Solitary learning is one of the best things that we can do if we are disciplined enough. With enough literature available to us with a couple of clicks, we can tackle almost any topic. Some topics should not be learned without an external figure of authority checking our work, for example, anything that has to do with being a medical professional or building space shuttles and other extremely difficult and hazardous jobs.

However, things like drawing, painting, music, and even programming, can be learned without a teacher. How difficult is it to learn programming alone? Let us take a deep dive.

Getting Good Literature

While learning programming by using a course is fine and all, one would be skipping on the very basics and core of programming, understanding what is actually happening. How processors work and what happens when you execute code is very important. While you won’t be coding in machine code, you might want to know what it does. This is why learning from books is a great place to start your programming journey. Skipping the basics makes every programming language harder, especially when you run into problems and hiccups. Understanding the machine is the first step and the next, learning a language of your choice.

Learning a Language

Learning a programming language is still best done from a book or an otherwise similarly constructed course. Stick to one programming language at first, to learn its syntax, how to execute code and even more importantly, how to debug your own code. Learning efficient coding will take time, but it is good to try and get there from the start, rather than using shortcuts and adding overhead to the processes. 

Sticking to one language should work for beginners, but more advanced programmers can learn multiple languages at a time, depending on the difficulty of their projects and how much time and effort they can afford to invest.

Programming is Key

While learning about coding and learning programming languages is what you have to do to start, writing actual code is more important after you cross a certain knowledge threshold. Your own code should work and if it doesn’t, debug it until you find the cause. Fixing bugs and optimizing your code is a great way to add to your programming routine. Work on multiple projects, but keep working.

If you find challenges along the way, great, they will help you develop more skills. 

Senior programmers can diagnose and fix issues quickly and adapt to a new programming language and technical challenge. 

Almost any skill can be learned alone and programming is not different in that regard. You can learn it alone but you have to be disciplined. With these tips, the journey should be easier.