Beginner Developer?

Here’s What You Should DO and NOT DO

Starting out in software development is exciting — but also overwhelming. With so many tools, languages, and opinions flying around, it’s easy to lose focus.

Here’s a quick guide I wish I had when I started:

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✅ DO’s:

🔹 Master the Fundamentals – Algorithms, data structures, OOP… don’t skip the basics.

🔹 Code Consistently – Practice daily. Small progress compounds fast.

🔹 Read Other People’s Code – It teaches structure, readability, and patterns.

🔹 Ask Questions – No one knows everything. Curiosity accelerates growth.

🔹 Use Git – Version control isn’t optional. Learn it early.

🔹 Build Real Projects – Nothing teaches like solving actual problems.

🔹 Learn to Debug – Debugging is half of development. Get good at it.

🔹 Write Clean Code – Code is for humans, not just machines.

🔹 Understand the Web – HTTP, APIs, frontend/backend — get a grasp of the ecosystem.

🔹 Rest & Reflect – Burnout kills creativity. Balance is key.

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❌ DON’Ts:

🚫 Don’t Learn Everything at Once – Depth > breadth in the beginning.

🚫 Don’t Copy-Paste Blindly – Understand what you write. Google is a tool, not a crutch.

🚫 Don’t Fear Mistakes – Bugs are lessons in disguise.

🚫 Don’t Ignore Soft Skills – Communicating well makes you 10x more effective.

🚫 Don’t Avoid Docs – Docs are your friend. Read them.

🚫 Don’t Skip Testing – Test early, test often.

🚫 Don’t Let Impostor Syndrome Win – Every developer has felt it. Keep pushing.

🚫 Don’t Reinvent the Wheel – Use libraries and tools wisely.

🚫 Don’t Overlook Code Reviews – Feedback = growth.

🚫 Don’t Fear Refactoring – Clean, improved code is always worth it.