One of the things about being a developer is that you’re never done learning. You might have a favorite language, or framework, or library, but in all likelihood you won’t be able to use those exclusively. You may love JavaScript, but the project you’re working on may demand Python. You may be great with Perl, but your company’s codebase may be in C++. To new developers, the idea of learning a new language can be very daunting, especially if there are deadlines hanging over your head. That’s the bad news. The good news is that learning a new language doesn’t have to be hard.

• learning
• programming

A few weeks ago we took a break from JavaScript to talk more generally about how to use a structured problem solving approach. This week, we’re going to depart even further from the norm and talk about learning specifically, what I call “lonely learning,” and why it’s an outdated method for new coders.

• learning
• programming

A common misconception about coders is that their job is to write code. OK, maybe that’s not totally wrong, but it fails to capture the essence of what a coder does, which is solve problems. Every day coders are confronted by myriad problems that need to be solved, whether it is sorting a set of data, transforming messy input into something organized, or figuring out when and how to return some value to a user. We spend all day solving problems, which is why problem solving is a skill worth practicing.

• learning
• programming

The Internet has democratized learning in a way that is unprecedented in human history. Never before have so many people had such easy access to such vast quantities of information. In the learning space, the Internet is second only to the printing press in its importance. This is a common perspective one hears about the revolutionary impact the Internet has had on learning. But what if there is more at play here?

• learning
• life

My journey in life is a good deal longer than my journey in code, and yet, I feel at times that my understanding of the latter exceeds my understanding of the former. Life and code are not the same thing--but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn something about the one from the other."

• learning
• life
• programming