Programming is more of an art than a technical Skill. Why? mainly because there are millions of programmers out there and not everyone is good at it. So, in order to become a great programmer, you will need to practice a few things which are mentioned below.

Few things to keep in mind before Starting:

1. Remind  yourself  how much to learn

As we all know that Programming is one of the most dynamic industries in the world. You just can’t rely on concepts that you have learned a few years back in your school or college.

You always need to learn new concepts and practice as much as possible.

So reminding yourself to keep learning will always help you in long run. This is something which can easily be found in a successful programmer.

2. Stop trying to prove yourself right everytime

In order to learn well and do well, you always need to stay humble. Yes, it’s right. Keep your ego aside while learning why? because only then you will be able to focus completely.

For example when you assume that you already know everything then your subconscious mind tends to ignore important and most basic things while learning. It also ruins your learning experience.

So it’s very important to stay humble while learning as it is the best way to keep yourself focused.

3. Read Code as much as you can

We always learn better by observing others. It’s a fact. So if you read other people’s code then you will have a great understanding of their coding skills.

The biggest example is solving a complex problem with a simple solution. Now, some of you must be thinking is it possible?. Then the answer is yes.

There are many ways to solve a problem. It can be solved by the way you thought fits best for it or it can be solved by the way other already solved by it. So reading other people’s code gives you the flexibility of thinking out of the box.

4. Practice Code

Practice makes perfect you must have heard about it. After learning perhaps the most important step is to practice code as much as you can. There is no sense to learn until you practice it.

By practice, you will learn better as doing this will provide you a very raw experience of what to do or what not to.

5. Learn techniques more than tools

Yes, people often waste time in learning tools. But if you already know about the techniques then learning tools will be a piece of cake for you.

It’s important to know about the techniques such as using which framework at what place. So investing there will benefit you the most.

The Basics

In order to become successful in something, you need to first nail the basics of it.

Similarly, if you want to become a successful programmer then you need to be aware of its basics first. By this, we mean that about the resources and text editors, not the use of a semicolon.

Resources

1. Teach Yourself Computer Science – It covers all the basic topics that a computer science student must be aware of. So if you don’t have any clue about computer science and programming then this might be a great start for you.
2. Github – Github is the world’s most leading software development platform. It’s a web-based hosting service for version control particularly using git. Not only that, but it also acts as a social media platform for programmers where they interact and share their problems and solutions of coding with each other.
3. BitBucket – BitBucket is another great resource and platform similar like Github. The only difference between Bitbucket and Github is that Bitbucket allows you to create private repositories whereas in Github you have to pay for this feature.

TextEditors

After knowing about the resources you must need to be familiar with the text editors.

Text editors are basically the softwares which are used to code for the other applications.

1. Sublime text 3 – Sublime text is one of the popular text editors in the world today. If you are into web development then you must have heard about it. It’s very reliable text editors which offer great performance and productivity and widely preferred by many experienced developers all across the globe.
2. Visual Studio Code – Visual Studio Code is another popular text editor or IDE in the world. It’s basically a software which lets you create software, applications and even websites for the internet. So if you are not into Sublime text then it must be good for you.
3. Notepad++ –  Notepad++ is the most basic code editor you will ever find online. It’s free and the first choice of every well-known developer. Why? mainly because every famous web developer has started from it. So if you think you also want to start from it then you must go for it.

Also Read – 5 Ways to Improve programming skills

Practice

After having the appropriate basic resources and text editors with you, all you need is to have the courage to start with. That’s it.

Below are some of the well-known learning Resources you can opt for your programming practice.

• w3schools.com – If you want to become a web developer then w3schools is perfect for you. This website has everything that you need to know as a web developer. It offers a great wide range of examples to learn and practice from. The best part about this website is that all the exercises and lessons are free of cost.
• Free Code Camp – The website free code camp justifies its name very well. It offers free coding classes with numerous examples and the simplest UI (User Interface). Free code camp is also the first preferred website resource by developers.
• Codecademy – The codecademy is among the popular online programming programs in the world. It offers the best resources to start from. It also has a live text editor right on the lesson page so you can practice while learning.
• Codescracker.com – Codecracker.com is one the most loved online learning platform on the internet today. It offers a wide range of popular programming languages to learn from and with absolutely no cost. Not only that the website also has many how to and computer tricks sections for best possible Computer science knowledge. So in our honest opinion if you want the best overall computer science knowledge in one place then you must try this website.
• Ruby Monk – Ruby Monk is just perfect for those who have interest in Ruby programming language. It offers very simple and straightforward courses for beginners.
• Code Wars – Despite the fancy name this website offers a very cool way to learn to code online. The best part of this website is that it really offers you to interact with others on everyday coding challenges.
• Udacity –  The reviews on this website is pretty Awesome. Many well-known developers refer to this website to start with. We personally have also observed that this website has everything to offer to a computer science student. So if you want the most reliable resource then we recommend you Udacity for this.

Books

Many people prefer learning from books only. So for that, we have mentioned below some of the best books to learn to programme from.

Important Note– You can purchase the books just by clicking on their names below.

1. Coders At work – The first in our list is Coders at work from Peter Seibel (a programmer turned writer). This book is packed with over with 15 accomplished interviews from programmers and computer scientists including Joshua Bloch, Peter Norvig, Donald Knuth, Ken Thomson, and Jamie Zawinski. Coders at Work gives an insight into what makes some of the greatest programmers great and how they think basically share their mindset. So in our opinion definitely a must read!.
2. Clean Code – A very well known book by developers. This book does justice with its title as well. Yes, we are talking about the book “Clean Code”. The book clearly offers best practices of writing clean code, and also presents increasingly challenging case studies. The best part about this books is that all the examples are given in Java programming language but is definitely applicable to nearly every programming language.
3. Cracking the Coding Interview – As you can very well judge by its name. This book is a very go-to option for most of the people. Why? mainly because it covers more than 150 Programming Questions and Solutions to crack the coding interviews. Reading this book will boost your confidence in the programming and you may also get a great job by this. So worth having it with you.
4. Programming Pearls – Have you ever heard about Old is Gold?. If yes then this book seems to be clearly proving that. Programming Pearls offers you with a deeper understanding of algorithms and algorithm design. So if you love solving problems on your own then this book will help you very much in that way.
5. The Pragmatic Programmer – Yes, this great book is also on our list. The chances of having it with you after a glance are high. The Pragmatic Programmer has a very vast collection of lessons and recommendations for software developers. So if you have a very keen interest in programming then you must give this a try.
6. Code Complete –  Code Complete is considered as the encyclopedia of programming. Why? because it has everything you need to know as a programmer. It’s very easy to understand and has a massive piece of literature of 900-pages, but each chapter is packed with suggestions and techniques to improve everyday programming and construct code that is readable and easier to manage. So keep this in mind.
7. Soft Skills – Last but definitely not the least on our list is Soft Skills. This book is known as the fun book for programmers. The reason behind this is very clear. Many programmers enjoy programming and this book makes programming more fun. The only hard part involves dealing with clients, peers, and managers, staying productive, achieving financial security and so on. It doesn’t offer any programming examples but enriches personal branding, blogging, learning, teaching, finances, and even fitness and relationships. It’s also titled as the life cycle of a software developer.