Learning to Code Over and Over

As my New Year’s Resolution last year, I promised myself that in 2024 that I’d learn Python. As resolutions go, I did pretty good. I took several classes and coded some of my own little python scripts. Was I proficient enough to get paid for it, no. But I thought I did a pretty good job of sticking with it until about October.

Again, as resolutions go, that’s not so bad. But I did slack after that. Life got busier, and I coded less and less. Do you know that movie, 40 Year Old Virgin? There’s a line in that movie that goes like this:

Well, yes, it is true. I haven’t touched Python in months and I don’t remember shit. I have my notes, and they might as well be written in French for all the good they do me.

Oh, I still have some knowledge up there, but it really feels like I couldn’t use Python to code my way out of a cardboard box.

Not a New Experience For Me, Sadly

I’ve done this before. I get interested in a language, learn it to the point where I can at least use it, and then never actually use it. It’s due to the flawed way I’ve been learning these things. I take classes. And, I learn okay in classes, but there is no objective at the end other than to pass.

They say the best way to learn a language is to do something with it. Something you’ve always wanted to do, but didn’t know how. Solving real problems that you have is supposed to make things stick better. I’ve just never done it that way, and I’ve paid the price. I keep learning to code over and over and over again, with nothing really to show from those attempts other than mediocre bash scripting skills.

The thing is, I have ideas. Things I want to do with the languages I’ve learned over the years (beyond just configuring Qtile and DWM better). I’ve always thought that Linux needs a good movie and TV show library manager, similar to iTunes back in the day. I’ve missed that. I’d like to create it.

I don’t really know what language would be best, but I’m going to do it. I will take the rusty stuff I’ve learned way back in the past and just get started. Make a plan, see what I need to learn to actually accomplish my goal. I don’t expect it to be something I do quickly. After all, I have a real job and 1, soon to be 2, YouTube channels to run. But it will be a fun project, and maybe this time I’ll be able to actually remember the code that I learn. Who knows?

This is part of 30 in 30. 1 day to go.