I need a bit of direction(help or answers)!

CerebralCortex

I am in a course called digital software systems engineering b.e. I started by doing a diploma in electronics engineering. Basically I've done at the max about three years of programming studies, and in my humble opinion I am crap at it no two ways about it. This is quiet hard to deal with because I really like programming and this is how I have managed to get on ok in the various classes through perseverance and lots of annoying questions. What I would like to know is there any where I can go or anything I can do to get better at programming myself outside of college? Thank you very much!!!

Paligulus

God I know that feeling!! Although by the sounds of things you're probably more determined than I am!!!

I find there is a huge difference between doing assignments and doing a large project.

I'm just after finishing my 4th year project and I found my programming ability doubled(well maybe not that much!!). I think the only way you can improve is by doing big project like that.

Now I don't know where you can 'get' a project but I would suggest asking one of you're lectures if you could help with a project over the summer. If you offered free of charge you'd be surprised how glad they would be.

Merrion

There are a couple of good books you should probably read: The Art of Computer Programming by Donald Knuth and Code Complete published by Microsoft Press. These will probably help you get the foundations on which a good programmer is built.

That aside your best thing to do is practice. This means writing small programs with a fixed function yourself, and downloading other people's code from sites such as The Code Project to see how they do things.

There is also an article I wrote: The 7 secrets of succesful programmers that is a distilation of some of the things I have learnt the hard way...

scojones

Read "The Pragmatic Programmer" before you read Code Complete. Also, before you read the code complete book, read it's chapter 31.

These books are life changing books, and are the best books I have ever read.

CerebralCortex

Thank you all very much. Your help is very much apperiated.

Elfman

A Lecture of mine swears by WRTING SOLID CODE don't remeber who writes but this guys knows his stuff so il be cheaking out a copy

stevenmu

Books are great, especially for learning best practices, but they don't really compare to practical experience. Think up a small little project for yourself to do and then go ahead and do it. When you find yourself looking for sample code for how to do something, just look for stuff that matches the functionality you need not the application of it. For example if you need to read something fom a text file, just look for sample code of reading text files, then figure out yourself how to apply it to your own project, don't look for someone who's already done the same project as you and take that code.