How I Learned to Code and Began Making Money With It

 

At the time, I was seventeen years old, went to high school, played soccer, was addicted to mobile games and had never written a single line of code. I led a very typical existence until the corona pandemic struck. Many things changed after the epidemic; schools were shuttered, there was a lockdown, social separation, and many other changes.

Due to the pandemic, I had an abundance of free time, and most of my days were spent indoors, playing video games, scrolling through social media platforms, and watching YouTube videos. I had no idea how much time I was squandering. A few weeks later, I came across a YouTube video about game development; the movie focused on how much money an indie game developer had made from his mobile game. I was intrigued by the figures and thought to myself, "Why don't I learn how to develop a game and make some money?" From that point forward, I began investigating more about game development and watching more YouTube videos on the subject, and I found myself delving deeper and studying tutorials, eventually making my first game by following a tutorial on YouTube.

Changing Routes

It was all fun and games, but there was one problem: I was using a cheap old laptop that couldn't keep up with the process; the software (game engine) I was using for game development required a computer with higher specs than mine, and my laptop would frequently overheat, slow down, freeze (hang), and take minutes to load the game engine. I began to lose focus and decided to halt game production until I could afford a better computer.

I became interested in web programming by watching YouTube videos on game development. So, when I decided to discontinue learning game creation, I immediately began learning web development. I fell in love with web programming within a few days after starting to learn it. The idea of creating code and watching it come to life on your screen captivated me and inspired me to continue.

I learned HTML, CSS, and basic JavaScript in approximately a month and was able to develop rudimentary websites. I continued to hone my JavaScript skills before moving on to front-end frameworks and learning React.

After getting comfortable with React, I began to learn about the backend. I started learning node.js, express, and databases like PostgreSQL and MongoDB. Learning both the front-end and back-end meant that I could finally put my talents to use and create real-world solutions.

The Procedure

I believe I grew addicted to programming at this time because I programmed almost every day. I recall getting up at 5 a.m. one day to program, only to realize later in the day that I'd been programming for more than seven hours straight. I would sometimes stay up until 3 or 4 a.m. coding. I became so enamored with the process that even when I wasn't programming, I would listen to or watch videos about it, and this is when I realized how excellent I was getting

Making money from my skills

Six months later, I was confident in constructing full-stack projects and eager to begin earning a living from my abilities. Again, I came across numerous opportunities to earn from my coding talents on the internet, but one, in particular, jumped out to me – freelance programming. I discovered platforms like Upwork, where web developers can sell their abilities by designing websites for others and getting compensated for it. I signed up and began applying for jobs on Upwork. One of my first projects on Upwork was to incorporate an existing design into a website for a home repair company.

I had a lot of fun working as a freelance web developer and was able to earn money from it. I was able to buy a better computer with the money I earned on Upwork and restart my game development studies. I'm still a web developer, and I dabble in game development as a pastime.

What I learned from my own journey

Learning to code and working as a freelance web developer transformed my life and taught me a lot. It taught me the value of time and how we can remove items from our daily schedules that don't bring value to our lives and instead devote that time to acquiring new skills that will pay off later.

It wasn't always simple learning to code; there were days when I was unmotivated to code, days when I was stuck and wanted to give up, days when I was burned out, and with long hours in front of a screen came eye problems, but despite the hurdles, I kept going and it eventually paid off. Having mini goals; daily and weekly goals on what I wanted to do that day or week, was one thing that helped me overcome those hurdles and kept me going.

It was an exciting and challenging experience, and I am grateful to be able to share it with you. Thank you for your time.