

Ask HN - Dropped out of college, how do I rediscover learning code - therofler

I&#x27;ve recently dropped out of college as I simply felt like I wasn&#x27;t learning anything whilst being there, and that I hated it. I am now completely demotivated but I love the idea of being able to code. I also have a ton of projects I have always wanted to build.<p>I would love some advice on whats the best way for me to motivate myself, and whats the best way for me to rediscover the enjoyment of learning code.
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fiblye
I found that the easiest thing to work on that gives you a feeling of constant
progress while also forcing you to learn a vast array of skills is game
development. Making games requires you to learn about data structures,
algorithms, optimization, and providing a good user experience all while
making something that's enjoyable for yourself. Even if you don't ever plan on
making games in the future, the process makes you seek out new knowledge and
better methods of implementing everything, plus it also gives you the chance
to work with a bunch of different areas of design (UI, controls, AI, possibly
networking, graphics/shaders, and loads else), so you might find one subject
you like more than the others and discover your specialty.

As for motivation, that's unfortunately something that you have to find for
yourself. Once you start working on a satisfying project, you won't want to
stop. The hard part is finding something that's satisfying.

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hpvic03
Everyone is hiring right now, there is a shortage of good devs, and many
companies don't care if you have a degree or not. Pick a language and/or
framework and start working on a portfolio. You will get better each time you
build something new.

I don't know about other communities, but Ruby/Rails is particularly hot right
now.

Also, some companies hire junior devs who specifically haven't had a job
coding before.

Just get at it and start building stuff. You'll learn faster than you might
imagine.

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mtdewcmu
A tried and true method to create motivation to learn something is to sign up
for a class that you'll get a grade in. You can take college courses without
being in a degree program. Otherwise, I have no idea. I was internally
motivated when I learned to code, way back when I was a child. It's harder to
summon that kind of motivation if you haven't had it already by the time
you're an adult.

~~~
Grokit
I think it depends on the person. I find courses totally demotivating. Even if
I'm very interested in the subject before taking a course, I immediately lose
interest once it's something I'm graded on like that, with the direction
decided by an instructor.

~~~
mtdewcmu
But you're motivated to get to the end, aren't you? If not, you must have had
a hard time in school.

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sauravt
here's my 0.02$

Try working on some interesting projects, and make sure you finish them, not
mattter how much time it takes (given that they are technically possible)

Also since you're dropping out, things are going to change

\+ Working outside of an organised routine like college with less or no
deadlines and exams and staying productive is going to be very difficult, so
prepare for it in advance.

\+ Organise everything, I would also like to throw in self quantisation here,
try it out for some time.

\+ The burden to prove your mettle in the eyes of your peers and keeping upto
family expectations is also going to create some pressure

\+ Doing all this alone could be difficult, so find someone to code with.

\+ I guess you already know this, but learn by creating things, and keep
building your portfolio. Even if you have a startup in mind, you should keep
working on side projects to build the portfolio just as a backup.

\+ Stay motivated (Easier said than done)

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ksikka
Take on a tough programming project related to one of your hobbies. Have big
dreams but start small.

