Feeling Lost in My Coding Journey Without a Mentor

I didn’t have a mentor either. Instead, I hit the books and read up on various coding principles. Not everyone agrees on what makes 'good' code, and that's okay. Get familiar with concepts like code smells and antipatterns, and don't hesitate to ask for feedback, even from AI! Diving into a textbook at your level can help you build solid foundations, and those take time but are worth it.

It's completely normal to feel like you're guessing a lot, especially when you're self-taught. One thing that's been helpful for me is checking out open source projects in my spare time. Analyzing others' code helps you learn what good practices look like and what doesn't work. Remember, there’s no single right way to learn coding; everyone has their own journey. Focus on what you need to know for your current challenges and keep at it!

Oh man, I relate to your struggle! I was stuck at just HTML and CSS for a long time too. Eventually, finding a mentor really changed the game for me—helped me advance so quickly! But in the meantime, using AI as a sort of mentor can be helpful. Be specific with your prompts; ask it to guide you rather than just giving you the code. Also, try networking; talk to people around you, and you might just find a mentor when you least expect it!

I totally get where you're coming from. When I was in your shoes, I focused on mastering the basics of computer science and object-oriented programming first. Then, I started building projects by following tutorials but also challenged myself to add features independently. Free Code Camp has great resources for fundamentals, and platforms like Udemy can guide you through more specific tutorials.

You might be overthinking your 'good code' situation. If your code works and doesn’t break any functionality, you’re on the right track! Also, when you hit a wall, try reading the official documentation in addition to Googling and using AI tools; they often provide best practices that are super valuable. Engaging with colleagues or local user groups can also be a great way to get the mentorship you're seeking.

Just to reassure you, feeling lost without a mentor is a common experience among self-taught developers. What really helped me was mapping out my own learning pathway—visualizing your progress makes it less daunting! As for good code, if it runs as intended and you can articulate why you wrote it that way, you're doing great. Remember, you're further along than you think by simply questioning your learning process!