How I Taught Myself to Code (Even After Studying IT in School)
27 June 2025
I studied Information Technology in university.
We learned theory networking, databases, some programming here and there but when I finished school, I realized I couldn’t really build anything.
That hit me hard. I had a degree, but no solid projects. I could explain what an API was… but not write one. I knew how to define a database… but not query one from code.
Closing the Gap
After school, I decided to take things seriously. I joined a 12-month coding bootcamp and began learning from scratch all over again this time the practical way.
I spent days building projects, watching YouTube tutorials, and diving into Udemy courses. I broke things. A lot. And I fixed them. Slowly.
I didn’t wait for perfect conditions. I started with freeCodeCamp, crash courses, and building ugly UIs. I forced myself to get comfortable with being uncomfortable especially when nothing worked the way it was supposed to.
The Turning Point
The more I practiced, the more things made sense. I learned how to connect frontend to backend, how to structure code better, and how to think like a developer.
That’s when I realized: I wasn’t just studying code anymore I was becoming a coder.
The Self-Taught Mindset
Being self-taught doesn’t mean you do it all alone. It means you take control of your learning.
I found what worked for me:
- Hands-on building > just watching tutorials
- Reading docs, not just blog posts
- Breaking things and debugging, instead of fearing errors
That mindset helped me grow far more than any classroom ever did.
If You’re in That Phase…
If you’re just finishing school or starting your journey, and it feels overwhelming know that it’s normal.
You don’t have to be perfect.
You don’t need to know everything.
But you do need to start.
Start messy. Start curious. Start anyway.
It’ll all make sense one day if you just keep building.