12 Tips to Become a Better Programmer

Becoming a good programmer is something that every computer science student wants. Students try to learn coding from the start of their college in order to become good programmers. You just have to start from the basics and then learn slowly, as codes are the building blocks for any program; therefore, it is necessary that you learn it step by step. Also, nowadays, technology has become the basis of almost every company, hence, it is important that you have the proper knowledge. This also helps when you get good career opportunities and get placed in the company that you want. 

Talking about the advantages of becoming a good programmer, we'll talk about the 12 tips you need to have in order to become a better programmer. These tips will definitely help you to grow in your career and make you a better programmer. 

Strategies to Enhance Your Programming Skills

Here are some tips that you should follow while in college in order to become a good programmer in college:

1. Learn a programming language, preferably C++ or Java. The advantage of C++ is, you get a lot of help in college (from seniors, teachers, etc). The advantage of Java is, it is still the most used language in the industry. Also, Java reports many issues in the compilation. For example, an issue like missing one = "if (x = y)" might waste your time in C++, but the Java compiler is going to report the issue in the compilation.

2. If you are programming in C++, learn C++ STL. If you are programming in Java, learn the main Java Collection. The idea should be to solve problems using readily available containers, like unordered_set in C++ STL and HashSet in Java if we are solving hashing set questions.

3. Keep practicing and keep learning. Pick a problem, and try to solve it yourself. don't give up. Discuss with your friends/seniors. Good coders among your seniors are the best people to guide you. If you feel like your whole day is being wasted on a single problem, don't give up, learn a standard algorithm from GeeksforGeeks or Wikipedia.

4. It is not recommended to see the code written by someone else initially. We can take a look at the algorithm if we are getting no clue. Implement yourself (any solution, even brute force), once you implement, then see the solution written by some experts.

5. If you are regularly getting stuck, solve lower-level problems for some time and spend more time learning standard data structures and algorithms.

6. If you are among the best coders in your college, teach your juniors through coding clubs, live classes, WhatsApp groups, etc. A teacher learns the most out of a session.

7. Try to work with other coders or developers too in order to gain knowledge. You can also clear your doubts too and make it an interactive session. Apart from that, you can also contribute to an open-source project or join a programming user group and interact with other people.

8. Focus on learning techniques rather than just focusing on tools and methodologies as they come and go. But the techniques are something that will remain for a long time and can be used while learning more programming languages and frameworks. Also, focus on the fundamentals of programming because the basic always remains the same.

9. For becoming a good programmer it is important that you read a lot of codes and solve them equally. So that while you pass out your college you have practiced an ample amount of codes and can solve almost every coding question.

10. Focus on the quality and performance of the code and do not stick to the mentality that if the code is running properly then it is fine but also focus on the functionality of the code.

11. Always test your code like a user as it will help you to discover flaws. You must try to give the finest code to the user out there as it is the best approach for becoming a good programmer. 

12. Last but not least you can also register yourself with some programming courses in order to enhance your technical as well as coding skills.

Common Mistakes Beginner Programmers Make

1. Copy-pasting code without understanding: Many beginners copy code from the internet just to make things work. This may help short-term but stops you from actually learning. Always try to understand what the code is doing.

2. Not writing comments or clean code: Writing code that works is great, but if it’s messy or hard to read, even you won’t understand it later. Add simple comments and keep your code neat and organized.

3. Giving up too soon on problems: Programming can be frustrating. Some bugs or problems might take hours to solve. Don’t give up easily—debugging and problem-solving are key skills every good programmer has.

4. Skipping fundamentals: Jumping into advanced stuff without knowing the basics leads to confusion. Make sure your foundations—like loops, conditions, functions, and data structures—are strong.

These small mistakes can slow your growth. Avoiding them will help you learn better and become a confident coder.

Conclusion

Becoming a good programmer doesn’t happen overnight—it takes consistent practice, patience, and a strong foundation in basics. By choosing the right language, solving problems on your own, learning data structures, collaborating with others, and focusing on writing clean, efficient code, you can improve steadily. Remember, learning never stops—keep exploring, testing, and growing your skills. With the right mindset and effort, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a skilled and confident programmer.

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