Why am I writing about impostor syndrome so soon? It's because this is something you will probably face early on and many times in your coding journey.
A week into my bootcamp, I was building my first website using html and CSS when I encountered my first bug. I had been staring at my screen for an hour growing increasingly frustrated because I had inputted the code correctly (I was sure of that) and it was supposed to work, but it didn't.
This was the perfect opportunity for impostor syndrome to kick in. 'What made you think you could do this?' 'Your brain is more wired for painting and writing, not coding.' 'Why are you stressing yourself? Give up.'
I battled the frustration and kept debugging. Then I found it. I found the cause of the issue. I had forgotten to include a semi-colon in my CSS. I was torn between shouting for joy and breaking down in tears because all that stress was caused by such a tiny thing.
Impostor syndrome will have you doubting if you really know what you're doing or if you deserve to be where you are. Here are 3 things that have been helpful to me so far.
1. Accept that the feeling might persist, but know that you are not alone.
It's been somewhat reassuring to see some senior developers talk about their struggles with impostor syndrome despite what they have achieved. Everyone seems to face it at some point, but what's important is what you do to push past it.
2. Be realistic about your goals
Take time to properly understand concepts and be realistic about what you're trying to accomplish. There is always going to be something to learn, so don't feel like you have to rush through things. Impostor syndrome is less likely to hit you hard when you're confident about what you know and what you can build.
3. Practice!
As I mentioned in my last post, consistency is key. When you practice the concepts you learn and are able to build things on your own, you'll quickly see that the loud voice of impostor syndrome turns into a whisper and eventually goes away.
Remember that no one knows everything. Keep your eyes on your goals and stay consistent💪🏾