Learning to learn...

[invision]

Hi,

I'm a Web Developer doing CSS/XHTML with PHP/MySQL and ASP. I'm ok with these, but could be better.

Problem is I don't put aside enough time to practice or learn more about them, which I really should, to become better at what I enjoy.
It's a strange psychological thing I have. I'll write a list of projects I want to do with each language. I'll start putting together a basic script in (e.g.) PHP and if one thing goes wrong, I'll switch off the computer and leave the room.

I'm almost too scared to switch on the computer at times, because I'll let my mind wander and worry if I'm any good at all.
Think I've lost some confidence in my own abilities. It's mad as my web-inclined friends seem to think I'm good.

Does anyone else have this?

I'm sure I'm over-analyzing and I just need to learn to make mistakes, get on with it and have patience, and in the end I'll be better at what I do.
But I seem to spend too much time looking around the net, thinking about how other guys are so good at web dev, and I'm poor.

Am I wasting time thinking, when I should get over any fears and just learn?


Thanks for any comments.

[scragar]

OK, first and most importantly don't give up, if you run into a problem the longer that problem holds you back the greater the "boy am I glad I managed to solve that"=>"I'm going to run though the streets naked shouting eureka" euphoria get's when you finaly do solve it, and it's one of the greatest things programming of any kind has to offer, revel in it.

The second is that rather than giving up you should post on these forums with your problem, explaining it as best as you can with the code you are using and ASK FOR HELP. Getting something solved for you don't offer quite the same boost to your confidence as solving it yourself, but you will learn a lot more asking someone else than trying to solve everything on your own, and the more you know the better you will become at solving your own problems in future.

[Yelgnidroc]

At the end of the day something will go wrong sooner or later - but i) What's the worst that could happen and ii) chances are you'll be able to deal with it either on your own or with help from the people on this and other forums.

You need to view problems are challenges that will not beat you - you have the ability and determination to beat them.

I'm happier dealing with problems (challenges) and I can almost stay up all night trying to sort something out.

Just keep at it, you're learning all the time from your mistakes and getting better as a result.

There are not that many people out there that are really good, but with perseverance and determination almost anyone can be amongst the best.

Yes, get over your fears, fear only exists in the mind. Always think "what's the worst that can happen" - which is not going to be that bad 9 times out of 10.

[Declan1991]

"Whether you believe you can or you can't, you're always right", is very true. It's not easy to believe in yourself if you've begun to doubt yourself, but the first step is always the hardest. There is nothing stopping you from improving except lack of confidence. You'll have to decide how to build up confidence again, it might be through practice, through helping others at these forums, or it could be simply taking a break from web development for a short while.

Anyway, I hope you decide to stick with web development, and I hope I can help you if you ever have JavaScript problems.

[invision]

Many thanks for your comments, they've been invaluable.

I think I'm going to take a break for a bit, but also try to help out others here.

I feel my main problems are rushing things too much (to please others) and then not taking the time to learn or practice new skills. I've got good skills, but I want to make them better - I'm sure doing so will make me more confident.

I hope to take on these problems/challenges over the coming months.

[savantcreative]

I commiserate with your situation and find myself in a similar spot except that I am trying to make the leap from static sites (HTML/CSS) to dynamic ones. I have been trying to learn PHP and MySQL but hit those walls where I can't see the BIG PICTURE. Can anyone suggest a good way to learn the ins and outs of dynamic web dev using PHP? I need to learn be examples instead of text books.

Thanks a million!

[Kryptonian]

The topic sounds a lot like me. I'm self-taught in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL. Started out as a hobby, and I'm working to turn it into a business. I agree that it is something that you have to defeat, rather than letting it defeat you. If you're always walking away when it gets difficult, what does that say about you? Not only that, but you'll come to the end of a period of time, and realize that you really haven't accomplished much. One of the conclusions I've come to is that you need accomplishments to keep you going. It takes a very disciplined person to persist over a long period of time without any feeling of accomplishment, this is why it's important to keep going through those tough times--you've got to get some momentum up, and it just doesn't do to be stuck on the same thing for an extended period of time.

I commiserate with your situation and find myself in a similar spot except that I am trying to make the leap from static sites (HTML/CSS) to dynamic ones. I have been trying to learn PHP and MySQL but hit those walls where I can't see the BIG PICTURE. Can anyone suggest a good way to learn the ins and outs of dynamic web dev using PHP? I need to learn be examples instead of text books.

Thanks a million!
Unfortunately I can't refer you to any good resource for learning PHP. I only learned using the help file, myself, together with my familiarity with programming in general. I think a little bit of concept can go a lot further than a lot of examples, often-times. What you may need is an understanding of the purpose of server-side scripting, together with that of databases. I would suggest that you look for a book that is heavy on concept. It will guide your understanding of any examples. Without a firm understanding of the why, the what can be difficult to tackle (and remember). Also, at the very least, install a MySQL server on your machine. Having my own Apache server, together with a MySQL server, running on my own machine has been a huge boon for testing, over the years.