We all know that you need to do a lot of practical work to learn programming. And we still ignore this fact and watch countless tutorials in the hope that we learn by watching somebody else code. One reason that stops us from programming is that sometimes we struggle to come up with project ideas. So, what if somebody else would come up with project ideas, and you would only implement stuff?

WHO WOULD DO THAT

What I am going to suggest is not something that I have seen being promoted. Or at least, not often enough. But I tell you that you can let other people come up with ideas, and you can focus on programming instead of brainstorming ideas.

Ok, can you tell us already? We got your point. What you could do to learn new skills or to improve your existing ones is to find instructors on platforms like Udemy and message them. And tell them what? You could ask them if they are looking for somebody to help them. You could state that you want to be a teaching assistant. Most of them would be happy to get help with their courses. You could help by answering questions, by creating boilerplates, by reviewing projects, by reviewing videos, and so on. You get the idea.

You will learn a lot by:

• reading and reviewing code written by a professional instructor
• helping other people (you reinforce the concepts in your mind)
• writing code (e.g. boilerplates) for course participants
• explaining programming concepts (by answering questions)

Besides that, the experience would look really cool on your CV as well. What do you think?

BE POLITE

When approaching an instructor, be polite, and be prepared to be rejected or ignored. Prepare for the worst, but expect the best. It will be hard finding an instructor willing to take you onboard, but if you can land a “teaching assistant role”, it will be worth it.

An example of a message would be:

Hello [instructorName],

 

I am trying to learn/improve [insertSkill], and I wonder if you would be open to taking a teaching assistant onboard. I would be happy to help with whatever is needed.

 

I am looking forward to hearing from you!

 

Thank you,
[insertYourName]

This message is just an example, and it can be improved. However, you get the idea.

CONCLUSION

Identify the skill you want to learn or improve, and message instructors from different teaching platforms such as Udemy. You might be able to land a “role”. If you hit the magic bullet, you will learn a lot.

I want to mention that the article does not apply only to beginners. It does not matter what level you are at. This method is an effective way of learning a new skill or improving an existing one.