Advice & Tips For Self Taught Programmers (as a self taught programmer) 

Let me know if you found this video helpful!

-- STICK WITH IT -- IT'S OK TO FEEL LOST -- DON'T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF -- TAKE YOUR TIME -- FIGURE OUT YOUR PATH -- START WRITING CODE ASAP -- FOCUS ON CONCEPTS NOT SYNTAX -- BEWARE OF TUTORIAL HELL

You are currently the only "youtube" developer I listen to. I spent way to much time hearing "I became a web developer in 3 hours and you can too." Those videos are very disingenuous and it's ruining aspiring devs. Keep preaching the self taught gospel.

Dude... You're literally acting as a brother to me in this whole coding process!! Cant thank enough.

It took me 2 years, even with a CS background, so I never gave up as I eventually was able to get not only a Software Developer position but in my desired company, working on my desired tech stack. You can do it, too, if you stick with it.

I'm 30 and going to have my bachelor's in computer science at 31. I wasted most of my life partying and doing stupid shit. I feel I have that in common with you. Hearing your story is inspirational. Especially to people that are older. I've been coding for 50 days straight now everyday while working a full time job and going to college full time. I've built projects that have helped me understand things better. I feel like school doesn't teach you the things you need to know you need to also study outside of school and code everyday if you really want it. I've learned more on my own than in school. I've already applied at a bunch of junior entry level developer jobs but haven't had any luck yet. Hopefully I'll get something soon! Thanks for your videos

You're very motivating. I'm taking Launch Code classes and sometimes I feel like I'm not smart enough. This video helped A LOT!

Love from Kenya. You really encourage me to keep working on to be a programmer.❤❤

Thank you for making videos like this, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed and feel lost. You have such an impact with your content man. My hats off to you

Very open and vulnerable. Your story is inspiring

Thx Dorian, that's a great advice video, You don't know how helpful these words are for a self taught guys here, Much Appreciate !

Thank you for your video. I have been watching several of your videos lately and really appreciate the advice you give. I'm on a personal journey of learning to code in python self taught.

Thank you for giving us this kind of advice. It is really hard to become a self-taught programmer but I am still on the process of learning programming on my own. Hope to see more videos! You're the best!

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! Yesterday I was feeling down because I was struggling with CSS, but now I see I’ve been too hard in myself.

Great stuff Dorian, just found this. Congrats on your success. I have a few years under my belt professionally and am on the j hunt for time with this exp. w/what feels like a faux Full Stack Eng title. Good job motivation here to persevere!

You inspire me. Thank you for being vulnerable here. I feel like I know you and I don’t know you. Honestly dude. I appreciate that you did this video.

I’m teaching myself Python. It’s process for sure! Appreciate your videos man!

Thank you . I am going through the same thing right now and it is good to hear what you said .

I also got on my self taught journey to become a web developer. I have watched lots of videos on the topic but your channel has been a true motivation, super helpful to realize that there are other people out there who have actually come through the same path and it is achievable. I'm honestly amazed by how cool the IT community is. I can't think of any other career that your can pursue from the comfort of your own home being able to find almost all the info you need and even ask for help online. To all the aspiring devs out there keep doing, don't give up. Thank you very much , Dorian 🙏

Good stuff as always. There was some things that you mentioned that I needed to be reminded of. Your content always hits the mark Dorian. 👍🏾

Thanks for sharing - I'm exactly at a plateau and a point of a lot of self-doubt after 6 months of self-studying. I'll work hard to stay on course and continue learning.

It’s been too long Dorian! You help so many developers stay motivated, THANKS SO MUCH!

Great video man. Good tips. I’m almost 6 months in the game now. Been watching since. Greetings from Panama 🇵🇦

He being soo real I been learning coding for a year & I'm just understanding the basics of coding & what I'm doing. I still got a long way to go , it's a grind some the grind gets not normal. I was putting other important things to the side spending half my days wanting to understand coding. Take ur breaks & come back to it.

Thank you for your advice this is real experience I’m going through it right now

Great advice, thank you!

Thank you so much for this video and for the advice! I’m 30 years old and just starting to teach myself and it can be overwhelming at times thinking about everything I have to learn before I can get a job.

I really did! Im probably on the way to not getting a highschool diplo too, and so the fact that i saw someone open about it, and being successful is really motivating! Thank you for making videos, hopefully, I’ll be just as successful as you, if not more, one day, i’m learning like 6-8 hours a day

Amazing content as always 👍🏻 Keep it up

So happy I came across your channel ! You are really inspiring! I also live in Las Vegas If you ever do Code meetups that would be cool to come out to one!!

As a 16 yr old dropout of high school myself I can relate to you on so many different levels. I always liked to code and wanted to get into programming because school just wasn't for me. I'm currently learning Python for data science and backend development and I sometimes doubt myself but this video made me a lot more confident and motivated because if you can do it as a dropout then I can too. Thank you for this video and keep up the good work ❤.

This video is amazing 👏 . Truly appreciate it.

Great advice from your own experience! Thanks.

Found out about this channel not long ago, keep it up

I watch your videos right before starting to do my daily coding .... thanks for your efforts, it's very nice to listen to someone who's got enough experience to share with young programmers👍🙏

Thank you so much for the videos, I'm struggling with Python because it's my first time dealing with programming and I've felt so stupid during this process. This video has helped me to feel that at one moment I am going to be able to learn how to code and get a job like developer.

Best video about coding i have ever watched i hope you know that with this video you have changed many peoples prespective on coding and motivated them to not give up Love your Videos ♥️ Keep up the good work 👍

This is absolute gold, and amazingly helpful for me making a transition into this field. Really curious about the different fields in software development, and would be curious to hear your take on which would be best: web dev, game dev, mobile dev, AI / Machine learning, what else is there?

I found the video helpful. You describe every feeling that I have. I've decided that it wasn't about raw intelligence, raw strength or raw power. It's about heart. It's about desire to push and to continue pushing when it hurts. It's ok to fail. It's ok to want to quit. It's not ok to give up on something that calls to you. It's not ok to settle for the lesser version of the person you want to be.

Hi! Just found your channel! Absolutely love it! thanks! :) Cheers from a NewBie;)

thanks for such amazing video great job

Loved it❤

Love your videos. Grew up in Vegas and I'm now studying programming at 37. Your story helps me when I feel like giving up.

Thank you so much for this video and for the advice & tips for "SELF TAUGHT PROGRAMMERS!" I’m 23 years old and started to teach myself 4 months ago and it can be overwhelming at times thinking about everything I have to learn before I can get a job.

I’ve been learning web dev for 1 year and 4 months. Still looking forward to landing my first job. Great video ❤

Thank you man

Loving the setup you have going on there.

welldone bro, same situation here, i know never give up

Hello Dorian, as always, I appreciate your genuine voice! By the way, may I request a topic for your next video? As a self-teaching aspiring programmer (started applying for jobs a few months ago), I've been having hard time with choosing what to learn next or focus after doing the fundamental front end development (HTML,CSS,JS,React) because there are SO many JS libraries and frameworks are out there and it seems like it's impossible to learn all these things before getting my first job. Long story short, can you please talk about choosing the right tools(meaning libraries or frameworks) while learning and looking for a job? Sorry for a long comment, hope I didn't make you tired already. Cheers :)

Everything you said is true to my life. It's really hard to learn on your own. Sometimes I feel like I'm fighting with myself. Fighting the mood of frustration, clumsy, why is it so hard? I'm stuck with tutorial hell. While learning and trying to code along with online lessons. I understand the concept. But when I started about doing my own project, I'm stuck. It was a really depressing feeling. I think I might be speeding myself too much. Should have taken more time. (I started study for about 4 months. I understand html css javascript.) Anyway, Thank you so much for your advice. It helped me a lot !!

I needed this video, I'm on month 4 of self studying and I'm struggling with javascript challenges. I keep telling myself my goal is to start applying to jobs after a year but I'm still hard on myself to learn everything quickly. I would go on but everything you say in this video I'm going through haha. Thanks for the tips

Great new content, Dorian. It inspires critical thought. You bring up some very important questions that many Americans don’t ask themselves. My parents came from communist Romania, and I know exactly what made America appealing back then, but it’s not the same America anymore. Many people say the American dream is dead. It never died. The people who loved and respected that dream died. The American dream was redefined over time, so people are pursuing the wrong dream. The original dream was originally about freedom-especially from religious persecution. Now, the dream is freedom at a cost-the cost of your time and physical/mental health. We became too dependent on government, and now we can’t even feed ourselves without them. We’re seeing the first steps of an impending food supply shortage and the country is divided. I wonder who will be allowed to eat first, or at all. My parents waited in lines in freezing temperatures just to get a loaf of bread for their entire families when they were kids. Once the food was gone for the day, that was it. This is called food rationing. Is there anyone here that believes America is beyond this concept? Of course it is-but only for those who decide to put government before themselves. If they don’t, they must not want to be a part of this new society. Put them at the end of the line and let them fight amongst themselves about who is first at the tail end of society, says the government. We are slaves in this system, and many don’t even see that because they ALLOW us to keep a percentage of what we earn. Not only do they take from our paychecks, they take from our purchases, they collect on our homes, land, insurance, etc. The world is a casino. You get your chips, go to various tables-but at the end of the day when you cash out, the house always gets a share. You think you have big winnings? It’s only because the house took fractions from millions who participate. You depend on the money. They own the money. They own you. One day, they’ll decide how you should live your life and what you should/shouldn’t put in your body-or has that day already come?

Thankyou!

Thank you 🌟

Bro i connected with your video titled “how a loser like me…”. I’m turning 29 this year with a family of 5 and am always getting discouraged about pursuing web development, feeling like I’m going to be stuck in manufacturing till I retire cause that’s where all my experience has been, but you just proved that I’m being weak minded! I subscribed Immediately after watching your video haha. Im definitely gonna prioritize my time and apply myself to web development no more on and off BS making excuses for myself! Thank you!

Honesty level: 💯

Ok so its 00.30, i was watching your video bcs one of my friend recommended me. So this is the third video that i watched and its funny you use the same words that i tell my friends "code is concept and not syntax" and "this is a marathon not a sprint". Like for me that im taking a career switching transition and i have the possibility to go to bootcamps and still struglee but deep i believe everything that you say is true. Even the video to watch out for the bootcamp 100% true and I am in one of the best in Europe bootcamp :) Soo keep going brother much love

This was a great video to listen to... I've been learning how to code off and on because I work two jobs (around 45-60 hours a week). Currently going into a web developer path (HTML/CSS/JavaScript/PHP) because I heard it was the easiest to get into. I've always questioned myself on why I'm doing this and my family is so stuck on the traditions of college and asking me why I'm not going back to college. It's frustrating, it really is... And at the end of the day, I keep asking myself if self-teaching is really worth it.

thanks for the tips

Very True.

I'm 7 months in and almost over with my JavaScript basics after html and css and fucking hell!! Is hard! That logic haven't fully clicked yet... I'm not quitting that's for sure! But is dark at times that's for sure!! Love from Barcelona!

This video is so helpful

thanks man

I'm Charles from Nigeria All you've said is true i'm actually attesting from experience, tried and slipped alot... I mean i really appreciate this push ahead advice...

Thanks

"Don't be so hard on yourself." The advice given here was touching

When writing you own code at the beginning, don’t try anything fancy just copy paste the tutorial, type what the instructor or the book is doing, and just try to modify a few micro-elements, like oh let me rename that variable, let me change the value, let me try to do it again in a different order, just start small, and the more you follow the tutorial that way, the more you’ll find yourself modifying more and more until eventually you’ll have enough confidence in your knowledge to write very small programs on your own, and at that point you just have to grind exercise over and over again. The language doesn’t matter, pick what you want, at first you just want to understand the logic behind programming the syntax is the easy part, think of it like writing skills, if your a decent author in English the barrier of entry to become a great writer in French is a lot lower than knowing both languages but not being able to tell compelling stories. Same with programming.

Your background and foreground lighting setups are fire around 55 seconds in 👍 In regards to your tips, I think you pointed out a gaping hole in the coding industry: the vast majority of learning aids on RU-vid, Udemy, etc., are tutorials. They show beginners how to perfectly code a project without commenting out the major steps, commenting the smaller key steps, not hitting mental snags, and not pulling up the documentation or googling the problem or preferred solution. Tutorials are mostly complete fiction and great-tasting garbage for beginners. Why else would the industry have coined the phrase you pointed out: Tutorial Hell

I'm watching your video very long i was thinking I subscribed but i totally forget it.. now ill and thank you for the beautiful content

I remember tutorial hell from when I worked with audio. It was shit, hours of watching video and not doing music. Great suggestion as to something to be avoided

Whats your gear? I feel like I have seen that keyboard and mouse many times but don't know the exact models. How do you like em?

during learning DSA I struggled lot and used to think I am not good enough thanks brother love from india

I’ll give you all the likes. Thank you for the inspiration and also saving me money 😂

From Johnny Sins to Johnny Saints, you are my inspiration Sir.

In college I developed text based emotion detection system with help of stack overflow and Google. Felt like a imposter, years later left it. Now this November I picked it up.

Hi I’m teaching myself how to code learning html css and JavaScript. What do I need to do to get myself ready for a job. I need to make a web page profile and don’t know where to start. I love your videos and they help a lot

Hey Dorian I want to take the journey to start learning coding but I guess im a little bit hesitant given the current wave of other coders trying to get hired. Is this info still applicable today??

Dorian, thank you. Also...what are those square lights on either side of your workstation used for?

A book that helped me a lot is atomic habits. Changed my life. Let's all continue to turn up every day my fellow humans.

When I very first started I kept having videos say “learn to code by doing” followed by a 30 minute video talking about how to do so How do I just start coding? WhTs a text editor What will it make? Do I use my command terminal? How do I open a text editor and turn my code into something I can see.

after a frustrating time with ? ( i mean if else is so much more straightforward). this gives me a second wind to tackle concepts that i feel i should understand easily but am totally struggling with.

I did some HTML and CSS on freecodecamp,I forgot everything. I do have a CS degree but didnt learn a thing from there.

So many people need to hear this. Not a single video has been an L. Some people may not like what you have to say but good medicine is always bitter if you know what I mean

Ive been back and forth for four years still trying to build project feels like stuck in a big loop

really helpful ty Dorian. But I have a question that is not related to this Topic: Do you think listening to an audiobook the same as reading 😅

What is the best way to practice JavaScript after finishing tutorial??

Any idea what kind of math is required for web development?

9:10 i like this one

Need to learn. I'm a beginner don't know anything on this but I want to learn. I can't afford a bootcamp now.. Teach me Dorian

I'm from England. Love learning to code even studying right now thanks to this channel. I am working my way through html CSS and sass at the minute then onto JScript. My friends tell me in my country do itil4 comptia a and n plus to get a job because there isn't the opportunity like there is in America I don't know if it's true but I hope not :(

I'm 4036 years old and I just got my first dev job

coding bootcamps are they worth it ? (in uk I think im able to get it free funded by my government).

Are the professional certicates from google, IBM are accepted for visa instead of a CS degree? For software engineer job

Hi Dorian, Interesting advice. You said if you wanted to become a game developer. Instead of becoming a web developer and afterwards becoming a game developer, it would be much harder since you would be established already as a web developer. Instead go straight into game development and that it would be easier. You mentioned in the video. I find it interesting that you said this, because I've been thinking about this the whole time becoming a mobile Developer. But I keep on hearing that there aren't that many jobs for mobile and its hard to find work in this industry in comparison to web development. So, to be honest I am scared to go straight into mobile because I don't want to fail. I want my dream to become a reality. Since the beginning I've been aiming for web development. But I figured within the 4th month of my self taught studies I came up with the idea that since I am learning JavaScript and you can make websites as well as mobile apps why not aim for both? Is it possible to aim for both Web Development and MobiIe? You got React for web development and you got React Native for Mobile. The only question is, is there a market for mobile development in NYC for React-Native developers? I need to google this. But does it sounds realistic from your professional opinion? Or should I just go straight into mobile? I would value your opinion and a different perspective, thanks buddy I appreciate you reading my long rant.

Learning to program may take a lot of time for one reason, and the reason is, you are not focused on what you want to do but just follow other people's ideas. If you focus on what you want to build, you will choose your technologies and focus on them. Once you know what to use it is just a matter of time before you become good at them and build what you want. The result is a function of put in time and effort then. On the other hand if you do not know, what you want to build, just drift with others, they will take you in all sort of directions and you will master nothing while wasting a lot of time. In conclusion. Choose what you want to build and focus on the project. Repeat a few times and you are ready to roll professionally. If you do not know where to start, look for a framework you like and build a module for it, can be a blog, a subscription module, a user management module or something similar. In any case, make sure you are doing something you can reuse in the future. If you can't reuse what you built, you wasted your time and gained little knowledge. The whole point of programming is building once and reusing what you have built. Programming is fun when you build now things, and a boring chore when you have to do what you have done over and over again. At some point on the journey, once you have built some modules for this or that framework, you should be able to say ok, I'm good enough and have enough of my code to start rolling my independent business. Supplement with code from github or similar service and start delivering real products, as good ones as you can. This is the time when you life is no longer in the hands of your employer but in your own. You are ready to swim. Get yourself an insurance and start working on your own.

this nigga be spitting

Had my first coding interview two weeks ago and still no response from them... Haven't coded since then :(

how old are you?

Reminder, guys. Advice is free. Work is expensive.