r/learnprogramming

Hey guys! I have been self-learning python for a while currently I just started learning pandas(scikit-learn/matplotlib next) doing good so far but what's bothering me is CAN I GET A JOB after I finish learning and having built a portfolio of projects? I come from healthcare and thinking about transitioning into a tech role that's also healthcare related IF POSSIBLE, I heard Subject Matter Expertise (SME) is somewhat important but not sure if it's enough to get me job while not being originally a tech graduate. There's also M.sc degrees in digital health or health informatics which explicitly say they accept tech grads and health professionals ( certain degrees require a bridge course tho) but still I don't have knowledge or experience for me to be sure that these will be viable to go through the HR requirements in tech roles. So what do you guys think is getting a job possible for someone like me if yes, should I just stick to self-learning or go for a M.sc (or even both)?

PS: I like helping people through my job but being constantly entangled with patients problems and other healthcare professionals in my clinic is getting tyring for an introvert like me hence trying to do smth different while still utilising my expertise. Also I am based in Europe (Germany).

Asking this a little carefully because i know this sub has a hard line on certain tools, and honestly i get why. What im more anxious about is the beginner version of the same problem: grabbing autocomplete, snippets, boilerplates, starter repos, or tutorial code so fast that you can make stuff work and then cant explain what you wrote the next day

When i was starting, the most dangerous feeling wasnt being stuck. It was getting unstuck too fast. If i spent 45 minutes fighting some JavaScript bug, i usually remembered the lesson. If i pasted something from a snippet site and moved on in 2 minutes, it felt productive for a second, then the same idea would show up wearing a fake mustache and id freeze because i never actually learned it

My take rn is pretty blunt: help is fine, speed is fine, but if youre regularly accepting code you cant recreate from memory or explain line by line, youre borrowing confidence on credit. Beginners definately pay for that later. The stuff that made me improve was slower and more annoying, rewriting examples without looking, deleting working code and rebuilding it, forcing myself to predict output before running it, keeping projects small enough that i couldnt hide behind complexity. Annoying. But useful

For people who got thru the early phase without turning every roadblock into a copy-paste moment, what guardrails did you use? Not generic "practice more" advice, i mean actual habits that made you confront your own understanding instead of outsourcing it

Anyone who has read Eric’s Python Crash Course has done the “Try It Yourself” exercises — and I’m no different. The only mistake I made was putting every file into one folder, but thankfully I used the exact names from the exercises. Now I want to organize it, but I’m sure it’s going to take hours. If anyone has had the same experience, what did you do, and can you give me some tips?

At one point, I was on top of my work last year. But then I stopped for a day, and it went downhill.

My exam is at the end of April, and I don't even remember what a while loop is.

My language is C, and I'm a 1st year ICT student.

I’ve been exploring different learning paths for web dev and I’m starting to realize I enjoy backend stuff way more than frontend.

Things like working with APIs, databases, CLI tools and just understanding how systems work behind the scenes feel way more interesting than UI/design.

The problem is most beginner friendly platforms seem to lean heavily into frontend or full-stack with a big UI focus.

What I’m looking for is something that:

- focuses more on backend fundamentals

- includes hands on coding (not just watching videos)

- covers things like Linux, Git, APIs, databases

- has some structure so I don’t feel lost

Not necessarily looking for a super intense fulltime bootcamp, just something practical where you actually build things and understand what’s going on.

For people who went down the backend path, what worked for you?

I'm making a media downloading tool using python, but i feel like the code isnt that readable and could be better

Here is the Github repo

https://github.com/Aronas2011/Media-Downloader/tree/main

Say you have yoursite.com/products

CDN caches it. Redis caches the database results. This URL becomes a 'hot' URL for the CDN cache.

When you or other users visit yoursite.com/products, do API requests still happen or do the API results not get called and the API results automatically gets returemd by the CDN?

I learned a bit of coding in high school and remember quite enjoying it. (not that I remember how to do it cuz I’ve blinked since then)

All of the previously free courses and programs I used to use are paid subscriptions now and I’m not in a financial position to be able to afford any of them. ($20-$30 min)

My autistic younger brother and I really want to learn. Does anyone know a way to get into learning that isn’t blocked behind a paywall?

Hi everyone,

I am a complete beginner in programming and I have no experience at all.

I really want to learn coding, but I feel confused about where to start.

I see a lot of advice like:

• don’t watch too many tutorials
• build projects
• google things

But my problem is I don’t even know what to search sometimes.

Recently I also came across a platform called Runable, where people share ideas and help each other while building projects. It looked interesting, but I’m not sure if it’s good for beginners or not.

Right now I am thinking to start with a small project like a counter app. But I still have doubts:

• which language should I choose?
• should I follow tutorials or not?
• how to practice properly?

I don’t want to waste time or get stuck in tutorial hell.

If you were starting again as a beginner, what steps would you follow?

Thanks for your help 🙏

I've always thought that if Interpreters and Compilers are Program itself then how was the first one Created?

and also how can a compiler be written in the same Language it compiles?

Hi, I have been using VSCode for a while but I am tempted to try PyCharm, what are the pros/cons of both? I mostly do Python stuff…

I’ll be starting a Junior Full Stack Developer position soon, working with a .NET + Angular stack, and I want to make sure I’m as prepared as possible before my first day.

I already have some experience with Angular and backend development, but I still feel like there’s a lot I don’t know yet. I’d like to build more confidence and make sure I have a solid foundation going in.

For those of you who started in a similar role:

• What would you recommend focusing on before starting?
• Are there specific concepts, tools, or patterns in .NET or Angular that are especially important for a junior?
• Any tips on how to prepare in a practical way (projects, exercises, etc.)?

I’m not trying to know everything beforehand, just want to feel more confident and ready to learn quickly once I start.

Coding Skills

Hi everyone,
I’m an undergrad majoring in Computer Science and this is my first time getting into research. I’d really appreciate some advice.

My supervisor suggested that I explore the area of code translation (translating code between programming languages). I’ve read a few papers and have a basic understanding, but I’m still struggling to connect the dots because the field feels very broad — ranging from rule-based approaches to traditional ML and now LLMs, as well as different levels like function-level vs repo-level translation.

I also don’t have much experience benchmarking AI models yet (I’ve mainly worked on agent systems before). It seems like performance without AI/LLMs is quite limited, so I’m wondering if getting up to speed in this area would take a lot of time.

I have a few questions:

• How should I narrow down the scope when starting in this field?
• Are there any recommended directions or subtopics for beginners?
• How do you usually extract research ideas from reading papers?

For now, I plan to continue reading more papers, but I’d really appreciate any guidance or suggestions from people with experience in this area.

Hey everyone,

I’m a Computer Science student from Bangladesh currently looking to land my first remote job (internship, part-time, or freelance).

I already have an understanding of data structures and algorithms, and currently I’m learning databases (SQL, design, etc.) and have plans to dive into ML. I’ve also worked with C, C++, Java, and Python in university courses.

I feel like I have some of the fundamentals, but I’m not sure how to turn that into an actual remote opportunity.

Some things I’d really appreciate advice on:

• What type of roles should I realistically target at this stage?
• How do you compete when you don’t have prior work experience?
• What skills should I focus on first?
• How important are projects, and what kind of projects actually help?
• Where do you guys usually find legit remote opportunities (internships, freelance, part-time)? And how do I actually search for them?
• Any tips for standing out with no real job experience yet?

I’m willing to put in serious effort and build whatever is needed — just looking for the right direction.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been invited to take a 120-minute coding assessment for an Associate Software Engineer role at Zorvyn, and I wanted to ask if anyone here has recently gone through their test.

Would really appreciate insights on:

• Which DSA topics are most commonly asked?
• Difficulty level (Easy/Medium/Hard)?
• Type of questions (Arrays, Strings, Hashing, etc.)?
• Any MCQs or only coding?
• Platform used (HackerRank, Codility, etc.)?

Also, if you remember any sample or similar questions, that would be super helpful 🙏

Hey gyus, i am a complete beginner and i know nothing about coding and i want to learn it, what should i do??

Hi everyone,

I’ve been learning about API security recently and came across some common vulnerabilities that developers should be aware of.

From what I understand, some important ones are:

- Broken object level authorization (BOLA)

- Broken authentication

- Excessive data exposure

- Lack of rate limiting

I’m trying to understand how these actually impact real-world applications.

What vulnerabilities do you think beginners should focus on first?

Also, I wrote a small guide summarizing these while learning. If anyone is interested, I can share it.

Thanks!

so im currently a SFMC email specialist but my end goal is to become an engagement developer.

I dont know any programming or code languages to get me to that point. does anyone know where I should start and whats good to already have under my belt?

I also want to be able to make my own APIs