Many aspiring programmers have experienced the frustration of being trapped in “tutorial hell.” They find themselves constantly following along with video tutorials, absorbing new concepts but lacking the confidence or understanding to embark on their own projects. I, too, faced this challenge until I discovered an approach that helped transition from following along to building my own programs. Here’s how it happened:

1. The Tutorial Hell Struggle: For multiple years, I found myself trapped in tutorial hell, spending countless hours learning from tutorial videos. However, whenever I tried to create my own programs, I didn’t understand enough to branch far from the tutorial projects. This pattern continued as I would then become interested in a different concept, search for tutorials on that topic, and the cycle would repeat. Eventually, it became evident that I needed to change my approach.
2. Embracing JavaScript: After some reflection, I decided to focus exclusively on JavaScript because I was most interested in creating webpages and services and it was the most universal for that. By narrowing my focus, I could dive deeper into the language and gradually build my confidence and expertise.
3. Edabit: A Program a Day Keeps the Stagnation Away: Inspired by this video, I found Edabit, a platform that offers coding challenges and exercises. Then, I made a commitment to complete a program every day for 20 days. At first motivation was high, but towards the end I realized how important it was to stick to the commitment even when I didn’t feel like it.
4. Following my journey of creating a lot of small programs, I took the time to reflect on the valuable lessons I had learned. Three key takeaways emerged: a solid grasp of common syntax, the development of typing muscle memory, and a newfound confidence in problem-solving.
5. The Power of Chat GPT: Chat GPT, AI-powered language model, also played a huge part in learning how to write practical code. It has an incredible ability to debug and create simple programs while also clearly explaining everything it writes for you. Chat GPT is my first stop when I write something that I think should work but is not working as intended.
6. Wes Bos’ Course: Bridging the Gap: To bridge the gap between theory and practice, I enrolled in Wes Bos’ course, which focuses on building practical services using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. This course was an important source of inspiration for my personal projects. I would still follow along with the lesson, but this time used the confidence gained from earlier programs to come up with my own twist and actually implement a small scale version of it. Then, I iterate and it turns into a full fledged project.
7. The Joy of Creating Projects That Work: Armed with the knowledge gained from Edabit, Chat GPT, and Wes Bos’ course, I finally began working on my own projects. With each feature I completed, I experienced a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. The projects I created were no longer just exercises; they were functional, practical applications that I could be proud of.

Escaping tutorial hell is a common struggle for many aspiring programmers. Through my journey, I discovered that focusing on a specific programming language, utilizing resources like Edabit and Chat GPT, and combining theory with practical project-based reignited the passion I had for writing code. Embrace the power of hands-on coding, and you too can break free from tutorial hell, turning your curiosity of programming into real, tangible projects that work.