I started coding out of a random ad for a HTML&CSS course. Thank you mind-reading ads - I didn't even know that coding is going to fit me like a glove. A glove without finger-holes. In the summer.

And because I love coding so much, I'm going to give you my do's and don'ts, that I wish I was aware of while doing all this...

In the first months

Yes: Get an Udemy course. Create a Twitter account. Do the #100daysOfCode challenge.
No: Get 10 Udemy courses. Be pressured by the #100DaysOfCode challenge.

I think that the first month was the one that decided I'm going to stick to coding and it was mainly because of the community I found on Twitter. Highly recommend to connect to as many devs you can. Just don't be weird about DM's and stuff.

People need to feel that they belong somewhere and that's why the #100DaysOfCode challenge has so much success. It's an amazing tool that will connect you to people around the globe which are on the same journey as you and you'll find that struggle, despair, and doubt are normal when learning something hard like coding.
You're not alone.

Pro-tip:

If you're picking up web development, don't limit yourself to HTML&CSS!
Add JavaScript or Python on your studying list.
Trust me, the sooner you start learning one of those, the better!

A couple of months later

Yes: Get a coding buddy. Do projects with them.
No: Cry over coding buddies.

Having a coding buddy is crucial to your dev life as you'll have to work in teams. There will be many people on the same level especially in the twitter dev community just make sure to reach out in a mindful way. The key aspect in this whole coding-buddy experience is not to cling on to one person and learn how to overcome the fails. You do get a lot of experience points when you fail though, so keep that in mind.

Pro-tip:
Some people struggle with self-confidence and the infamous impostor syndrome
JavaScript or Python will work the same whether your're feeling good about yourself or not. Getting out of that "I'm not good" mindset once in a while does wonders and you can do it with mindfulness or just writing down how you feel for 2-3 minutes a day.

A few good months later-er

Yes: Start to learn a second programming language. Give back to the community. Create your "Hello world" startup.
No: Not looking back on a regular basis to see how far you went!

Since programming concepts are more or less the same and it's mostly the syntax which is different, learning a second programming language is an eye opener and will definitely solidify the concepts you already knew.

There's tons of way to give back to the community. People are constantly asking questions and need help or guidance so go ahead and reply to the #codenewbie, #helpmecode or #100DaysOfCode questions.

What's a "Hello world" startup?

"Hello world" is the first thing that 99%* of the programmers wrote when they first coded and it probably generated the greatest feelings of accomplishment.

Now apply the "Hello world" concept to your personal journey and you'll find yourself starting up things. Start a weekly zoom meeting, a twitch stream of you solving codewars exercises, a youtube tutorial series or a blog.

These things aren't unique and most coders do them and you may ask yourself why to do something that's already over-done(is this a word?). Because in our times it's sensible that our actions should be in the benefit of others too and no matter your level, you can always teach or inspire someone. And ultimately because it's fun!

Yep, coding should be fun. If it isn't, stop and reconsider things.

Pro-tip:
No more pro tips, you're the pro now

*statistic that is purely fictional, created for the dramatic effect