I'm a self-taught programmer who recently landed an internship, but I'm feeling quite overwhelmed. My previous projects were small and mainly for learning. Now, I'm working on developing dashboards for a complex manufacturing execution system (MES) which is a whole new ballgame. The company doesn't provide much training, so I'm pretty much on my own. When I looked at the internal sample code, I realized just how much I have to learn compared to real-world production systems, and it's stressed me out. I'm looking for advice on where to start, how to approach this huge system, and how to make the most of my two-month internship.
3 Answers
It's totally understandable to feel overwhelmed. When I face new systems, I like to start by checking for documentation in the repository or confluence. After that, I look for an entry point in the code and start reading through it, debugging if I can. Also, reviewing recent pull requests and associated Jira tickets can really help build context. Remember, it's all about breaking it down and creating structured questions based on what you find!
Having an overview of how the entire system works is key. If you didn't have a formal onboarding, try to find someone at the company who can give you a breakdown. Starting small can really help—pick a tiny feature or bug and follow its path through the system piece by piece. You'll gradually get a better understanding and see how everything connects!
You’ll get better over time! I’m self-taught too, and now I’m leading projects after 7 years in the industry. Focus on understanding existing features by going through the code file by file. There’s no rush, so take your time to connect the dots and it’ll all make sense eventually!
Thanks for the encouragement! I'm already trying this approach and it's helping a lot!
This is solid advice! It sounds like your company could do better with onboarding, but that's not uncommon. Starting with small tasks will definitely help you see the big picture.