Expectation vs. Reality
Today I'll be sharing my expectations before I start programming and what it feels like after I experienced it. For starters, there are so many expectations I've been on that made me get more into programming. I know some of this will be relatable to some of you, and you will find it funny somehow.
1. All you have to do is type some memorized lines
This was one of my most prominent beliefs about programming before I even started. Most TV shows and Movies portray some tech guys smashing the keyboard randomly and suddenly creating some cool stuff. As a naive kid, I was amazed by all of those shows that eventually drove me to pursue this path.
After entering the field, I learned how much of a laughable idea this thought is. As a beginner, I was already having difficulty implementing simple features in my code; writing programs challenge the logic within yourself to the point that you'll doubt your validity (insert impostor syndrome).
2. Programmers know everything on top of their heads
Initially, I thought programmers memorized all the syntax for every language, and they could magically recall all of it while coding (Maybe I just watched too many TV shows). As a self-taught, no one told me when I started that I don't have to worry about looking up for stuff. I even thought that I was cheating whenever I google up things. Thankfully, I've come across some articles and videos telling me the reality about this topic is that it is okay to look up something you forget. It is not required to recall everything magically. Whenever I code, I always have documentation open to serve as a reference whenever I forget something.
So if you're a beginner thinking that being a programmer means we all know everything, no, we don't; we always use to look up references whenever we forget something. I even think that being a good googler makes you a better developer.
3. No BUGS
As an average person with no experience with programming, I assumed that whenever programmers write code, they can always make it run how they want it to be; little did I know there exist these things called bugs that'll make my mental health a decline. Nobody informed me about bugs that will consume most of your time in software development.
These bugs are so annoying that they'll appear very unexpectedly. In one of my client presentations, I'm so proud to present a new feature I recently implemented; while I was trying to demo the new feature to the client, the program worked unexpectedly on how I intended it to behave. I have no idea why it happened that I even wanted to hide my face because of embarrassment. (Please test your code before presenting it)
4. Working Solo
From my perspective as a non-tech guy, I thought that programming was the best choice for introverts; little did I know it was the complete opposite. I never knew it was a team effort since I assumed that all you have to do is interact with a computer and write a program solo. There was so much in this field that working solo was inefficient and time-consuming.
Different roles in a software development life cycle take charge of functionalities to ensure the production of quality software. You have to constantly communicate with the clients and co-workers to deliver the software so everyone will be satisfied.
Summing up
Getting myself into the industry made me clear all these expectations; it makes me laugh whenever I recall these assumptions/expectations. Programming will always be constant learning that learning will debunk some beliefs eventually.