I'm about to turn 30 and recently started studying programming, and I feel like it's never too late to dive in! I've landed a job where I can spend my whole shift, from 6 AM to 3 PM, studying on my laptop. I'm currently working on my first big project using technologies like NextJS for both the backend and frontend, Prisma, Postgres, TailwindCSS, ShadCN, and NextAuth. I'm trying to figure out the best way to utilize my study time. Ideally, I'd love to split my day into segments for different tasks, like spending some hours working on my project, doing exercises on coding websites or LLMs, and watching videos that could enhance my knowledge (I've heard great things about CS50). Any suggestions on how to structure my time effectively?
3 Answers
You're already on the right track by working on a real project! I recommend focusing most of your day on that because it’s the most effective way to learn. Anytime you run into gaps in your understanding, use the remaining time to dive into documentation, tackle small exercises, or watch targeted videos that help you overcome those specific obstacles. Passive learning is good, but make sure it’s relevant to what you’re actively working on!
Since you're aiming for a job in this field, try to treat this project like you're in a real position: build it out as if it's a product you'd showcase in an interview. Make sure to put together a comprehensive README that details your work; this will really help during discussions with potential reviewers or employers.
Honestly, keep grinding on your project! It's way more valuable than just watching videos or doing courses like CS50. If you're up for it, you could throw in some LeetCode challenges for practice, but be cautious—watching videos might feel productive without really teaching you anything.
Related Questions
How To: Running Codex CLI on Windows with Azure OpenAI
Set Wordpress Featured Image Using Javascript
How To Fix PHP Random Being The Same
Why no WebP Support with Wordpress
Replace Wordpress Cron With Linux Cron
Customize Yoast Canonical URL Programmatically