer graphics, and want to use the coming year to strengthen both my C++ and graphics foundations without restarting completely from zero. How should I structure my learning, choose projects, set a realistic pace, and decide what topics to cover each month?
3 Answers
If ADHD is affecting your ability to start and complete basic tasks, pursuing an assessment should be part of the plan rather than something to postpone indefinitely. Professional support, and medication where appropriate, can make organization and follow-through more manageable. In the meantime, make the first step extremely small—such as opening the project and writing one function—and use short, scheduled work sessions instead of waiting to feel motivated.
Give yourself external structure by setting concrete deadlines and milestones. For example, choose a small project, define what “finished” means, and set a date to have a playable or demonstrable version. If you miss the target, measure how far you got and adjust the next milestone instead of abandoning the plan. Once your schedule is realistic, making the deadlines slightly tighter can add enough urgency to keep you moving. A monthly plan is useful, but weekly deliverables will make it much easier to stay accountable.
The main thing is to stop treating passive learning as the main activity. A six-hour recap can help you identify gaps, but you will improve by building things, getting stuck, debugging, and looking up targeted explanations as needed. If a project feels too difficult, reduce its scope until you can finish a tiny version, then add one feature at a time. There is no special shortcut for regaining fluency—regular practice and finishing small projects matter more than trying to absorb an entire course again.
That makes sense. I mainly used the video to see what I remembered, but I know I need to spend much more time actually building and working through problems.
I have been trying to complete the assessment paperwork for a long time, so even getting that first administrative step done has been difficult. I will try breaking it into smaller tasks as well.