Beginner Dev Struggles – Let’s Talk

[abhi478jeetur-rgb]

Many of us started coding or using GitHub feeling confused, stuck, or even a bit scared to ask “simple” questions. This discussion is a safe place to talk about those experiences.
What are your biggest struggles right now as a beginner (or even as an experienced dev)? For example:

Understanding Git and GitHub workflows

Reading other people’s code

Feeling “not good enough” when you see advanced projects

Balancing learning with school/work

Staying consistent and not giving up

There are no dumb questions here. Share:

What you’re struggling with

What has helped you so far

Any small tips or routines that keep you moving forward

Please be kind and respectful. The goal is to make sure nobody feels alone in their learning journey. If you see someone describing a problem you’ve faced before, feel free to reply with encouragement, how you handled it, or even just “I’ve been there too.”

[mecodeatlas]

Thanks for posting in the GitHub Community, @abhi478jeetur-rgb!

We're happy you're here. You are more likely to get a useful response if you are posting your question in the applicable category, the Discussions category is solely related to conversations around the GitHub product Discussions. This question should be in the Programming Help category. I've gone ahead and moved it for you. Good luck!

[Sarvan-Yaduvanshi]

Thanks for creating this space — it really helps beginners feel less alone.

My main struggles have been understanding Git/GitHub workflows, reading large codebases, and sometimes feeling “not good enough” when comparing myself to others. What helped me most was practicing daily, building small projects, and focusing on steady progress instead of perfection.

Consistency and patience matter more than speed. If you’re struggling, you’re learning — and that’s completely normal. Keep going.

[DheerajKumar602]

At times whenever, I see very advanced projects or developers who seem to know everything, I still struggle a bit with the feeling of being behind. In the beginning, the workflows of Git and GitHub were equally perplexing, mostly rebasing, conflict resolution, and how teams collaborate with commits & PRs.

Important things that helped me the most are focusing more on the little things and small progress instead of others.

I began to read the code slowly even though I could understand 30–40%. As time passed, a pattern emerged. Daily consistency offered much more benefit than long study sessions. Just 1–2 hours per day can help.

When I learn something new, I try to use it in a small real project immediately. That’s a tip that works for me. It aids the retention of the learning.
These types of discussions and conversations really help. Everyone feels stuck sometimes – a good reminder.

[JoelvHouten]

I love that this space exists. ❤️ I think a lot more of us struggle quietly than we admit.

What’s helped me is:

• Starting small (one file at a time)
• Adding comments to explain what I think the code is doing
• Running the code and changing small things to see what breaks

Also, I’ve realized that relying too much on AI as a beginner can actually slow down your learning. If you don’t take the time to understand what the code is doing, you’re just copying solutions instead of building real problem-solving skills.

Even the best programmers started exactly where you are now confused, stuck, and learning and they kept going. 🦾

[global-partner-dev]

Here are the stages I went through when learning Git/GitHub:

First, I started with the basics: creating, cloning, committing, and pushing.

I began by working alone to learn repository management.

Next, while collaborating with about two others, I gained a deeper understanding of branches and learned advanced techniques like pull requests and merging.

[pratikrath126]

Struggles are a natural part of the learning process! To overcome them: 1. Focus on one small concept at a time. 2. Build small, real projects rather than just watching tutorials. 3. Don't be afraid to read documentation and search for errors. 4. Consistency is key—even 30 minutes a day makes a difference. Remember, every experienced developer was once where you are now.