How can I learn to program through practice instead of just studying theory?

Build projects as soon as you know the fundamentals. Start with something small, such as a number-guessing game, calculator, address book, list processor, or eventually tic-tac-toe. When you get stuck, try to reason through the problem first and then look up specific language or library questions. Starting from an existing example is fine too, but change it substantially—add a feature, alter its behavior, or redesign part of it—so you’re actively making decisions rather than copying.

The most useful routine is to make something, encounter a problem, investigate it, fix it, and then try to improve the result. Your first versions will be awkward, and that’s normal. Avoid having tools generate complete solutions for you; ask for explanations when necessary, but make yourself write and debug the code. A steady series of small projects will gradually make starting from a blank file feel much less intimidating.

When you don’t know where to start, divide the goal into smaller tasks. Keep breaking each task down until you can describe a simple operation you know how to implement. Those pieces can become functions, and then you combine the functions into the complete program. It also helps to write down examples of expected inputs and outputs before coding, because that gives you something concrete to test while you work.

Learning C is perfectly reasonable, although it may feel less beginner-friendly than some other languages. Learn the essentials—variables, types, conditionals, loops, functions, arrays, pointers, and memory management—then immediately apply each topic. You’ll learn much more by debugging your own small programs than by memorizing definitions. Over time you’ll also pick up the surrounding skills: using an editor, compiling, reading documentation, testing, and diagnosing errors.

There’s no substitute for writing code regularly. A course or tutorial can teach the basic syntax, but use it actively: type the examples yourself, pause often, and experiment by changing things instead of just watching. Once you understand the basics, work through increasingly difficult exercises and small projects. Syntax is only a small part of programming; the bigger skill is breaking a problem into steps and turning those steps into code. Don’t expect to master it quickly—it takes repeated practice over time.