Most beginners stall by spreading attention across too many tools, skipping fundamentals and tests, and consuming tutorials without shipping real projects; the fix is a tight routine that builds one project end-to-end with small, verifiable improvements each week.
1) Learning five things at once
- Mistake: jumping between languages, frameworks, and courses creates shallow knowledge and burnout.
- Fix: pick one language and one project for 4–6 weeks; add features weekly and defer new tools until a milestone ships.
2) Skipping fundamentals
- Mistake: copying snippets without understanding control flow, data structures, and error handling leads to fragile code.
- Fix: practice core topics daily (loops, arrays/maps, functions, I/O), and explain each new concept in your own words in a short note.
3) Not writing tests
- Mistake: coding without unit/integration tests makes refactoring scary and bugs hard to spot.
- Fix: start with one test per function or endpoint; add a simple CI workflow to run tests on every push.
4) Overreliance on AI
- Mistake: pasting AI-generated code without validation produces hidden bugs and shallow understanding.
- Fix: write tests first, ask AI for hints or edge cases, then refactor and comment why the code is correct.
5) Endless tutorials, no shipping
- Mistake: watching courses without producing a working artifact leaves nothing to show in interviews.
- Fix: require a tangible output after each lesson—a small feature, refactor, or bug fix—and record a 2–3 minute demo.
6) Neglecting debugging skills
- Mistake: guessing at fixes instead of using logs, breakpoints, or error messages wastes time.
- Fix: reproduce, isolate, change one thing at a time, and keep a “fixes tried” log to accelerate future debugging.
7) Poor project structure
- Mistake: messy repos with unclear setup, no scripts, and mixed code/data discourage practice and collaboration.
- Fix: use a clean template: README, src/tests folders, .gitignore, formatter/linter, and a one‑command run script.
8) Ignoring documentation
- Mistake: future you won’t remember decisions; teammates can’t review or reuse work.
- Fix: maintain a concise README, a checklist to run/tests, and a short design note (problem, approach, trade‑offs).
9) Avoiding version control
- Mistake: coding without Git history makes rollback and collaboration painful.
- Fix: commit small, meaningful changes with clear messages; open self‑review PRs to catch issues early.
10) No time boundaries
- Mistake: irregular study and marathon sessions reduce retention and motivation.
- Fix: two 60–90 minute focus blocks on set days, with a weekly retrospective and next steps.
11) Chasing perfection
- Mistake: polishing early slows learning and blocks feedback.
- Fix: ship a minimal version fast, then iterate—functionality, tests, refactor, optimize.
12) Ignoring security basics
- Mistake: committing secrets, unsafe inputs, and outdated dependencies builds bad habits.
- Fix: environment variables or a secrets manager, input validation, dependency updates, and a basic scan in CI.
4‑week starter plan
- Week 1: Set up environment, pick language, build a tiny CLI or API; add a linter, formatter, and 3–5 unit tests.
- Week 2: Add data persistence (JSON/SQLite), error handling, and input validation; write integration tests.
- Week 3: Add one user-facing feature and a small performance improvement; document with a short design note and demo.
- Week 4: Containerize or provide a devcontainer; add CI; fix one bug via proper debugging and record a brief postmortem.
Portfolio checklist
- One working project with README, tests, CI badge, and a 3–5 minute demo.
- Clear commit history and a short ADR explaining a key trade‑off.
- A list of next steps to show you can plan incremental improvements.
Focus on one stack, test and document as you go, and ship small features weekly; this steady, verifiable progress beats scattered learning and gets you interview‑ready faster.