How long does it take to be a great programmer?

I’ve been on Roblox for 2 years and I want to know how long does it take to be a great programmer, the question for you guys is how hard is programming? Did you have to practice everyday?

In my opinion I believe that Lua is the easiest programming language I’ve seen but is it really hard when you pass the basics of it?

Thanks for reading and hopefully I could be able to meet and talk to trained programmers and how their journey came into a successful one.

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Well like all things, it takes dedication, practice, and time. The time it takes however is up to you, your personal schedule and countless factors.

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It really depends on how much time you put it, whether you know other languages, etc. There’s a ton of factors that weigh in on how long it will take, so just keep at it.

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But how did you get motivated to continue programming?

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I’ve been developing (programming mainly) for about 5-7 years and the best advice I can give is to keep learning. Every time you don’t understand something, google it. There’s a lot of information out there to learn.

For a start try:

  • CFrame’s
  • Vectors
  • Linear Algebra
  • New Programming Languages
  • Perhaps a Programming Course

…and many more!

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Well, it’s not really time that makes you great. It’s the willingness to learn and dedication you put in it. For instance, I like experimenting in Studio at least once a week. It’s really based on what you want to achieve in this platform, and how willing and adamant you are to stick your head in and stay in until you get something out of it.

I have been programming for over 8 years, yet I don’t think I’m a “master”. I know people who mastered Lua in 3 months. Yes, crazy, but it’s true. There is no race to be won. You have all the time in the world.

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It’s up to interpretation because while similar, everyone’s understanding of the word ‘great’ is different. It is up to how you define the word great and what it means for you to be great. Set goals and work towards those goals, while keeping your mind open to learn new things and to gain knowledge. You become better by attempting something, so create new things, explore different ideas and use your skills to make them come to life. Create things you enjoy making, not what you see others making.

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Just a little inspiration here:

One of the greatest gifts that comes from being a programmer is the gift of creation. You can easily manipulate anything in 3D Space to your will. One of the questions I ask myself every day is: “What do I want to create today?”. If I answer that question, I go do it. Some things take longer than others, but each yields the end result.

You can create anything with your imagination. The only limit you have is your own self. Even then, you can break down those walls and push those limits farther. Roblox is one of the best platforms for tutorials and learning. Plus, with this DevForum, you have people always nearby to help you.

If you go around and ask different programmers certain questions like “Where did you learn to code”, you’ll receive many different answers. However, each stems from the ability to push yourself in what you think is the right direction.

Best of luck on your journey.

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It takes forever to be a great programmer. Let me iterate on the the keyword here.

forever.

See, Programming is an ever changing field. There’s constantly changes to API’s and new introductions to programming languages. There’s always some new programming language, or some better way to optimize your code.

You just don’t know it yet.

Even the best of the best makes simple mistakes. Everyone is bound to, especially if you’ve spent like 6 hours on bugs alone. You’ll start to see that simple mistakes are becoming more prominent. And likely it’s time to take a break.

Nevertheless. You are never ahead of the game, but you might just be on top of it. So one day you could be a great programmer, and the next day you could just be a programmer.

To answer some of your other questions tho.

Is programming hard? Not at all. Once you understand the fundamental concept behind programming. A lot of things just involve due diligence, problem solving, and persistence. Most importantly though you need an initiative. If you never start, you shouldn’t be looking at the finish line.

Practice everyday? I wouldn’t call it that. In my opinion, programming isn’t something you stick with and set a schedule for. It’s not something that you consciously find yourself working towards.

It’s just something that you do. It’s something you want to do. And a means to accomplish what you want to do most. And when it’s something like that you don’t have to worry about practicing everyday. Because you practice every second :rofl:

But really, programming is a lifestyle, whether it’s reduced to a hobby for some, or a profession for others.

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Thanks for the info, I really do love programming and it’s my dream to be a great one!

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I have been programing since 1986 (as a job and hobby) and still learn things almost every day. found LUA & Roblox about 6 months ago. The main thing to learn is logic. How to turn ideas into end products, can be done in so many diferent ways, 1 good thing is to understand the flow of what you are trying to complete at the end. Perhaps pick a small project then do it in 1 type of language, then pick another language and do same project. That way u will learn from each project perhaps better ways to do. To become very good at programming, it is a mind set, and a addiction :slight_smile: best of luck

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I was never motivated to continue internally. I personally hate programming, because you’re inevitably always dealing with someone else’s garbage code. By coding in Roblox, I know you fully appreciate what I’m saying.

So then how/why have I been programming for a very long time?

Necessity. Laziness. I have things I want to do, and computers can do the things I want millions of times faster and better than me. University forced me to learn the depths of computers in ways I’d never have done on my own, and my jobs (which were not supposed to be at all about programming on paper) usually ended up with me spending 90% of the day in code. From controlling large systems, educating children with a website, crunching financial numbers, or just sending well-automated emails to fool people into thinking that you’re actually listening to them instead of working, coding has made my life 100 times more effective.

I didn’t choose programming. I still don’t. Programming constantly keeps choosing me. Maybe one day it’ll leave me alone, but my hopes grow fainter with every passing day. It’s time to swallow my pride and acknowledge that I’m a programmer, whether I want to be or not.

Right now I just want to play a good game, and no one is making the right game. So here I am in Lua-ville.

Software is eating the world. In this brave new world, do you want to be a master or a slave? For me there’s no choice: Master programming yourself, or forever fall victim to everyone else’s bad programming and have a terrible, slow, and ineffective life where you are controlled by others.

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This sums it up pretty well

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Haha! Yep, that definitely explains it.:rofl:

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