Productivity tips and tools for new developers
Take notes as you learn
Though it may seem basic, taking notes is a very useful way to remember important concepts you may forget. In my personal experience, I've learned that taking notes and reviewing them after a study sesh helps me solidify everything I just learned. Make sure not to make your notes too wordy and write down the most important points. A tool I like to use to take my notes on Windows is Microsoft OneNote because of its simple interface and ease of use. There are other sites like Evernote and the notes app if you’re on Mac.
Make sure to take advantage of plugins in your IDE or text editor
Using plugins is a great way to improve productivity while coding. There are many plugins online that help you do some of the repetitive tasks like setting up your index page in HTML to giving you a live view of what you’re working on within a dedicated browser. A good example of this is the Emmet plugin in Visual Studio Code which automatically completes the whole suggestion instead of just a single word when you enter the Emmet abbreviation.
These are powerful tools and this one only barely scratches the surface of just how many things you can do with plugins.
Documentation is your friend
Documentation sites may seem daunting to a beginner programmer at first glance but you quickly realize that it is an incredibly useful tool that improves the workflow when used correctly.
This is especially important because new developers will try to cram everything about the language when all you need is just an understanding of the concept so you can refer back to your notes or docs to help you implement it into your code.
Some useful sites to find various documentation on different languages you might be using are:
These are sites I use personally for web development and they are a great help when you don't remember the particular syntax for a function or other questions that may arise. They can also help with useful features you might not know about and they do a good job of staying up to date with any latest updates to the language.
Lastly, remember to take breaks and EXERCISE
It's easy to get carried away when you see just how much you have to learn once getting into a new programming language. I struggled with this myself, staying up late nights trying to learn as much as I can but getting nowhere and only burning myself out in the end. You have to remember that coding is a marathon, not a sprint. Meaning, keeping a steady pace that you’re comfortable with instead of burning all your energy in the first few laps will greatly help you in terms of learning and productivity. Speaking of running, don't forget to exercise regularly. As a programmer/developer, you are spending a lot of time sitting down in one spot with occasional stretches but you should make it a goal to at least go for a walk or jog every day for your health.
