I'm currently studying programming and recently completed my first C++ project, a simple game. I followed all the guidelines to write clean code, as that's what I'm used to. However, after seeing the professor's solution, which was much more complex and expertly done, I felt a wave of anger and frustration. It's disheartening because despite a year of practice and exercising my skills, I feel I haven't progressed enough. I often struggle to remember the efficient techniques I've learned when faced with larger programs. I'm really passionate about programming, more than any other subject, and I want to know if practice will help me reach a level of competence like my professor. Any advice would be appreciated!
2 Answers
It's totally normal to feel frustrated when you care a lot about your work! Just because your professor's code looks more complicated doesn't mean your skills aren't developing. It’s a learning curve, and nobody expects you to master every optimal solution right away. Focus on understanding different approaches so you can learn and improve over time.
It sounds like you're dealing with some classic frustration, not actual hatred for programming. It's tough to see someone else's work and feel like you're lagging behind, but every programmer goes through this. Remember, writing code like your professor takes time and practice. Don't compare your work line by line; rather, understand the structure of his solutions. You'll naturally start thinking that way, too.
Exactly! It's all about development over time. Everyone has to start somewhere, and progress might feel slow, but it's still progress!