I'm a first-year computer science student and I've tried making my own projects using YouTube tutorials, but I often feel lost when the presenter just tells you to copy and paste code without explaining why or how they know where to put it. For instance, in a Spring Boot tutorial, the presenter told me to find the latest version of a library and paste it in specific places, but I don't understand how they determined where to do this. I have a grasp of Java basics, but I want to tackle real-world applications using frameworks and larger code structures. How can I start building projects independently and learn to navigate this process without always having a tutorial to guide me? Any tips or strategies for learning on my own would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
Honestly, it's all about trial and error. Don't be afraid to fail; it's part of the learning process. Start with small projects and gradually increase the complexity. Also, keep in mind, a lot of what you'll learn comes with experience—so just keep coding!
Books and hands-on experience are key. Dive into some reliable books about the frameworks you want to use, plus don't shy away from trying out small projects on your own. The more you experiment, the more you'll understand how things fit together!
Reading official documentation is crucial. When someone in a video tells you to add a piece of code, take the time to understand what that code does and why it's necessary. Don't just copy it—dig deeper! Plus, developing a mental map of how apps are built will help you gain confidence in your own projects.
How do you usually approach learning a new framework before jumping into your projects?