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Feeling dumb (feddit.nl)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I've been learning on and off about programming for 3 years now. Mostly front-end, html/css/js, for school projects. My degree isn't in CS or IT, so projects that give the opportunity to code are scarce and often short. So I get that I may simply may not have enough hours in coding.

So I'm delighted to be taking CS50 as a Minor at the moment, this has given me the chance to sink a lot of hours in coding, and currently I am in week 5 Data Structures.

But every time I start on the problem sets, I feel overwhelmed and feel like I don't understand anything. I have to Google/GPT the most basic of things. Even though I've been programming regularly the past 6 weeks, I don't feel as if I have improved and I'm starting to doubt if this is a career for me.

In a year I would like to find a career in development. Have any of you felt this way? And what has helped you get rid of this imposter syndrome?

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[–] clushhy 3 points 10 months ago

I have a CS degree and feel dumb almost every day. Devs with 20+ yoe feel dumb almost every day. Albeit, the problems that make those with more experience feel dumb are typically more complex. Programming is hard.

During my first year classes, I too was overwhelmed by the homework. My best advice is to really practice the divide and conquer techniques that I'm sure have been preached. Break the problem down until you have an iterative solution.

My other advice is to not procrastinate, and give yourself ample time to work on the problems. As soon as it is assigned, begin working on it, or at least be thinking, breaking down, and prototyping solutions until you have a couple potential solution paths.

Doing so will allow you to truly strengthen your problem solving. Languages, syntax, data structures, etc. Will become second nature, letting you focus on the problem solving. And that's what programming really is about.

Eventually, with the problem solving techniques you learn and develop, you will understand that with enough time, there won't be a problem you can't solve. Or at least have the skills to begin researching and learning. It's one of the most satisfying experiences, that reaches beyond programming and into every other facet of life. That is the invaluable skill I obtained from college that I'm not sure I would have gained otherwise.

Learn to learn. Embrace that feeling of being dumb. Push through that wall. Do it enough, and that feeling of "I'm too dumb" or "I can't do this" goes away. You begin to acknowledge that you may not currently know, but you can figure it out.

Anyways, my point is to persist. Almost everyone has experienced what you are currently.

Oh, also, step away. Take breaks. Go do something else while you ponder the problem. I've had many breakthroughs doing this.