The Fastest Way To Become A Great Coder
Coding is hard, and learning can be slow. But what if I told you there's a cheat code? What if I told you there's something you can do every day that will fast-track your progress?
If you want to level up fast, then I highly recommend you start contributing on GitHub. Doing this has 4 benefits:
- Reading other people's source code teaches you how good programmers structure their programs.
- Sending pull requests and having your code reviewed teaches you how to collaborate with other programmers.
- Your public contributions build you connections and a personal brand over time.
- You learn the basics of Git version control. Basically every software company uses version control, with Git being the most popular.
Why This Is Important
Contributing on GitHub teaches you important skills for the actual job. It's hard to succeed as a programmer if you don't know how to work in a rapidly-changing codebase with others. On the other hand, if you have lots of experience in this aspect, it makes the job much easier.
GitHub has a very low barrier to entry, lower than any other way of improving programming skills (vs. a paid course or university degree, though this isn't a replacement for either). After all, it's free to make an account, free to host code, and the home page algorithm is a simple chronological feed, so it's easier to gain visibility than on social media.
Getting exposure for your work on the Internet is critical to stand out in a hyper-competitive field. There are so many programmers out there. But not all of them are being proactive and putting work out there. Be the one who went the extra mile.
Why This Is The Fastest Way To Get Good
You can take all the coding courses you want, but nothing will teach you more than actually putting some code out there and getting real feedback on it. Every coder had bad habits at some point. Having someone point these mistakes out in a code review will help you remember to never make them again. Plus, you'll memorize the most important Git commands along the way.
Also, some aspects of being a software engineer can't be practiced alone. Collaboration is a critical skill, especially if you work at a big company with many teams. While contributing to a GitHub repository isn't the same as having a coworker, it will teach you the fundamental skills necessary to build software with others.
And when it comes to making connections, letting GitHub's home page algorithm do the work for you is way more efficient than trying to network through LinkedIn or other sites. Building a track record as someone who makes meaningful contributions, for reasons besides just personal gain, opens doors to opportunities.
How To Get Started On GitHub
- Create an account.
- Get the free GitHub Student Developer Pack This includes coupons and discounts on cloud hosting and other developer services.
- Fill in some basic information on your profile. I recommend adding your name and a brief bio, also you can pin a README repository that explains your history as a developer.
How To Find Projects To Contribute To
- On GitHub, search for languages or topics you're interested in. There over 352 million repositories... I'll sure you'll find something interesting.
- Check for recent activity. The most active projects usually have a pull request within the last few weeks. It sucks to spend time writing a pull request, only for the project to be dead.
How To Understand Other People's Code
- Read the README and CONTRIBUTING.md files in the repository, if any exist. You might also find documentation in a docs/ directory, or a directory named .github/.
- Look for examples and unit tests to understand how the code is used.
- Skim the actual code by reading the comments first.
- Then, read the code to understand how other programmers are doing things.
How To Send A Pull Request
- Check issues for something to do. Look for a "good first issue" label if you're looking for a small task to get used to the codebase.
- Optional: Declare your intent to work on it, explain your plan briefly (bullet points).
- Fork the repository
- Make your changes (test them properly).
- Start a pull request.
- Accept feedback graciously.
- Celebrate your first PR. Your profile will forever be in the "contributors" section of the repository's homepage!
Conclusion
The best way to accelerate your programming progress is to contribute to other people's projects. In addition to the skills you will gain from your time using GitHub, you will also build real connections over time. And it's free, so there's no reason to not start contributing if you're serious about code.
I hope you enjoyed this article. From now on, I'll publish a new Coding for Zoomers email article every Monday and Thursday.
If you’re crazy about coding, let’s chat on Discord:
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