What is the best way to practice coding?
There are two methods you can use to practice coding. These are:
1) Practice coding by building projects
Projects are the backbone of any coding practice. Most people (if not all) are learning to code so that you can build something useful with the new skill. You can build a project in any of these 4 categories:
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Step by step tutorial projects
This is basically a project-based tutorial. They are the easiest projects for any beginner. You build a project by following a tutorial of someone else building the project.
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Replication projects
In these kinds of projects, you pick a website or an app and try to make a similar version of it.
How to replicate a website or app
- You pick a website or app that you want to replicate.
- You can take a screenshot of the website using one of these screenshot tools that takes a screenshot of the whole website and not a and save it as an image.
- Note down the features of the projects and use them as the requirements for your project. You want to see if you can replicate a specific feature.
- Start building the individual feature.
- Use Git/Github for version control.
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Personal projects
Steps of coming up with a personal project
- Think of building a project that solves your need or needs of those around you.
- Figure out the technologies you will be using.
- Break the projects into features.
- Build these features individually.
- If you only know the basics of the technologies that you are using, then use your current knowledge to build your project.
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Client’s projects
If you have the confidence and the knack of building complete projects up to the client’s specifications, you can approach prospective customers and offer your services.
Most people advise that you let people around you know of your skills and that you are available for hiring.
2) practice coding by taking part in a challenge
Another way of practising coding is taking part in a challenge.
One challenge that most people face is( lack of motivation after sometimes) hanging even when you don’t feel like hanging on. That is why you have seen the explosion of movements/ challenges like #100daysofcode.
To counter this lack of motivation that might creep in, I suggest that you make a precommitment to work on the project for a specific number of hours, days, weeks or months.
You can also join one of these challenges. Some of the challenges are:
- #100daysofcode
- #100daysofcss
- You can join an ongoing project and collaborate on it. collaborate on a project. I have taken part in such an arrangement through Chingu which was an eye-opener for me.
