You know that joy you feel when everything is going smooth, learning a new thing and it seems as though you were made for that thing, then boom everything starts falling apart then you say to yourself 'this tech thing is not for me'?, that is how my tech journey has always been (till now😔).
Just like any other thing in life, learning programming comes with various difficulties (for some of us)but unlike other things, the challenges come when you least expect them.
I have read numerous stories about how people were able to learn web development and get a good-paying job in under six months, I was so confident that it will be no difference for me, but alas, it does not work like that for everyone. Living in Nigeria, I already know electricity, data, and some miscellaneous challenge are inevitable.
What To Learn Next
Self-learning web development seems like the norm, but it is not an easy path. I came across different resources, video tutorials and the likes, studied most of them, understood the basics of web development, then confusion came in, what will I do with all the tutorials I have learnt?, what will I do next after this?. Yes, I can explain the concept but I can't implement them. There was no one to put me through, I just kept jumping from one tutorial to the other, until I explained my predicament to a friend who advised I joined a tech community where I will meet people that are more like mentors who will guide me, also meet people like me to know that I am not alone.
Am I Good Enough
Joining a tech community and following tech people on social networks reduced the tutorial purgatory, but it came with the feeling of not good enough or not learning right. I met people that are also newbies like me, but it seemed as though everything was in their favour. There are times we get to discuss then I realise they have gone far in learning, they know most things that I have no idea about, even the little I know, they understand better. All these led me to think I made a mistake in ever deciding to change my career path, I thought there was something I was doing wrong then I started rushing to learn everything they already know, I could implement the things I learnt following tutorials but I could not do it on my own outside tutorials.
I got hold of myself and realised that everyone's journey is different, it might seem like I was lagging but I knew I was improving every day and as they say "Trust the process".
I don't think I can do it
Not until I started my tech journey, did I learn about impostor syndrome. Someone sees what I have learnt so far and they give me a task to complete, first thing that comes to my mind is 'I cannot do it' when I eventually attempt it and I do it well, instead of feeling happy, I tell myself I was just lucky to get it. When people praise me concerning what I have learnt, I feel like I am taking someone else's glory.
There are days I feel great about what I can do, but most times I feel like a fraud. I have however come to realise that my brain is in awe about the incredible things I have done and can do 😄, and doubt if it is really me doing it. Most people in tech experience impostor syndrome and listening to them talk about it has eased my mind and I know I am not alone in the struggle.
I can do it
What I have learnt is that challenges will always surface, regardless of my learning phase, I just have to be stronger to overcome them. Furthermore, I still compare myself to other people but once I realise that I am drowning in that thought, I tell myself I AM DOING WELL, I see the progress no matter how little it seems. YES, it will keep getting better, I just have to TRUST THE PROCESS and always remember NOTHING GOOD COMES EASY.
You know the saying that goes thus: 'There is light at the end of the tunnel', tech journey has no end so you have to find a way to illuminate the tunnel.