10 things I wish I knew before I started my programming journey

My 10 things list

Programming paths are endless and can be overwhelming
The skill doesn't guarantee a job
The difference between coding and programming
The language you choose affects your journey in a big way
It's okay to quit a language
You'd always be learning something new
Knowing the right thing to copy is more important than copying
Taking a break is very important as you go
HTML and CSS are not programming languages
The tech lifestyle is not always what they make it

Programming paths are endless and can be overwhelming: When you start you're probably just excited to get started. When I started all I knew was that I wanted to work for Microsoft as a Software Engineer but as I went on I discovered more roles as QA Engineer, Protocol Developer, Salesforce Administrator, and Technical Recruiters. This was just the beginning of my problems as I went on and on looking for what shoe fits me and I became so convinced detailed research would have helped me go a long way at the beginning.

Now, I don't regret anything as it was more important to do something rather than nothing. Sometimes, just starting is what you need so regardless of this point, start from the point of your limited knowledge.
The skill doesn't guarantee a job: I saw an ad for a programming program that claimed that as soon as you got your hands dirty with computer programming you'd dine and wine with the likes of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs(💀) but how many people can Bill really host on his dining table? The market is coming as saturated as it can get and I now see that companies would pay a lot of money to end up not paying any money hiring new talents.

The people who win this game are the people with "entrepreneurial spirits". To win, you build a digital product that gets a lot of attention and gets you noticed. It can be hard if you urgently need a job at the moment but they say with time you get something that makes acquiring the skills worth it. (After 1 year & 8 months of coding, building exciting projects, and learning Data Structures & Algorithm and I haven't gotten the Microsoft job yet)
The difference between coding and programming: It is common to find people using the terms "programming" and "coding" interchangeably but you get to a point where you need to know the difference as your path unveils.

Coding is a part of programming that deals with writing codes that a machine can understand. Programming is a process that creates programs that involve the ratification of codes. A coder doesn't necessarily build programs but a programmer could be in charge of writing codes to build software programs. Knowing and understanding this basic difference makes it easier to view the bigger picture.
The language you choose affects your journey in a big way: The worst mistake I made was starting out with JavaScript. The language has worked for some other people but I personally struggled with it. For a long time, I felt inadequate as I studied. Why wasn't I able to make complete sense of what I had been learning for over 7 months? I picked up more frameworks hoping they would aid my confusion but that didn't happen.

Everything changed as I started learning python. I found it easier to understand concepts. The concepts I struggled with in JavaScript made more sense. Problem-solving with Python 3 became very much possible for me.
It's okay to quit a language: You should see my other post declaring I was quitting JavaScript. They said to choose a language and stick with it but JacaScript wasn't making sense to me. I may go back to it as time goes on but quitting it has given me the confidence to go forward.

With JavaScript, I dreaded writing code but Python made me eager to write code day by day consistently and tackle coding challenges. It may be quitting Python or Java for you but follow your mind and choose a language that suits you most.
You'd always be learning something new: If you want a career that allows you to use residual knowledge then programming is not for you. I can't remember the last time I haven't studied all night or felt guilty not doing so because there is always something to do and something to learn.
Knowing the right thing to copy is more important than copying: In school, you are penalized for copying but in programming, copying is allowed, and copying what works is more important. You have many resources available to assist you as you work on projects. I was obsessed with writing codes by myself not realizing that everything that needs to be written had been done by someone else but what is required is for you to mix and innovate what already exists.
Taking a break is very important as you go: While pursuing consistency, taking a one-month break from programming allowed me to see my career project subjectively and detach from what was in front of me.

Learning to pace according to your needs is very important. I held on to my daily study schedule when I started a new job in a new city and it drained me every day to study as much as I did and still try to get enough sleep and try beat traffic in busy Lagos. Sometimes it's okay to break your study streak and start when you're ready. Your career is a marathon, not a sprint.
HTML and CSS are not programming languages: When I started programming, I was hyperfixating on learning and perfecting HTML and CSS. While that is good for a web developer, it wasn't good for me working towards more programming areas and as far as web development goes, Backend Development.
The tech lifestyle is not always what they make it: When you see the people online with the 5 screens and well-furnished workspaces, they don't tell you of most of the struggles that come with each field so while you allow yourself to be motivated by the posts, try to take it all with a pinch of salts.

These are the 10 things I wish I knew but it's all peculiar to my own experience. Feel free to share how far you've gone on your journey and things you wish you knew before you started in the comments.