One of the newsgroups that I frequent, a fellow programmer was expressing the difficulty he is facing in learning a new programming language. That reminded me about the difficulties I faced in the past, and even now with regards to the same subject. It is easy to give up. To become discouraged. It, at times, seems all hopeless, and that nothing will ever stick into this thick skull of mine.

Like everything in life, time, practice and research (learning, education). Watching my 22 month daughter learn new things is amazing. How long it seemed before she could learn to walk. She tumbled and fell and hurt herself many times. But that is now all forgotten, and the hard work has paid off, because guess what, she walks and even runs, or at least some derivative or a fast waddle,  now. Now it seems like an eternity before she starts to talk, but she is getting there, with a few sounds and words. But guess what, there is going to come a day, when her parents would seemingly which she would stop talking. Programming is exactly the same. We must adapt to new ideas and new methods. For some that is difficult and painful, for others its a breeze. But once you have mastered the skills, and taken the time and discipline to complete the task, the results are fantastic. You look back and say to yourself that it was all worth it, and the journey was not that difficult. The strange thing is that the more you learn the easier it is to learn.

My encouragement to those of us who are embarking on the new journey of learning a new programming language, is stick to it. Persevere. It will eventually come right. I have started out on many new courses, currently I am building an Internet business. I am learning new things about the Internet, like Search Engine Optimization or SEO. I am trying to figure out what is the best look and layout for my homepage. But with trial and error, and time, I believe it will come right. 

Don’t give up. Are you struggling? How has you learning curve progressed? Let me, and others know about your struggles and how you were able to overcome them. Share some tips and tricks that you have discovered. Encourage those of us who feel that we are at the bottom of the programmers pit. Leave a comment.